Shalom, my dear brothers and sisters. We are studying together in the Gospel of John, and we are in the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John. I would like you to take your Bibles, please, and read with me the second half of the 20th chapter from verse 19 to verse 31. So we are reading in John chapter 20, verses 19 to 31, which deals with the resurrection of the Messiah but now we can see of the power that have helped the believers in the Lord Jesus after they have discovered and found out that the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, rose from among the dead. We read in verse 19 of John chapter 20, 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, came Yeshua and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you, shalom aleichem.

And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands, and he sighed. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Then said Yeshua to them again, Shalom be unto you, peace be unto you. As my Father hath sent me, even so sent I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whoso ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. And whoso ever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Yeshua came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.

But he said unto them, 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. And after eight days, again, his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Shalom lachem, peace be unto you. Then says he to Thomas, 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. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Yeshua says unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name. This is how the 20th chapter of the Gospel of John ends with these wonderful statements. And many other signs, other miracles, truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, that Yeshua is the Mashiach, the Son of God, Ben HaElohim, and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Beloved brothers and sisters, this 20th chapter is dealing specifically with the resurrected Mashiach. If you remember in the first 18 verses of this 20th chapter, we dealt with the resurrection itself, but also we dealt with the spiritual development of this woman by the name of Miriam, who spiritually came to appreciation, even right there and then, as she stood by the tomb, by the sepulcher of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, where he once was laid, after his resurrection, when she, in love for her Christ, for her Mashiach, she was weeping and asking where did they take her Lord and then if you remember we read in this wonderful 20th chapter when the Lord himself the Lord Jesus the Messiah is there as she was a whipping by the sepulcher and if you remember after the two angels told her that he was risen then the Lord himself she's supposed to be the gardener and he asked her woman why do you weep and you remember what Miriam said they have taken away my Lord and i know not where they have laid him verse 13 and when she had thus said she turned herself back and she saw Yeshua she.

Saw Jesus standing and but she did not know that it was him that it was the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and then Yeshua Jesus says unto her he called her by her name after he said to her woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou she supposing him to be the gardener she said unto him sir if thou had borne him hence tell me where thou has laid him and I will take him away it was him he was the object of her heart and then the Lord Jesus the Messiah called her by her name Miriam Miriam she turned herself and she says unto him Rabboni Harabi Sheli my rabbi my master and Yeshua said to her cling not unto me cling not unto me touch me not do not detain me because she loved him she wanted to have him her master she would be sitting at his feet and learning from him and having him with her as he was before his resurrection and so he told Miriam you go.

And you tell my brethren that he himself, touch me not, he said to her, for I am not yet ascended unto my father, but go unto my brethren and say unto them, I ascended unto my father and to your father and to my God and unto your God. The very same God, the God of Israel who sent his son to come down to this world. The Lord Jesus wanted that these disciples that will hear from this woman, Miriam, who loved the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who loved him so much, when they will hear of the fact that he rose from among the dead and soon to be ascended unto his father and their father unto their God and his God that they will appreciate the truth of their resurrection well you remember what happened Miriam went and she told them that she had seen the Lord he had spoken unto her these things and so now beloved brothers and sisters from verse 19 to verse 31 we learn the power of his resurrection that changed the lives of those early disciples and it is the same power of his resurrection that will change your life and mine as we believe in the fact that he had been resurrected from among the dead and that he is now risen, and ascended, and exalted, and seated at God the Father's right hand, waiting the day of His return.

As we read in Psalm 110, where God said to His Son, where the Lord said unto their Son, Where David could say to the Lord, this is Jehovah, send unto my Lord, this is Adonai. Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Psalm 110 and verse 1. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians when he wrote to the believers in Philippi, he said that I may know him. He wanted to know more of the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and the power of his resurrection. Philippians 3 turn and the fellowship of his suffering being made conformable unto his death the apostle Shaul Paul wanted to know in his life the power of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus the Messiah why because when one believes that the Lord Jesus the Messiah indeed rose from among the dead it changes lives it changed the life of God's people and so here we can see that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus the Messiah not only changed Miriam's heart and she grew up right there and then when she was the she saw the risen Christ the risen Messiah right there who spoke to her you will notice now that the power of the Lord Jesus resurrection affected the lives of these early disciples and the question of course we have to ask ourselves did the resurrected Christ the resurrected Messiah did it change our own life does this fact made us live life that is pleasing to the Lord and so you notice in verses 19 20 21.

