John 20:26-29 (NASB)

²⁶ After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus *came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”

²⁷ Then He *said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

²⁸ Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
Theme: Three crucial aspects of belief in the resurrection you must understand, so you will serve Christ with full devotion.

The Familiar Setting v.26
I. The necessity of belief v.27

A. Necessary for salvation
B. Necessary for service

II. The confession of belief v.28

III. The blessing of belief v.29

A. The significance of the first witnesses and their writings
B. The superiority of faith over personal experience or hard evidence

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Introduction:

Review:

¹⁹ So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “ Peace be with you.”

²⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

²¹ So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send 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, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁵ So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”John 20:19-25 (NASB)

Theme: Five reasons why the resurrection of Jesus from the dead should motivate you to be His witness …. so you will

I. The context for Jesus’ appearance to the disciples
v.19a

II. The consolation Jesus gives to the disciples

v.19b

III. The confirmation Jesus offers the disciples

v.20

IV. The commission of Jesus to the disciples

vv. 21-23

A. The apostolic anointing

v.22

B. The apostolic privilege

v.23

V. The consensus of the disciples reported to Thomas

vv.24-25

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The First Day Appearances of the Risen Christ

John 20:11-18 (NASB)

¹¹ But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;

¹² and she *saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying.

¹³ And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She *said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and *saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ Jesus *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she *said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus *said to her, “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).

¹⁷ Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

Theme: Four import perspectives of the resurrection of Jesus Christ so you can be a conduit of this joy to the world

I. Hope Concealed … the  distress of the resurrection
vv. 11-15

II. Hope Revealed … the discovery of the resurrection
v.16

III. Hope Understood … the demand for the resurrection
v.17

IV. Hope Announced … the directive of the resurrection
v.18

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Introduction:
Background:

Hebrews 10:19-25 (NASB)

¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

²⁰ by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,

²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

²² let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

²⁴ and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Theme: Three standing priorities for Christians so you will know how to live as the church in the new year

The four bases for these priorities vv. 19-21

1. Our manner of entry is with confidence v. 19
2. Where we enter is the holy place v. 19
3. How we enter is by the blood of Jesus vv. 19b-20
4. Who has entered before us is Jesus our great priest v. 21

The Three Priorities

I. The Command for devoted faith is to draw near with a true heart
v. 22

II. The Command for doctrinal fidelity is to hold fast the confession
v. 23

III. The Command for dutiful fellowship is to consider how to provoke one another
vv. 24-25

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