Reading
John 20:24-31—That You May Believe
Notes
The Bible might be called God’s book of blessings. This is not to say that the Scriptures contain only blessings. There are commands, warnings, and even curses as well. But the Bible predominates in blessings. The purpose of the Bible is to lead us into God’s blessings so that God might be blessed in blessing his people. …
In the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke his last blessing when the disciple Thomas had believed, an especially significant blessing since it refers directly to us: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Since salvation is received through faith, this blessing provides a key to them all …
Jesus insisted to Thomas that if you believe without having seen him, you will be blessed. What are these blessings? They include the blessings received by anyone who has ever believed: your sins will be forgiven, you will receive the free gift of eternal life, you will be accepted into God’s embrace as a dearly beloved child, you will be delivered from the judgment that is to come, you will be raised in a glorious body like the resurrected body of Christ, you will have power to lead a holy and spiritually peaceful life, and you will be blessed to be used by God as a witness for the salvation of others.
Questions
- What did Thomas insist on to believe Jesus was risen?
- What blessing comes if we believe without having seen Jesus?
- Why did John write his gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus?
Praise
Psalm 20b, 119r
Prayer
- Rejoice that you have come to believe without seeing Jesus with your physical eyes.
- Pray for the preparation for preaching God’s word this Sunday.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.