22 and 23 that you notice that the change that began to occur even in the lives of these disciples they who were in fear and now they receive courage to follow Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah in the midst of opposition in the midst of a world that reject and do not believe so you notice first of all in verse 19 on the very same day which day it was the first day of the week notice this then he says here verse 19 the same day at evening being the first day of the week now notice once again that the first day always begin at evening at evening and here we learn that from even to even you shall celebrate your Shabbat in other words that once the sun is down the beginning of the new day biblically speaking began and so the very same day at the very same evening we read here that it is the first day of the week when the doors were shut and notice when the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews.

Let me just remind you once again that the word Jews mention about 70 or 71 or more times in the Gospel of John. And every time we hear of the word Jews in the Gospel of John, it has reference to the Jewish leaders. And the reason that we have to understand it is because this event in the city of Jerusalem, in the land of Israel, everyone was Jewish there. The disciples were Jewish, the Messiah himself was Jewish, Miriam was a Jewish lady. I mean, this is the disciples, the fear of the Jews is in reference to the Jewish leaders who did not accept that Yeshua, Jesus, is the Messiah.

So the Jewish disciples were gathering together, assembling together, and they were afraid of their own Jewish brethren who were the conservatives, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, who did not acknowledge that Jesus, Yeshua, is the Messiah. So they were assembling together in the same city from the fear of their own brethren, who did not accept the Messiah. But notice what happened. In the midst of the time where they were afraid, and naturally afraid, because there were consequences to believing that Yeshua was the Messiah by the Pharisees and Sadducees who put them who believed on the Lord that he was the Messiah. They put him out of the synagogue.

There was a price to pay. And so we read that in the midst of that fear the disciples were assembled together then the Lord himself, Yeshua himself stood in the midst and what does he say to them peace be unto you in Hebrew shalom alechem or shalom lachem he immediately in this 19th verse give them this assurance of peace and this is very customary whenever you greet anyone you would always say shalom alechem or shalom lachem peace be unto you when you see someone and you meet him or her at first you say shalom alechem when you leave them you also say shalom aleichem meaning that there should be peace between us but here it is a interesting because here the Lord himself who was once dead he was buried and he rose again now we find our beloved brothers and sisters that the Lord himself here is presenting himself before the disciples at this room there when they were there the door was shut and he Here we see that the Lord is there in the midst.

He stood in the midst. And I love this expression, in the midst. Every time we find out the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah is always the center, in the midst. He's the object. On the cross, Jesus was in the midst of the two manufacturers, but he was in the midst. In Matthew 18, 20, he said to these early disciples, where two or three are gathered unto my name, There am I in the midst of them. He always desired to be in the midst of his people. And he is in the midst of all because he is the center. Even today, in the time of his rejection, the Lord Jesus is the center.

Everything that happened in past history was before he came to this world. Everything that happened today in this world happened after he came. He is the center, and so we find out that he is in the midst of his disciples there, who were fearful. In fact, you notice that in verse 20, Yeshua showed unto his disciples his hands, and his side. And when he had so said, he said, Shalom, peace be unto you, he showed unto them. Notice, his hands and his sides, he showed to his disciples his hands. And to remind you, beloved brothers and sisters, the psalmist David wrote in Psalm 22, 16, concerning the Messiah, that Christ will be pierced.

Psalm 22, 16 said, they pierced my hands and my feet. And here the Lord is showing unto His disciples His hand, but also His side. Why? Because earlier we learned that His side was pierced through with a spear. You remember we read in chapter 19 there on the cross, after He cried, it is finished. We read in verse 33 of John 19 and verse 34, But when they came to Jesus, and they saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came out blood and water. So his hands were pierced, his legs, his feet were pierced, his side as well was pierced through with the sword by the Roman soldier.

