John 20: 19-31 I believe this to be the Very First ‘message’ that I gave at the Lynnville (IL) UMC in January of 2002…

       Some forty-plus years ago, I rented a building on Illinois Avenue in Jacksonville and opened up a repair shop. This was right across from where the railroad tower protected the crossing of what was then the ‘Norfolk and Western’ and ‘Burlington Northern’ railroads. (Today they are known as the ‘Norfolk and Southern’ and ‘Burlington/Santa Fe’, but for this I will refer to them by the names I knew them as at that time…) As my building had no water service and I often worked alone into late evening, I would occasionally go over to ‘visit’ the tower, and got to know most of the guys that worked there. Through them, I would occasionally get some work from the railroad and, over time, I developed some small reputation of being able to do just about anything they asked. At that time ‘Norfolk and Western’ owned the tower and paid the wages of the employees that worked there, and up to that point all of my contacts had been with them. But eventually the people at BN had an emergency and were referred to me.

       Along with all of the mechanical work that I did, I had been building up a small stable of Case tractors and other equipment. I had grown up with Case and worked for three different Case dealers over the years, so I knew the tractors, could get my parts at discount, and had a good repartee with the farmers who had them to sell. So it was only natural for my horsepower to be Case. My biggest tractor was an early 830 Eagle-Hitch gas.

       The Burlington Northern has an interchange track with the Norfolk and Western. This track connects the lines across the northwest corner of the two, and splits across the junction of two fairly busy streets in the process. At that time, the BN was buying ballast from a supplier on the NW, and this was where they would swap cars. The Norfolk had left a string of ten or so loaded hopper cars on the interchange track, and a local crew from the Burlington had stopped to get them. As they were pulling the cars onto their main line, for what ever reason, the engineer had stopped and reversed back into the siding. However, somebody had neglected to actually throw the switch the right direction. As he was pulling out the switch would snap open as each set of wheels passed over it and then snap back to align with the mainline. When he stopped, one set of wheels from one car had passed through the switch, but the other set was still on the interchange track. When he went to back up, one set of wheels went back down the siding, but the other set went straight through the switch and down the main line.

How many of you have had this happen with your train set? With a toy, depending on the speed, a bunch of cars derail and you spent a few minutes putting them back on the track.

But with a real, loaded train a lot more damage occurs. When the distance between the two rails becomes greater than the length of the car, the two wheel-sets begin pulling the two tracks together. Even at a slow speed, you cannot stop 1500 tons very quickly. By the time the crew realized what was happening and shut everything down, both tracks were pulled apart and at least two cars were on the ground! Right away they radioed the dispatcher and shut down all trains on that line. Now, tying up their own mainline was bad enough, but they also had the intersection blocked with two loaded hopper cars! And they had to be moved…NOW! They contacted the Norfolk personnel in the tower and asked for suggestions, and he put them in touch with me.

       Have you ever noticed the weight capacities listed on the side of a railroad car? As best I recall, these were listed at something like 228,000#. That meant that those two cars weighed close to 300 tons! My 65 horsepower 830 looked pretty tiny backed up along side of them! The BN personnel definitely had their doubts and so did I, but I told them I would try. I knew that I had just had 1000# of fluid put into each rear tire, as well as the 300 # I had on the front to hold it down, and if I could arrange to stay on the pavement while I pulled, it just might do it! But still…

       They had already unhooked from the rest of the train and released the brakes as I hooked a chain from the hopper car onto the drawbar of my 830. After taking up the slack, I dropped it into first gear and eased out on the clutch. The tires were chirping on the pavement, but we began to move! Second gear and more throttle! The track went diagonally away from the road, and I knew that if I got off of the pavement I would lose all traction. My plan was to build up enough speed that they would coast on down the line into the clear. It worked like a charm! My old Case had really proved herself to everybody that day…including me!

       Today’s scripture talks about proofs… and doubts!

       Let’s try to get into that closed room with the apostles and ‘feel’ what they are feeling. First of all, there is the overpowering feeling of fear. Jesus has been taken from them, and it is only natural that they should all be apprehensive that the Jews would next attempt to wreak their vengeance on his followers. That’s why they are here in the evening, and with closed doors, lest the Jews should bring against them the same charge of sedition that they had against the Lord Jesus.

