CATALYST- THE 12: Part 7, DOUBTING THOMAS

This week we watched a video clip from the A.D. The Bible Continues series, showing Jesus's encounter with Thomas. After Jesus was tortured and killed on a cross and sealed in a tomb for three days, something mind boggling happened. Jesus rose from the dead! He appeared to a bunch of his disciples where they ate and hung out with him… but Thomas wasn’t there—so when he showed up, he just couldn’t believe it. He REFUSED to believe it! Can you blame the guy?

1. THOMAS WAS A SKEPTIC EVEN THOUGH HE WITNESSED MIRACLES FIRST-HAND

Thomas had seen Jesus heal people who had horrendous skin diseases, he saw paralyzed people do a happy dance after encountering Jesus, he had even witnessed Jesus raising their friend Lazarus (THE MUMMY) from the dead…which Jesus did to PROVE his power and PROVE that He was who he said he was! But, even after all of those amazing displays of power, Thomas had a hard time swallowing the fact that Jesus was alive after what he had gone through on the cross.

2. THOMAS WAS A SKEPTIC EVEN THOUGH HIS FRIENDS WERE CONVINCED

His closest friends had quite a tall tale. They said that they had seen Jesus. They had spoken to him. They had touched him for themselves and ate a meal with him. They KNEW that he had risen from the dead. They didn't have cameras or iPhones to convince Thomas. The only proof they had was the reality of their shared experience. Even though Thomas knew that they couldn't possibly lie about something like this, he still refused to believe it.

3. THOMAS ENCOUNTERS JESUS FOR HIMSELF

In John 20:26-29, Jesus shows up. Thomas is astounded. They talk. Thomas feels the wounds in Jesus' hands and side, and he falls to his knees. Thomas cries out, "You are my Lord and my God". It only took a moment for him to be totally convinced.

4. THOMAS' STORY INJECTS "REAL LIFE" INTO THE BIBLE'S ACCOUNT

I love the fact that Thomas was a skeptic. He had seen some amazing things, but he still felt some things were just impossible. Most of us can identify with Thomas. He makes this story real. Most of us would probably react exactly the same. He didn't want to blindly accept what others were saying. He wasn't a part of some cult that discouraged thinking for himself. He wasn't about to believe that Jesus was alive if it wasn't the truth. Thomas is like the detective or judge in the story. He needed to have evidence to reach a verdict. The fact that he became convinced reminds us that his experience was real.

5. THOMAS' ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHANGED HIS LIFE

Thomas, like the majority of the other disciples, went on to spend the rest of his life telling others about his experience with Jesus. He told people that Jesus was the Son of God, even when it came at great risk. There was nothing in it for any of them to lie about it. They didn't make millions of dollars in a book or movie deal, but according to tradition, 10 of the 12 were tortured and killed for their faith. Would you die to keep a lie going? Would you allow yourself to be tortured just so that people would believe that a story was true, when it was all make believe? These guys were totally convinced that Jesus was who he said he was.

John wraps up his account of Jesus and Thomas in John 20:30-31,

“Jesus worked many other miracles for his disciples, and not all of them are written in this book. But these are written so that you will put faith in Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of God. If you have faith in him, you will have true life”.

The disciples wrote down their experiences and the church passed them on for thousands of years so that the truth wouldn't be lost. Thomas story encourages us that Jesus really did live, die and rise again. Thomas' story is in the Bible so that we could have some basis for our faith.

DISCUSSION

1. Ask your teen what stands out to them the most from Thomas' story. How does it encourage them?

2. All of us have times of doubt, or times when we're a bit skeptical about faith. Take some time to think and share about some times in your lives where you experienced God in an amazing way that helped melt away a lot of those doubts. (Maybe you had an incredible experience with God at camp, or through reading the Bible, or through an answer to prayer or an incredible time of worship).

3. Most of the disciples in our series had one thing in common. After encountering Jesus, their lives were changed. They were so convinced that Jesus was who he said he was that they spent the rest of their lives traveling around telling people this good news. Discuss why we tend to be so apprehensive about being open and honest about our faith today. Pray that God would open up opportunities for you and your teens to talk about what you believe with others. It might be something as simple as when someone asks you what you did on the weekend, that you mention that you were a part of the church on Sunday!