And Yeshua showed to his disciples his hands and his side. And that, beloved brothers and sisters, remind us that these are the token of his love. Every time we think of the piercing of his hands, his feet, his side, it reminds us of the fact that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, became a sacrifice. He became a lamb that was led to the slaughter. He died. He died, he shed his precious blood for our sin and sins. And now after he died, he was buried and he rose again on the first day of the week. Here he is appearing before his disciples who had so much fear, naturally speaking, because they were human.

Fear of consequence, fear of those who opposed them, fear of those who did not believe that Yeshua was the Messiah. As you and I may have today fear of opposition fear of those that will harm the believers in past days it's happened in Yerushalayim today it's happened all over the world by those who do not believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and so we read that they were glad notice how it says here then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord they were so glad because if you remember in chapter 14 Yeshua and Jesus had to tell them let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me don't be troubled I'm going to go but I will return in my father's house there are many mentioned if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you I'm going to die on a shameful cross on a tree in order to pay for your sins so I will prepare a place for heaven for you if you will only believe on me and then surely he was on that tree he paid for the sin he cried it is finished.

He was buried in the tomb but now he rose on the third day and the disciples were glad when they saw the risen Lord wonderful to see that beloved brothers and sisters to remind you also that this same Yohanan, John who was guided by the Holy Spirit of God to give us this very, very book the very, very gospel the gospel of Yohanan the gospel according to John concerning the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah notice what he said when he wrote later on to the believers in his epistles he wrote in 1 John 1 these words verse 1 that which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon notice that and our hands have handled of the word of life for the life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us he was speaking about the Lord Jesus the Messiah and here we have.

The Lord Jesus himself appearing to the disciples there and they were glad are you glad when you think about what he has accomplished for you while you and I do not see the Lord physically with our own eyes this physical eye yet we can be like these early disciples of whom Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1.8 whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory we can rejoice because we believe on the one who loved us and gave himself for us and so they were glad when they saw the Lord and you notice once again Yeshua is telling to them in verse 21 and he said then said Jesus to them again Shalom Aleichem Shalom Lachem Peace be unto you as my Father has sent me even though I sent you now Yeshua Jesus the Messiah prepared the disciples to be sent with a message to be sent to a world with a message of the grace of God.

The gospel of the grace of God that people will hear of the one that loved them and came from heaven, sent by the Father to this world, became the sacrifice, died on the tree, was buried and rose again for the justification of all who will trust in him. So the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, is now telling the disciples, as my Father has sent me, even so I send you. And when he had said this, notice that it's verse 22 of our 20th chapter of the Gospel of John, verse 22, notice we read, Then said Yeshua to them again, Peace be unto you, as my Father has sent me, even so I send you.

And when he had said this, verse 22, he breathed on them and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Now here it is, beloved friend, that we need to be very clear in understanding that when the Lord Jesus gave the disciples here to tell them to receive you the Holy Spirit, They did not yet receive the Holy Spirit in the way that they will receive it. Later on, after the Lord will ascend to heaven, after 40 days, he will ascend to heaven. And 10 days later, on the Feast of Shavuot in Hebrew, 50 Pentecost in Greek, then the Holy Spirit in his person will come down to form the body of Christ, To form the body of Messiah and to indwell in every believer in this present day age of the church age.

But you see, they, the disciples, during this time here in John chapter 20, still have not began with that which is known the church age. The Lord hasn't gone yet to heaven. The Spirit of God hasn't come down to earth. It only came later on in the feast of Shavuot, the feast of Pentecost. And so the Holy Spirit of God that was given to them by the Lord received the Holy Spirit. They received the Holy Spirit of God in the same way as the old, you might say, the early or the people of Israel received and was guided by the Spirit of God before the church age had begun.

So when he breathed unto them, the Holy Spirit of God, he said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. They receive it in the same way as the people of Israel received the saints, the godly men and women in the days, in olden days, received it before the person of the Holy Spirit of God came to form the body of Christ. And to indwell every believer so the Holy Spirit of God came upon them while not yet to indwell in them as that will happen after the time of the coming of the Holy Spirit of God to remind you as we have already read in John 14 and John 15 and John 16 there the Lord promised that the Spirit of God will come and will dwell in them but here the Holy Spirit of God came upon them to guide them and prepare them for the day of the birth of the assembly the birth of the church it is so important to understand that so here the Lord breathe unto them and they received the Holy Spirit of God.

