God's Word to the Wise

The current preoccupation with “Near Death” experiences has motivated me to look more closely at divine encounters. Many claim that Jesus has visibly revealed Himself to them. The New Testament Scriptures reveal only two people who encountered the ascended Jesus. Paul, on the road to Damascus and John while writing Revelation. Both are apostles and their encounters were with Christ glorified. Paul was immediately blinded, but heard Jesus speaking to him. John’s encounters were varied in description, yet all was with a vision of Christ in all His majesty. Neither saw Jesus in His resurrected bodily form. 

Since His ascension Jesus has never been physically present on the earth. He told His disciples in (John 16:7-10) “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer…”

The apostle Paul writes about his divine encounter in Paradise in 2 Corinthians 12.  After this he reveals that he heard “Inexpressible words” that were unlawful for him to speak of with others. It is at this time he was given his, “Thorn in the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 12:7) “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.”

In what is called the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16, Jesus reveals something incredible. (Luke 16:27-31)  “Then he (The rich man) said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’  But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rises from the dead.’ ” (Emphasis Mine)

What does all this have to do with the apostle Thomas? He had to see to believe. His demand was granted because he was to be a witness whose testimony the rest of us must “Believe by grace through faith.” (John 20:24-29) ^“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.” (Emphasis Mine)

People, that’s us.  (2 Corinthians 5:7)“We walk by faith, NOT by sight.” We live by trust in God and His unseen truths rather than relying only on what we can see or understand.