The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Reliance - Peace To You

Episode Date: March 3, 2024

God bless the Menking Family!

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be with you. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, Peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. Now Thomas, called the

twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. So he said to them, unless I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days, his disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace to you. Then he said to Thomas, Reach your finger here, and look at my hands, and reach your hand here, and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. And Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God. Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. Lord, thank you for your miraculous resurrection, your incredible salvation, and for showing us in your word through the testimony of the disciples and apostles who you appeared to, that you are risen, that you are the Lord of all, that you are King of Kings. Holy Spirit, be with us. Help our understanding. Help us to come to a greater knowledge of you, a greater confidence in you. Strengthen our faith and give us all that we need for the days ahead. We love you, Lord. We bless you and we praise you. We give you the highest honor and glory and worship in Jesus' name. Amen. Now, when we see the stories of Jesus throughout the different synoptic gospels and here in the Gospel of John, one of the things that's extremely interesting is just this notion that what can be recorded efficiently, what is written down in the Word of God as inspired by the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient for our understanding. It is all that is necessary for us to come through the leading of the Holy Spirit

to a saving faith, to a knowledge of Jesus, of what he did, what he accomplished for us. But the fullness of these scenes, the dynamics, the emotions, the turmoil that is going on is sometimes difficult to understand from the plain language of the text. Here you have Jesus' disciples in this unbelievably complex and dynamic moment. They have just gone through a series of traumas, seeing what happened to Jesus, abandoning him themselves, fleeing for horror. They are fleeing for their lives. They are not just outcasts, but they are now associated with someone who greater society views as a blasphemer, as a false messiah, as a usurper, a religious leader who was a false prophet. We, of course, know that that's not the case, but this is the environment that they're in. And I think reading this back through the lens of Christian history and from our own context,

of Christian history and from our own context, I think we can miss the severity of what the disciples were going through in these moments. Sheer levels of panic, of terror, of doubt, of confusion, of consternation is only the work of the ministry of the Holy Spirit that then afterwards, after they see the consummation of the resurrection and Jesus's appearances to them, that they begin to be reminded of what Jesus said about how all of this must come to pass. all of this must come to pass. They went into that Passover week with completely different expectations and they experienced a kind of loss, a kind of dashing of hope that would have been almost unfathomable. Something so devastating, so distressing, so confusing. And yet, when Jesus appears, there is the peace that he brings with him, this catharsis, this joy, This catharsis, this joy, this triumph, this preposterous turnabout, the ultimate story of redemption, not just of one man, but for the sake of the whole human race. This is the centerpiece of human history.

This is the turning point. This is the beginning of a completely different framework. This is something new, something that was prophesied, but now in actuality, the ramifications of this are still being felt, are still vibrant in the lives of so many. Jesus is still mighty to save, mighty to transform. The Holy Spirit is still ministering and Jesus still arrives in people's lives and says, peace be with you. And the Lord knows that that is the first thing that they needed to hear. It would have been a moment of absolute stupefaction. You go from the triumphal entry of Jesus to the trial, to the cross, to the tomb, the trial to the cross, to the tomb, and now to seeing him again in a glorified state, in a resurrected state. Jesus says to Mary that he hasn't yet ascended to the Father,

but here he is in the midst. There is a kind of transformation that is absolutely unprecedented. This isn't Lazarus who was dead and then made alive. This is Jesus who was resurrected and glorified. The first fruits of this promise of God that is suffused through all of scripture. promise of God that is suffused through all of scripture. And when we experience this moment with the disciples, when we read through these passages, it is worth taking the time, taking a minute, saying a prayer to ask the Holy Spirit, Lord, show me what this was like. Help me to understand what is going on here because it can reflect in our own lives. It can reflect this experience. And brothers and sisters, we have all in some ways experienced the same thing when the reality of who Jesus is hits us.