And he said in verse 23, whosoever sin ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained. In fact, he gave the authority here to those who will be the foundation of the church, of the assembly. He gave them this authority to be those that whosoever sins they are remitted they will be remitted unto them and whosoever. Sins they are retained they will be retained i want just to read a few more verses here in Matthew chapter 18 and i think these verses are very important Matthew chapter 18 before the death of the Lord Jesus the Messiah we do read in Matthew chapter 18 we read verse 15 moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone and if he shall hear thee thou has gained a brother but if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the assembly but if he neglect to hear the assembly let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican verily i said to you verse 18 whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loose in heaven in other words the Lord is given an authority to the assembly to the local.

Assembly to have decision based upon his word in connection with retaining sins as we have here in our passage or remitting sins. This is very important to understand, beloved brothers and sisters. So, when we read here concerning the giving or the breathing upon or on the disciples, the Holy Spirit of God, the Lord gave them the ability to be able to be guided by the Holy Spirit of God already then and there even before they have the body of Christ was formed and the Spirit of God came that all they all the believers were brought into that one body in the church age had began it is a unique a time between the resurrected Messiah's days and his ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit these are the 50 days we might say in between the death of the Messiah and the coming of the Holy Spirit of God the death resurrection of the Messiah and the coming of the Holy Spirit of God when the Holy Spirit will guide the disciples as they continue now to serve.

The Lord at that time. Just to remind us that in days of old, the Holy Spirit of God came upon the servants of God among the people of Israel, and the Holy Spirit of God came for a season, and the Holy Spirit of God could come upon a servant, but also be taken away from a servant of the Lord and this is so important to see for example in first Samuel chapter 10 the holy Spirit of God came upon Saul if you remember that the Spirit of God came upon Saul we read in verse 6 of first Samuel chapter 10 and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and thou shall prophesy with them and shall be turned unto another man in other words the holy Spirit of God came upon a messenger upon a servant for a season in first Samuel chapter 10 and verse 10 and when they came thither to the hills behold a company of prophets met him this is met Saul and the Spirit of God.

Came upon him and he prophesied among them here is the holy Spirit of God came upon Shaul who will become the first king of Israel but when he did not serve God and violated God's word the holy Spirit of God did not continue to be upon him the holy Spirit of God left him when he did not obey the word of the Lord there's another verse in first Samuel chapter 16 and verses 13 and 14 concerning David we read in verse 13 and Samuel took a horn first Samuel chapter 16 and verse 13 and Samuel took a horn of oil and he anointed him in the midst of his brethren and the Spirit of the Lord came notice upon David upon David from that day forward so Samuel rose and went to ramah we do read in verse 14 but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him you notice beloved brothers and sisters we distinguish the present age of the.

Ecclesia the called out one that all true believers have the person of the holy Spirit of God to indwell them never to leave them never to leave them in days of old prior to the birth of the assembly of the ecclesia prior to the death and burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus the Messiah the holy Spirit of God came upon the nation of Israel and specifically the servants who serve God among the nation of Israel came for a reason came for a purpose came for a mission and as long that this servant obeyed and served God and ministered to his people and did his will the Spirit of God remained upon him but in the case of Saul the holy Spirit of God was taken from him first Samuel 16 14 by the Spirit of the Lord departed from Shaul and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him do you remember beloved brothers and sisters when king David when David sinned against the Lord you remember what he did in his confession in Psalm 51 king David confessed his.

Sin and you remember what he said behold i was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me he knew very well that he sinned though he was a child of God he was eternally saved forgiven belonged to the God of Israel and yet when he sinned the Spirit of God could not be upon him could not continue upon him for that season that's why he prayed in Psalm 51 in verse 11 cast me not away from thy presence and notice take not thy holy Spirit from me now beloved brothers and sisters when David prayed do not take the holy Spirit of God from me he knew very well that the Spirit of God could be taken away from him when sin entered into his life.

