My Twin Brother
John 20:24-29 4-23-06
Hi! My name is Marcus.
You probably don't know me, but
I bet you have heard of my brother --
my twin brother.
His name is Thomas.
Thomas has become fairly well known.
As a matter of fact, that is what I want to
talk to you about.
People have come to know my brother as
Doubting Thomas
It's almost like that has become his name.
And that really hurts me.
People speak of my brother
in a very negative way &
I would like to set the record straight.
Let me tell you a little about my brother.
Following Jesus 3 years
The best place to start I guess
is when a man named Jesus came by.
This Jesus had quiet a way with people.
He would ask people to leave everything
& come and follow him.
Well, one day he stopped next to my brother.
He asked Thomas to follow.
Thomas said, "Yes,"
& for 3 yrs followed this itinerant preacher
They were 3 very hard years
Thomas had no place to lay his head
He depended on generosity for meals
He walked from village to village
My brother followed Jesus faithfully those 3 long years.
Trip to Bethany
My brother told me about an event which took
place near the end of those 3 years.
Jesus was asked to come to Bethany.
Mary and Martha, 2 close friends,
begged Jesus to come.
Their brother was very ill.
They knew Jesus could cure him
Jesus told my twin brother & the others
that they would go to Bethany.
The disciples said they should not go.
They were nearly killed the last time they were in Bethany.
They narrowly escaped
They could not go back there.
It was too dangerous to return.
They were too afraid to go back.
Jesus said he was going to help
He said it was for the glory of God that he must go.
It was my brother who had the courage to say,
"Let us also go, that we may die with him."
My brother was ready to die for Jesus.
My brother is a bold & courageous man!
All people remember is
Doubting Thomas.
Is that the way YOU would like to be remembered?
My brother and the others followed Jesus to Bethany.
And was that a time to remember!
Lazarus was no longer ill.
Lazarus was dead.
He had been dead for 3 days.
Thomas told me that Jesus went to the tomb.
Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!"
They could not believe their eyes.
Lazarus came hopping out.
Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead.
My brother was SO excited!
How can we know the way?
Thomas told me that not too long after that,
Jesus was teaching his disciples as he often did.
He spoke of believing in God &
believing in him.
He said his Father's house had many dwelling places.
Jesus was going there to prepare a place
for his followers.
He said he would return & take them there.
Then Jesus said, "You know the way to the place I am going."
Well, all the disciples were sitting
there thinking, they didn't know the way.
It was MY brother who spoke up.
It was Thomas who said,
"Lord, we do not know where you are going.
How can we know the way?"
It was my brother who had the courage to speak up.
And for that he is accused of being slow.
If my brother, Thomas, had not asked,
the world may have never heard
what Jesus said next.
I understand that some people have even
written it down for future generations.
Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."
Because my brother questioned,
we all learned that Jesus is our picture of God.
Resurrection
But what really makes me mad is what happened
after the resurrection.
Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb
were they had buried Jesus.
She found the tomb empty.
But before she left that morning,
she saw the risen Lord.
She looked into his face.
She spoke to him. -- She touched him.
That same evening
Jesus walked through a locked door
to stand in the midst of the disciples.
They out of fear had locked themselves in an upper room.
Jesus showed them his hands & side
The disciples rejoiced.
My brother was not with them.
Some say my brother was a coward
& was afraid to be with the others.
Can you believe that someone would say that
about my courageous brother?
No one seems to know where my
brother was that night.
We never discussed it.
And then it happened.
The others told my brother that they had seen Jesus.
Jesus had risen from the dead.
My brother said that he would not believe until
he had seen Jesus and touched the nail prints in his hands.
That's were it all started.
From then own my brother was called
Doubting Thomas.
Would you like to be remembered like that?
It's not fair. --- It hurts.
My brother did not ask for anymore than what
the others had already been given.
Mary Mag. had seen & touched Jesus.
When Jesus appeared to the 10,
he showed them his hands & side.
The other disciples had seen Jesus.
Was it too much to ask, to see & touch Jesus?
Jesus Returns
Thomas told me that it was a whole week before
he was able to see Jesus.
He was there in that same room with the other disciples
when Jesus appeared again.
Jesus invited him to touch & believe.
My brother was so excited!
And what he said next
is what everyone should remember.
All people remember is Doubting Thomas
My brother after having seen & touched the risen Jesus
said, "My Lord and My God!"
Did you hear what my brother said?
Did you hear what he called Jesus?
He proclaimed that Jesus is God!
No one had done that before my brother.
Thomas professed that Jesus the Christ was God.
Others had called Jesus King
His enemies even placed a sign on his cross,
KING OF THE JEWS.
Others had called him Messiah.
Others had called him Lord.
But no one had ever called Jesus God.
Those are the words people should remember
But all people remember is Doubting Thomas
My brother followed Jesus with Courage.
My brother was willing to ask questions
when others remained silent.
My brother proclaimed to the world
that Jesus is his Lord & God.
My brother was a faithful disciple.
My brother took the gospel message
to the world.
That's what people should remember about Thomas.
That's what people should remember about my brother.
Then Jesus said something very important to YOU & ME!
John has written down his words.
Thomas told me what Jesus said.
Jesus said to my brother,
“Have you believed because you have seen me.”
Now that part was for Thomas.
But then Jesus said,
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Many of you never had a chance to see Jesus in person.
Do you believe?