And we understand that everything has changed. Everything is different. Everything has been turned upside down. Everything has been righted. Everything has been maneuvered into a different kingdom, a new way of being. There is hope again. There is faith. There is promise. There is power. And then there is the call. There is the call to be sent forth into a world that does not fully understand where many are not just not actively seeking God, but actively opposing him. And there is the responsibility to say yes to that call and to act out in the overflow of this love, this joy, this ecstasy that cannot be contained, knowing in confidence that we will be able to overcome because of what Jesus has done. Bible says that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony.

And what a testimony this is. It is reliable. It is true. It is an actual event. And so, when we think of the dichotomy here, never would the disciples have felt more alone. And then never would they have felt more whole. They didn't understand the fullness of everything. This was a moment in time, time absolutely unique, a moment in time where history, not just in the lives of these men and women, but all of history itself would be upended, would be transformed, would be redeemed. And when we examine this, again, just through the lines, we have these precious words but we also see and hopefully see in ourselves this picture of thomas who was not with them for that moment who was still later, many days later, in a state of doubt and questioning and confusion. And it would have been extra difficult. It would have been incredibly just devastating for Thomas to see that Jesus had shown himself to the other disciples, but not yet to him.

And it provides a picture for us, like Jesus could, but he chose to appear to the group of disciples, to commission them, and then only later to appear to Thomas as well. And we don't have direct word on why that's the case, but there is something from the Holy Spirit for all of us here. We all, whether in the process of our seeking God or even now in the process of walking with him, we have questions, we have doubts. Even though we know we're instructed and commanded not to fear, there are fears that can creep in.

If we go through a season where it feels like our prayers are being neglected and it feels like we are distant from God, even when we're trying to seek for him, even when we would want so desperately to be near him and be in his presence, those seasons can happen, these dry spells. And Thomas is in that same situation. This is before Pentecost. Thomas does not necessarily have the Holy Spirit to the same degree that the other disciples did. When Jesus saw the others, he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit. And so they had a measure of the witness of the Spirit that Thomas did not have at the point where he was still doubting and saying these things to them. And you have to imagine Thomas in verse 25, when he says, unless I see in his hands the print of

the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. There is anguish there. There is this ferocious determination, this entrenched doubt, this entrenched doubt, these ongoing questions. It's a stubborn refusal, but it's a stubborn refusal that hopefully all of us should be able to understand because we should know what that's like. And we should recognize that when our fellow brothers and sisters are experiencing similar moments, similar times and seasons where they simply say, I need something, I need to see something or else I will not believe. believe. And we need to be there for brothers and sisters in that situation. And if you're in that position, if you are struggling with something, if you are questioning something, if you have doubts about something, I pray that the Lord would station people around you to encourage you, to lift you up, and that most importantly, you would bring all of these things to God himself.

In Thomas's case, Jesus, of course, radically meets him where he is, declares peace over him, and indulges his request to see his wounds. And he commands Thomas to not be unbelieving, but believing. And this is certainly enough for Thomas. We would all imagine ourselves in these situations and say, well, if that happened to me, then surely I would believe. Surely my questions would be answered. But keep in mind that Jesus doesn't necessarily, although we don't have this, we don't have an extended dialogue between Thomas and Jesus where Thomas is asking all of these questions and Jesus is providing all of these elaborate answers. The questions are answered at a higher level by his presence, by his declaration, and his blessing. And that is the case for us as well. Not that God will not lead us into answers to the questions that we have.

into answers to the questions that we have. Not that God will not resolve our doubts, our confusions, our concerns, and all these things. He wants us to have stable, sober-minded hearts. He wants us to be of a sound mind with respect to theological and doctrinal matters. He wants our questions to be answered. And at certain points, we can come to these places and simply cry out to him, knowing that the presence of God will itself provide the answers that we need, even if we don't see a memo being printed out, even if we don't have a full document, a full contract, a full declaration from on high with every jot and tittle accounted for, every scenario planned for, every set of instructions given. But if we have his presence, if we have that security made manifest and made tangible in our lives and in our spirits, if we have that faith and we experience his presence, then we have what we need. The answers to our questions are in the form of the person of Jesus. He is the answer.