But you see, in this present age of the church age, the assembly age, the ecclesia age, the called out one's age, after Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah died, was buried, rose again, and the person of the Holy Spirit came down to this earth to form the body of Messiah, the body of Christ then the holy Spirit of God is remaining in every believer in our Lord Jesus the Messiah in fact the Lord said in John chapter 14 and verse 16 the very same gospel we are studying he said to the disciple and i will pray the father and he shall give you another Comforter Perakletos Notice That he may abide With you Forever Sometimes when we sin In this present day Of the church age The spirit do not leave us But the Holy Spirit of God Is grieved and quenched And there is a dark cloud Because sin in our life But the person of the Holy Spirit of God.

Abide with you Yeshua Jesus said forever even the Spirit of truth of the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but he know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. John 14 verses 16 and 17 beloved brothers and sisters and so this is important to understand what David prayed take not thy holy Spirit of God from me you and I cannot pray today because the Lord already said that he will abide with you forever and he will be in you not only upon you but within you so you and I beloved friends beloved brothers and sisters those of us who are truly belong to the Lord who are forgiven redeemed children sons of the fathers daughters of the father we belong to him and this unique age we have a man in heaven namely Yeshua Jesus the Messiah and we have a divine person God the Holy Spirit here upon the face of this earth indwelling everyone that have trusted in the Lord Jesus the Messiah this is a unique age in which we live in these days and so we continue in this 20th chapter when the Lord Jesus said to the disciples he said to them he breathed on them and he says to them receive the holy Spirit.

They will receive the Holy Spirit of God in a sense as to serve Him waiting these 50 days until the Feast of Shavuot when the Holy Spirit of God will not only be upon them temporarily but will be dwelling within them and giving them new birth and will never leave them until the day where all the redeemed will be taken to glory the rapture of the church and so that's why the Lord have given them the holy Spirit of God that will give them an authority whosoever sin ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained in other words he gave these early disciples the authority because they were the one who will begin with the preaching of the message of the gospel and they will be the one that will become the foundation once the holy Spirit of God came the foundation of the assembly we read actually in the book of Ephesians that they would be the one who will be.

The foundation of the church we do read and you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophet Jesus the Messiah himself being the chief corner stone wonderful lesson to learn here beloved brothers and sisters these truths are so precious as we understand them but the resurrected Messiah strengthened these disciples and really we see that from fear they now are beginning to have courage to follow the Lord Jesus the Messiah and to testify to his name and as we continue now in the next verses from verse 24 on we learn now that now notice that Thomas the Hebrew word Teom Didymus is a twin that was the meaning of his name this twin which really representing you and I who are just like him many times in our life.

Thomas, one of the twelve, verse 24, called twin in Hebrew, didimus in the Greek. He was not with them when Jesus came. So we read in verse 25, the other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, notice, How interesting to see that he simply did not believe. He said to them, 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. In other words, Thomas wanted to see. Otherwise he doesn't believe i want to see i want to see his hands i want to see the prince of the nails i want to thrust my finger into the prince of the of his nails and my hand into his side if i don't do that if i don't see it i will not believe you see beloved friend it is sad And how Thomas, even though earlier, if you remember in John 11, he was ready to go with the Lord, to die with the Lord.

When he would go then to the place where Eliezer was, that the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, raised from death. Here we find out that Thomas just did not believe. So we do read in these interesting verses. In verse 25, the other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord, but he said unto them, if I don't see his hands and the prints of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails and thrust my hands into his side, I will not believe. And after notice that an eight day passed by once again, the week is over and the disciples were once again within that room.

And this time Thomas was with them. He was with them at that time. In fact, he was not with them in a previous week, which gave them an opportunity to enjoy the presence of the Lord. At the meeting, at the gathering, the assembling, that they were together enjoying the things of God, and Yeshua was so approved of their gathering that he came in the midst of the disciples and was there in the midst. And Thomas missed the meeting. He missed the opportunity to be there with his disciples. Beloved brothers and sisters, like a time we are so because of things that are keeping us away from gathering with the believers.

