On reaching Jerusalem the two disciples enter at the eastern gate,
which is open at night on festal occasions. The houses are dark
and silent, but the travelers make their way through the narrow streets
by the light of the rising moon. They go to the upper chamber where
Jesus spent the hours of the last evening before His death. Here they
know that their brethren are to be found. Late as it is, they know that
the disciples will not sleep till they learn for a certainty what has become
of the body of their Lord. They find the door of the chamber securely
barred. They knock for admission, but no answer comes. All is still.
Then they give their names. The door is carefully unbarred, they enter,
and Another, unseen, enters with them. Then the door is again fastened,
to keep out spies.
The travelers find all in surprised excitement. The voices of those
in the room break out into thanksgiving and praise, saying, "The Lord
is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon." Then the two travelers,
panting with the haste with which they have made their journey, tell
the wondrous story of how Jesus has appeared to them. They have just
ended, and some are saying that they cannot believe it, for it is too good
to be true, when behold, another Person stands before them. Every eye
is fastened upon the stranger. No one has knocked for entrance. No
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footstep has been heard. The disciples are startled, and wonder what
it means. Then they hear a voice which is no other than the voice of
their Master. Clear and distinct the words fall from His lips, "Peace
be unto you."
"But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had
seen a spirit. And He said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why
do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that
it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones,
as ye see Me have. And when He had thus spoken, He showed them
His hands and His feet."
They beheld the hands and feet marred by the cruel nails. They
recognized His voice, like no other they had ever heard. "And while
they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have
ye here any meat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of
an honeycomb. And He took it, and did eat before them." "Then were
the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." Faith and joy took the
place of unbelief, and with feelings which no words could express they
acknowledged their risen Saviour.
At the birth of Jesus the angel announced, Peace on earth, and good
will to men. And now at His first appearance to the disciples after His
resurrection, the Saviour addressed them with the blessed words, "Peace
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be unto you." Jesus is ever ready to speak peace to souls that are burdened
with doubts and fears. He waits for us to open the door of the heart to
Him, and say, Abide with us. He says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to
him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3:20.
The resurrection of Jesus was a type of the final resurrection of all
who sleep in Him. The countenance of the risen Saviour, His manner,
His speech, were all familiar to His disciples. As Jesus arose from the
dead, so those who sleep in Him are to rise again. We shall know our
friends, even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed,
diseased, or disfigured, in this mortal life, and they rise in perfect health
and symmetry; yet in the glorified body their identity will be perfectly
preserved. Then shall we know even as also we are known. 1 Cor. 13:12.
In the face radiant with the light shining from the face of Jesus, we shall
recognize the lineaments of those we love.
When Jesus met with His disciples, He reminded them of the words
He had spoken to them before His death, that all things must be fulfilled
which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the
Psalms concerning Him. "Then opened He their understanding, that
they might understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is
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written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead
the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And
ye are witnesses of these things."
The disciples began to realize the nature and extent of their work.
They were to proclaim to the world the wonderful truths which Christ
had entrusted to them. The events of His life, His death and resurrection,
the prophecies that pointed to these events, the sacredness of the
law of God, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, the power of Jesus
for the remission of sins,--to all these things they were witnesses, and
they were to make them known to the world. They were to proclaim
the gospel of peace and salvation through repentance and the power of
the Saviour.
"And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto
them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are
remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained."
The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for Christ had not yet
been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the Spirit did not
take place till after Christ's ascension. Not until this was received could
the disciples fulfill the commission to preach the gospel to the world.
But the Spirit was now given for a special purpose. Before the disciples
could fulfill their official duties in connection with the church, Christ
breathed His Spirit upon them. He was committing to them a most
sacred trust, and He desired to impress them with the fact that without
the Holy Spirit this work could not be accomplished.
The Holy Spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the soul. The
impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues
the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of
God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose
life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to
minister in behalf of the church.
"Whosesoever sins ye remit," said Christ, "they are remitted; . . .
and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." Christ here gives
no liberty for any man to pass judgment upon others. In the Sermon on
the Mount He forbade this. It is the prerogative of God. But on the
church in its organized capacity He places a responsibility for the individual
members. Toward those who fall into sin, the church has a duty,
to warn, to instruct, and if possible to restore. "Reprove, rebuke, exhort,"
the Lord says, "with all long-suffering and doctrine." 2 Tim. 4:2. Deal
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faithfully with wrongdoing. Warn every soul that is in danger. Leave
none to deceive themselves. Call sin by its right name. Declare what
God has said in regard to lying, Sabbathbreaking, stealing, idolatry, and
every other evil. "They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom
of God." Gal. 5:21. If they persist in sin, the judgment you have
declared from God's word is pronounced upon them in heaven. In
choosing to sin, they disown Christ; the church must show that she does
not sanction their deeds, or she herself dishonors her Lord. She must say
about sin what God says about it. She must deal with it as God directs,
and her action is ratified in heaven. He who despises the authority of the
church despises the authority of Christ Himself.