He is the truth. He is our hope. He is our Lord. He is our King. And it is sufficient, or it should be sufficient for all of us to know that we can come to the presence of the King, that he has not left us, that he is for us, and that he loves us. So many are in situations where they don't feel like those declarations are true. But know this, when Jesus calls to Thomas, when he shows him his glorified body and the marks of the crucifixion still on him, Jesus says, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. And fair enough, hopefully everyone in their right minds would be in that same situation. But then Jesus goes on and speaking to everyone who is to come, including us, brothers and sisters, he said, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Have you not seen in the way that Thomas has? Have you believed? If so, you are blessed. Jesus blesses you. And if you feel like your

belief is struggling, if your faith is flagging, if you can't put yourself in that situation and say, yes, this blessing really does apply to me. I know that I know that I know it and I have grappled with it and I understand it, at least in part. I have faith that it is true and I'm moving forward. Then that is something that needs to be resolved. It needs to be attended to. It is an urgent priority and something, unfortunately, that can ultimately end up getting pushed to the back of the line with all of the other things we have going on in our lives. But if we, brothers and sisters, are being honest with ourselves and we can't put ourselves in verse 29 here of John chapter 20 and say, this blessing is mine. This blessing of the risen Jesus, blessed are

those who have not seen and yet have believed. If we do not have the impact of that blessing in our hearts, if that is not something that is actively being carried with us, then we are missing out on something so grounding, so foundational, so tremendous, so powerful that we are shortchanging ourselves. And so I would urge you, brothers and sisters, that if there's something that needs to get resolved, if there's a question that you have, if there is a concern, if there's something that needs to get resolved, if there's a question that you have, if there is a concern, if there is something that is holding you back from this blessing, then the answer to it is to draw near to God. It's in those times and those seasons that the faithfulness of God will be on display. His disciples, the

people who he loved and he cared for and he walked with and he showed them all these tremendous things, all these miracles that they saw, it was ripped away from them for a short season in a dramatic trauma and a complete situation of disarray only for this redemption, only for this incredible resolution that to them was unexpected or even impossible and yet has been part of the foundation of the Word of God and of the prophecies since the beginning of human history. And so when we examine these things and we examine our own hearts, we should invite the Holy Spirit into these questions, any doubts that we have. Even if we can say, God, I feel like these disciples. I feel scared. I feel like I'm on the run. I feel like I'm alone. I feel like there is nothing for me. I feel like my entire world is collapsing. The disciples put all their eggs in Jesus's basket. They were attached to him. They had beliefs about what they were going to do and who they were going to be. And they were

right about the magnitude of those beliefs and the importance of what they were going to accomplish in the call that God placed on their lives. But it's difficult to imagine that they knew or anticipated that they would have to go through a time, albeit a short time, but a time of the kind of emotional strain that is known by relatively few. This is something incomprehensible to most of us. And this is why when Jesus appears and he speaks peace, that word, the healing power of the peace that can only be provided by God is something so completely transformative. When we look and understand things about how people manage and deal with trauma using secular tools, psychological tools, pharmaceutical tools, all of these things. The process is long. It's drawn out. It's difficult.

It's torturous. It is extraordinarily challenging. But this one word from Jesus writes all of it when he says peace. all of it when he says peace. And so if we find ourselves, brothers and sisters, outside of that peace, feeling outside of this blessing that Jesus places over those who have not seen and yet have believed, then that needs to be a top priority to get resolved. We can't move on. We can't go further. We can't do anything else to great effect until this is resolved. So if you have questions, don't put them aside anymore. If you have doubts, don't try to bury them anymore. Get them sorted. Go to the Lord until you have that peace.