In a time when they will be worshipping the Lord, when they will be studying the Word of God, when they will be praying to God, when they will be reading the Word of God, what a blessed opportunity it is to gather with all the saints, with all the believers. Sadly, we live in a time where the church is so divided, but they are in its locality. There are those in its outreaches. There is an opportunity to gather with believers, to study the Word and to grow spiritually. Here we see that Thomas just happened not to be there at that time for one reason or another.

He missed the opportunity to see the Lord. But the following week, here once again they gather together again the disciples were within again Thomas this time was with them maybe he learned the lesson as we need to learn those lessons the important it is to be with the believers obviously we cannot be at every meeting there's every time there's a time there's a situation in our life but as far as it is within us the possibility to gather with the believers and to meet around the word and around the Lord guided by the Spirit of God to take some time to pray to worship to adore him to learn to listen to a ministry of his word how precious it is well the time passed by and a week got by and Yeshua once again notice that it says once again the doors notice verse 26 the doors being shut and because he was risen he is now passing through the door and again he stood and notice the word once again in the midst he is the object he is the center he is in the middle he is in the center.

And once again he said to them in Hebrew peace be unto you and notice what he told to Thomas Thomas who missed the meeting missed the previous gathering of the believers in the city of Jerusalem he missed the opportunity to see the Lord here Yeshua is so gracious extending his grace to Thomas who early said I will not believe unless I see His hand and unless I put my finger and thrust it into the print of His nails, into His side. How gracious our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. He is saying to Thomas, Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, behold my hand, reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless, be not unbelieving, But believe, but believing.

He gave to Om, Thomas. He gave to Om, Thomas, the opportunity to do exactly what he said in the previous week. To the disciples. But now the Lord touched his heart. And you can just imagine, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends. The Lord was challenging him. Asking him, do not be faithless, but be a believer. Be a believer. Trust in me. Believe on me. And you notice Thomas had the opportunity to do exactly what he wanted to do earlier. But we don't read of Thomas now thrusting his hands to the side of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. No. But Thomas, notice what we read about Thomas.

Thomas answered and he said, notice he didn't do anything except simply, he says, My Lord and my God. Adonai ve'elohi. Adonai ve'elohai. In other words, he recognized in the person of the Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, that he was his Lord, but he was also his God. Thomas saw in this that the Lord Yeshua is more than just another man who became his master. But he was the very God, the Son, who became a man in order to become the Savior of this world, to die as a man for the sin of this world. He took union, humanity, with his divine nature. This is the one of whom we read in Isaiah, The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us.

Wonderful. Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Adonai ve'elohai. And Jesus says unto him, Thomas, verse 29, Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. But notice what Yeshua said, Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Whom having not seen, Peter says, ye love. Whom have not seen, yet ye believe. You see, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends, what a blessing it is that the Lord could say this to Thomas. Thomas, you believe because you have seen me. But you see, there are those who will not see me until the time that they will see me face to face.

They will just simply believe the message of the Gospel, believe the message of the Word of God, and will believe on me. They are blessed because even if they did not see me, Yet simply they trusted that I am the one that is the risen one. Notice what we read, what Paul wrote in Romans chapter 4. The apostle Paul wrote in verse 18. Who against hope believed in hope. That he might become the father of many nations. Speaking about Abraham our father. According to that which was spoken so shall thy seed be. And be not weak in faith. He considered not his own body now dead. When he was about a hundred years old.

This is Abraham our father. Neither yet the deadness of Saram's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, blessed are they that have not seen, yet have believed. This is what we learn from the word of the Lord. And it is precious for us, beloved, dear friends, that we also need to be those that will trust in what we read in the Word of God and believe. May the Lord help us to simply believe that Yeshua had been resurrected from among the dead. And so as we continue on in the last verses here of our chapter, in verses 30 and 31, we do read of the purpose of the writing of this gospel called the Gospel of John.

It is interesting that we have here a clause after the word of the Lord to Thomas. Here we have these most important verses, 30 and 31 of John chapter 20, which present before us the purpose of the writing of this gospel of Yohanan. What is the purpose of the writing of the gospel of John? We do read that many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. In other words, the word for sign, the word here is miracles. Many other miracles did the Lord Jesus do, but they are not written in this book, in this Gospel of John.

