“Reach Here”
(Sunday message for House Church and individual use: preached 8/1 – 8/7/2021)
“Then saith he to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”
(John 20:27)
Introduction
“Then saith he to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)
John 20:19-23 English Standard Version (ESV): Jesus Appears to the Disciples
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
- “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.” (John 20:24)
- “And his disciples asked him, saying, ‘Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” (John 9:2-3)
I. Reach with thy finger
“Then saith he to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)
- “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails,” (John 20:25a)
II. Reach with thy hand
“Then saith he to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)
- “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)
III. Reach with thy faith
“Then saith he to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)
“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them:
- “Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace be unto you.
- “Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands;
- “And reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side:
- “And be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:25)
IV. Reach… and believe
“Then saith he to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)
- “And Thomas answered and said unto him, ‘My Lord and my God.” (John 20:28)
- “And he saith unto them, ‘But whom say ye that I am?’ And Peter answereth and saith unto him, ‘Thou art the Christ.” (Mark 8:29)
- “Jesus saith unto him, ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
- “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
OUTLINE:
“Reach Here”
(A Message to the Multitudes)
“Then saith he to Thomas, ‘Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.” (John 20:27)
I. Reach with thy finger
II. Reach with thy hand
III. Reach with thy faith
IV. Reach… and believe
WORSHIP:
Opening:
A Presentation to Share:
Before the Message:
Hymn of Saint Thomas (O Sons and Daughters)
(A 15th Century Anglican hymn attributed to being written by Jean Tisserand. It was translated to English by John Mason Neale, who lived between 1818-1866). The music is from a melody entitled, “Airs sur les Hymnes Sacrez, odes et Noels, composed in 1623.
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“I Saved You. You Despised Me.”
Evening’s Cinematic Presentation:
Again Pioneers (1950) – Christian Movie/Film Paul F Heard – CFDb