Journey to Pentecost

April 15, 2010     John 20.29

Real blessings come to those who believe and don’t see.  Isn’t this the epitome of faith?  When Jesus exclaimed to Thomas that those in future generations would be blessed because they would believe and not see him physically – He was speaking of you and I.  Wow!  Think about that for just a moment.  

Nearly 2000 years ago Jesus miraculously looked into the future and grabbed the millions of people who would believe in Him for salvation – although they have never seen Him.   He was taking Thomas from doubt to faith and to a place of discipline about the dynamic of faith.  Thomas couldn’t believe in a resurrected Lord.  It took, literally, a hands on approach to knowing Jesus was real.   Once Thomas jumped that hurdle – he was on to a new level of experience with Jesus.  But…you and I cannot put our hands on the scars of Jesus.  We cannot experience Him by touch.   We can only experience Him by faith.   This was a kingdom principle that Jesus had taught His disciples for a little over three years.  They had a hard time getting this lesson.   It was a simple lesson of faith.   

For you and I today it is matter of radical faith.   Every day we experience chaos to some degree in our life.  Our faith experience is challenged.  Our relationship with Jesus is challenged.  For some believers – it’s a struggle just to get out of bed and face the events of the day before us.   But faith doesn’t have to be hard.  Faith is the simple task of believing in something that we cannot see.  It’s about hope.  I remind of Hebrews 11.  Faith is the title-deed to things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.   If I can hold it, touch it, hear it, see it or taste it – I don’t need faith for it.  I have the manifestation of desire in my hand.  Faith is that radical mental surrender to the nonexistent side of our life.  It’s what we hang hope on.  Faith is something that stretches our spiritual muscles to reach farther than we ever have before.  Faith is the deed to our desires.  When you own a piece of property you own a deed.  You have a piece of paper that gives you judicial title to the land.  No one can take it from you.  It belongs to you.  When you put faith in Christ – the deed to ownership is your faith.  Your faith is your deed to hope.  Once you have what you have placed your faith in – you no longer need faith.   Faith is a perpetual dynamic that will take us through our eternal goal – heaven.  We will see Him face to face because now I have a deed to prove my relationship with him – it is my faith.  When I see Him I will no longer need to live by faith.  Aren’t you glad Jesus included in His awesome plan for eternity and mentioned us specifically to Thomas nearly 2000 years ago?