Not Seen & Believed

Listen to John Chapter 20 & 21
or read "Not Seen & Believed"

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus' encounter with Thomas has always interested me. I could relate to him as a skeptic, as someone who likes to understand things for myself. I like examination and evidence. I like to investigate, prove and disproved things to myself. Ultimately I have had to face the fact that I could not do the same thing Thomas was given the opportunity to do: to know Jesus face to face here on this planet. To see him alive after witnessing his death. Seeing his wounds up close and even touching them. Our world is limited by linear time and space. Jesus was born into our world. As a result of the limitation of time and space he could only physically interact with those who lived during that specific time period. Jesus acknowledges this fact when he tells Thomas

"Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

There is a book titled The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. It was written by Lee Strobel who was a former legal editor at the Chicago Tribune. To give you a little background on the book and Lee Strobel here is what the publisher put on the back or the book.

"A Seasoned Journalist Chases Down the Biggest Story in History The Project: Determine if there’s credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God. The Reporter: Lee Strobel, educated at Yale Law School, award-winning former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune—with a background of atheism. The Experts: A dozen scholars, with doctorates from Cambridge, Princeton, Brandeis, and other top-flight institutions, who are recognized authorities on Jesus. The Story: Retracing his own spiritual journey, Strobel cross-examines the experts with tough, point-blank questions: How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence exist for Jesus outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual historical event? . . ."

Here is a 6 minute video of Lee Strobel reviewing "the best attested event of the ancient world." He briefly presents some of the evidence of the Resurrection he wrote about in his book. A reasoned person with an open mind can examine the testimonies and evidence of Jesus and conclude that the Resurrection took place.

<a href="http://deforest-family.blogspot.com"> Go to website to view this video.</a>