       Next is this empty feeling of loss…they KNOW that their master, Jesus, died on the cross three days ago! And up to this point, none of them had understood His references about conquering death. But there is also the feeling of uncertainty. The Life Application Commentary says…

“The disciples were still perplexed and apparently had gotten together that night behind bolted doors. They probably were discussing the women’s reported sighting of angels, what Peter and John saw at the tomb, and Mary’s astounding claim that she had seen Jesus. At some point during the day, Jesus had appeared to Peter, and the women had reported the angel’s words that the disciples were to go to Galilee and meet Jesus there. … Then news arrived in the night with the sounds of excited knocking on the door. Two disciples were allowed in, breathlessly telling the rest of the group that they had met Jesus on the road to Emmaus and had talked with him most of the day. The variety of reports must have had an effect. Shock and disbelief began to be replaced with wild hope.”

Imagine sitting in that room! The fear… the sorrow… the uncertainty… the hope… so many different, powerful emotions, and all of it so thick you could cut it with a knife! When suddenly, Jesus appears! Is He real?! Are they all imagining it?! And which is worse? If they are all imagining it, then they might all be suffering from some ailment. But if He is REAL…He Was DEAD!! How can this be? Luke 24:37 says that they “were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost” So Jesus showed them His wounds. And we are told that they were “overjoyed when they saw the Lord”.

But one of their number wasn’t there that evening. Most of the sources that I studied had some kind of comment to make about why Thomas wasn’t there that evening. But I think the Wycliffe Bible Commentary says it best…

“John notes Thomas’ absence but does not explain it. Since Jesus did not rebuke Thomas on the score of his losing interest in his discipleship, it is precarious for us to do so. He may have preferred to be alone in his grief over the Saviour’s death. But when he returns… The report of the others concerning their meeting with Jesus emphasized that they had seen the wounded hands and side of the Lord. Thomas demanded not only the sight of these, but the actual touching of them as the condition of believing that Jesus was alive from the dead.”

Was Thomas being unreasonable? Adam Clarke’s Commentary seems to think so. In fact, he calls it…

“Utterly unreasonable. Ten of his brethren witnessed that they had seen Christ, John 20:25; but he rejected their testimony.”

He adds that…

“His unbelief became obstinate: he was determined not to believe on any evidence that it might please God to give him: he would believe according to his own prejudices, or not at all.”

Further more he says that…

“His unbelief became presumptuous and insolent: a view of the person of Christ will not suffice: he will not believe that it is he, unless he can put his finger into the holes made by the nails in his Lord’s hand, and thrust his hand into the wound made by the spear in his side.”

Barnes’ Notes adds…

“It is not known what was the ground of the incredulity of Thomas. It is probable, however, that it was, in part, at least, the effect of deep grief, and of that despondency which fills the mind when a long-cherished hope is taken away. In such a case it requires proof of uncommon clearness and strength to overcome the despondency, and to convince us that we may obtain the object of our desires.”

Whatever the reason, Thomas refused to accept any proof other than his own eyes…his own ears… and his own hands! So when Jesus appeared to all of them the second time He tells Thomas to “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

The Life Application Commentary asks…

“Have you ever wished you could actually see Jesus, touch him, and hear his words? Are there times you want to sit down with him and get his advice? Thomas wanted Jesus’ physical presence. But God’s plan is wiser. He has not limited himself to one physical body; he wants to be present with you at all times. Even now he is with you in the form of the Holy Spirit. You can talk to him, and you can find his words to you in the pages of the Bible. He can be as real to you as he was to Thomas.”

       In verse 29 Jesus tells Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have NOT seen and yet believed.” Years later Peter writes, in his first letter, chapter 1 verses 3-9…

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

       I like to think that I can keep an open mind about things, but if the truth be known, many is the time that I seem to be from Missouri and say SHOW ME! But faith isn’t like that. Thomas Adams said, “It is the office of faith to believe what we do not see, and it shall be the reward of faith to see what we do believe.”  

What more can be said?