Go to the Lord until you have that peace. Rely on other brothers and sisters. And if you don't have that kind of person in your life, try to reach out. Try to get counsel. Pray that the Lord would bring the necessary people around you to answer, to encourage, to come alongside you in a season of damage or mourning or trauma even. But God forbid, brothers and sisters, that we recognize through the ministry of the Holy Spirit that there is something in us that is not with the peace of God, that we are in a state of distance, in a state of removal, that we feel isolated and alone,

that we don't feel like we have this blessing that Jesus is providing. If that is even remotely true or resonant with your life, then make it a point today to get that settled. God is there. He is here. He is waiting. He is ready. He wants to hear your questions. He wants to put you into his presence. He wants you to draw near to him, and he wants to draw near to you. He loves you. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. He wants you to be at peace. He wants you to experience this blessing. He wants you to be quickened in your faith. He wants you to be transformed. He desperately wants it. He desperately does. He wants you to seek him. He wants you to come to him. He wants you to receive from him. It is to his glory and to his honor to give these good gifts to his children.

And so as you read these words, as you listen to these, as you contemplate them, these words, as you listen to these, as you contemplate them, read this chapter over, John 20, and imagine the turmoil, the inner hurt, the pain, the confusion, this maelstrom of negative emotion that would have been going on in the disciples' minds. Probably many sleepless nights, many sleepless nights between the cross and these appearances. This doubt presiding, Thomas is so distraught that even with the testimony of those who he had walked alongside following Jesus, even with their clear understanding of this completely new kind of event, this completely new situation, he is not there yet. He needs to see it for himself. And God will do something similar to us, not necessarily Jesus appearing in physical glorified form to us in the same way, but the presence of God,

the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the Lord, this can provide the exact same transformation, this exact same move from turmoil to peace, this move from isolation to the presence of God, this move from radical doubt to supernatural blessing of faith. And if we are to move forward, if we are to be effective in this generation for the glory of God and to see his name lifted up, we have to handle that business. We have to allow the Lord through his grace and mercy and the love that he has for us to reach in and touch every aspect of our lives. And again, it's not necessarily going to mean that all of our questions immediately

evaporate, that we're going to get a 500-point program that answers everything that we've ever dealt with and everything that we will ever have to handle. But it does mean that if we have the presence of God, that that is absolutely more than sufficient. That is our foundation. That is our hope. He is our rock. He is our savior. And if you find yourself in a situation where you feel more like Thomas, even than you'd like to admit, call out to him, admit. Call out to him. Cry out to him. Say, Lord, I want this blessing. I need your peace. I need the faith that only you can give me. And he is just and faithful to meet you where you are, even with your questions and your doubts. He wants you. He loves you. He will say peace to you. Jesus, thank you for your peace. Thank you for your resurrection. Thank you for the healing power that is in your word and your presence.

We glorify you, Lord. We worship you. We humble ourselves before you, Lord. We bring our questions to you. We bring our doubts to you. We pray for reconciliation. We pray for peace. We pray, Lord, that you would equip us. Holy Spirit, that you would overshadow us, that you would search our hearts and help us to clear out the things that are holding us back. Lord, your presence is more than enough. We want your glory. We want you to receive honor. We want your name to be high and lifted up.

So help us today, Lord. I lift up my brothers and sisters to you who are struggling. God, I pray that you would meet them just as radically as you met Thomas where he was. I pray that you would resolve traumas, that you would heal, that you would restore the years that have been taken, that you would replenish, that you would pour out your spirit on us all. God, help us. Help us to be in good standing and a firm foundation, Lord, in you as we face the call of going forth into this world that is damaged and bruised and beaten

and traumatized and hostile to you and to your people. But Lord, you will equip us. You have blessed us. You will strengthen us. Give us the faith that we need, Lord, in this moment. Be with us and speak peace to our souls. In Jesus' name, amen.