We read them in other Gospels, and there are many, many other miracles that are not even written at all in the whole Gospel. In fact, we do read at the end in John 21, verse 25, and there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they should be written, every one, I suppose, Jesus John say, that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. In other words, there are so many more things that Yeshua the Messiah have done while he was here upon the face of this earth, they are not written. Neither in the book of John, neither in all the four Gospels, because the whole world cannot contain the books that could be written about the marvelous miracles and activities and doings and wonders of the person of God the Son, Jesus the Messiah.

But notice this, verse 31, we have the reason that these miracles that were written, These signs that were written in the Gospel of John, what was the reason that they are written, that they are found here in the Gospel of John? John is saying, he said, These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name. In other words, the Apostle John, guided by the Holy Spirit of God, is saying, putting down in this 20th chapter, in verse 30 and 31, that there are many, many, many other signs that the Lord did. We read in the whole Gospel of John of 7 plus 1 miracles that Yeshua performed here upon the face of this earth.

The changing of the water into wine in John chapter 2. The healing of the royal official son in John chapter 4. The healing of the paralyzed man in the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 5. The feeding of the 5,000 mentioned in John chapter 6. The walking on the sea in John chapter 6. The healing of the blind man in John chapter 9. The resurrecting of Eliezer, of Lazarus, in John chapter 11. And also in John chapter 21, in the following chapter, the ability to catch the fish that Yeshua allowed the disciples in a miraculous way to catch, John chapter 21. But notice, these seven plus one, these eight miracles are written that ye might believe.

To Thomas, Yeshua said, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. But blessed are they that have not seen me yet have believed. You see, we have not seen the Lord. But we did read the Gospel of Yohanan, the Gospel of John. We read the whole canon of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. God's Word declared His plan, His promises. God, in His Word, gave us His message for humanity. The reason that the Lord Jesus the Messiah had to come down to this world. The reason for his death, burial, resurrection. This is written for us in this book and in the whole canon of the Word of God, both the Hebrew Old Testament and the Brit HaChadasha and the Greek language, both of them, the New Covenant, given to us the message of the plan of God for humanity.

Well, we did not see the Lord as these privileged Hebrew disciples had but the Lord says blessed are they that have not seen me yet have believed so these words that we read in the Gospel of John they were reading that we might believe for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life the Scripture clearly tells us that God wants us to simply believe believe on the Lord Jesus the Messiah and you shall be saved believing believing beloved brothers and sisters believing God's word believing in the person of the Messiah the writer to the Hebrews said without faith it is impossible to please him, this is God Hebrews 11.6 For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The Apostle Shaul Paul said Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10.17 this is essential for all to understand but these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ this has to do with his humanity but not only that it continued to say in verse 31 of John chapter 20 that Jesus is the Christ and it continued to say the Son of God God the Son to believe in his humanity but to understand and believe that He is a divine person. God the Son, the Son of God. God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, in order to redeem them which were under the law.

Galatians tells us this in chapter 4 and verse 4. In the fullness of the time God sent forth His Son, made of a woman made under the law why in order to redeem us we both those who were under the law from the nation of Israel and those who were not under the law but to redeem us all when we trust in him and so beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends the conclusion of John chapter 20 is verses 30 and 31 and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name how wonderful God want us to have eternal life life is found in the son whosoever believeth on him hath everlasting life life is given to us on the basis of faith in the name of the son not through his name what is his name his name is Yeshua and thou shall call his name Yeshua Jesus for he shall.

Save his people from their sins we do read that the apostle Peter and the early apostle said in act chapter 4 and verse 12 neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name the name of Yeshua the name of Jesus under heaven giving among men whereby we must be saved And so believing on Him, we might have life, life through the name of Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah. Well, my dear brothers and sisters and dear friends, may God bless His Word. May God encourage our hearts as we continue on to follow after the Lord in a time such as this. May the Lord bless you and may the Lord bless His Word for His name's sake.

Until the next time, Shalom Shalom.