But there is a brighter side to the picture. "Whosesoever sins ye remit,
they are remitted." Let this thought be kept uppermost. In labor for
the erring, let every eye be directed to Christ. Let the shepherds have
a tender care for the flock of the Lord's pasture. Let them speak to the
erring of the forgiving mercy of the Saviour. Let them encourage the
sinner to repent, and believe in Him who can pardon. Let them declare,
on the authority of God's word, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9. All who repent have the assurance, "He will have compassion
upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all
their sins into the depths of the sea." Micah 7:19.
Let the repentance of the sinner be accepted by the church with grateful
hearts. Let the repenting one be led out from the darkness of unbelief
into the light of faith and righteousness. Let his trembling hand be
placed in the loving hand of Jesus. Such a remission is ratified in heaven.
Only in this sense has the church power to absolve the sinner. Remission
of sins can be obtained only through the merits of Christ. To no
man, to no body of men, is given power to free the soul from guilt. Christ
charged His disciples to preach the remission of sins in His name among
all nations; but they themselves were not empowered to remove one
stain of sin. The name of Jesus is the only "name under heaven given
among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.
When Jesus first met the disciples in the upper chamber, Thomas
was not with them. He heard the reports of the others, and received
abundant proof that Jesus had risen; but gloom and unbelief filled his
heart. As he heard the disciples tell of the wonderful manifestations of
the risen Saviour, it only plunged him in deeper despair. If Jesus had
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really risen from the dead, there could be no further hope of a literal
earthly kingdom. And it wounded his vanity to think that his Master
should reveal Himself to all the disciples except him. He was determined
not to believe, and for a whole week he brooded over his wretchedness,
which seemed all the darker in contrast with the hope and faith of his
brethren.
During this time he repeatedly declared, "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." He would not see
through the eyes of his brethren, or exercise faith which was dependent
upon their testimony. He ardently loved his Lord, but he had allowed
jealousy and unbelief to take possession of his mind and heart.
A number of the disciples now made the familiar upper chamber their
temporary home, and at evening all except Thomas gathered here. One
evening Thomas determined to meet with the others. Notwithstanding
his unbelief, he had a faint hope that the good news was true. While
the disciples were taking their evening meal, they talked of the evidences
which Christ had given them in the prophecies. "Then came Jesus, the
doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you."
Turning to Thomas He said, "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." These words showed that He was
acquainted with the thoughts and words of Thomas. The doubting
disciple knew that none of his companions had seen Jesus for a week.
They could not have told the Master of his unbelief. He recognized the
One before him as his Lord. He had no desire for further proof.
His heart leaped for joy, and he cast himself at the feet of Jesus crying,
"My Lord and my God."
Jesus accepted his acknowledgment, but gently reproved his unbelief:
"Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are
they that have not seen, and yet have believed." The faith of Thomas
would have been more pleasing to Christ if he had been willing to believe
upon the testimony of his brethren. Should the world now follow the
example of Thomas, no one would believe unto salvation; for all who
receive Christ must do so through the testimony of others.
Many who are given to doubt excuse themselves by saying that if they
had the evidence which Thomas had from his companions, they would
believe. They do not realize that they have not only that evidence, but
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much more. Many who, like Thomas, wait for all cause of doubt to be
removed, will never realize their desire. They gradually become confirmed
in unbelief. Those who educate themselves to look on the dark
side, and murmur and complain, know not what they do. They are
sowing the seeds of doubt, and they will have a harvest of doubt to reap.
At a time when faith and confidence are most essential, many will thus
find themselves powerless to hope and believe.
In His treatment of Thomas, Jesus gave a lesson for His followers.
His example shows how we should treat those whose faith is weak, and
who make their doubts prominent. Jesus did not overwhelm Thomas
with reproach, nor did He enter into controversy with him. He revealed
Himself to the doubting one. Thomas had been most unreasonable in
dictating the conditions of his faith, but Jesus, by His generous love and
consideration, broke down all the barriers. Unbelief is seldom overcome
by controversy. It is rather put upon self-defense, and finds new support
and excuse. But let Jesus, in His love and mercy, be revealed as the
crucified Saviour, and from many once unwilling lips will be heard the
acknowledgment of Thomas, "My Lord and my God."
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