AVBC - Sunday - “The Operation (Repentance and Forgiveness)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 2 of 4) – Matthew 26:14-16, 47-56, 69-75

 Sunday 04/26/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “The Operation (Repentance and Forgiveness)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 2 of 4) – Matthew 26:14-16, 47-56, 69-75

(Cover Picture)

          Last week we started a new four-week sermon series called “The Anatomy of a Second Chance”. This sermon series has a sort of medical theme. The sermons from this series are and will be “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure).” Last week we discussed the Prophet Jonah, and how he failed God, and ran away when God called him. Yet, Jonah admitted his failure and God restored him. Today in this four-week series “The Anatomy of a Second Chance,” our message is “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness”. You we are diagnosed, as all of us fall short sometimes. Sometimes we “miss the mark,” which one way of defining sin. Sometimes we all do not fully do all we can, and sometimes we all fail in some way or another. God then forgives us and restores us.

          The message today then is focused on the part of this process of turning to God, turning to Jesus, repenting and being forgiven. This is spiritual surgery, and spiritual surgery that everyone, me included, has had a lot of, as we all make mistakes. Next week will be the post spiritual surgery, or “The Recovery (Living in Grace),” and finally “The Rehabilitation (Extending Grace to Others).”  

          Given all of this, how many of us have gone to God recently to ask for forgiveness for something? How many of us have thanked God recently for His love and His goodness? How many of realize that we all continue to need God’s grace in our lives? I ask these questions, because one of the things that I feel called to do as a pastor, and a Christian, is to humanize the characters of the Bible. All the characters were human, and even Jesus was fully God, but also fully human. Jesus never sinned, but everyone else sure did. The characters in the Bible made mistakes, just like the rest of us. Like the characters in the Bible though, our God still forgives and restores.

          Two such characters from the Bible that I want to discuss this morning are the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Judas Iscariot. Both the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Judas Isacariot where among the twelve original disciples of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter is largely seen today as a superstar, and the Apostle Judas Iscariot is largely seen as a villain. For example, there are lot of churches and other church institutions named after the Apostle or Saint Peter, but I have never been to the Church of Saint Judas Iscariot. The Apostle Peter and Judas both messed up big time in the Bible, yet Peter today is largely known differently, as Judas Isacariot is often seen as a villain. So, for today’s message of “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness” we are going to compare and contrast the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Judas Iscariot.

(Cover Picture)

          Let us first look at the Apostle Peter, and then we will look at the Apostle Judas Iscariot. In the gospels, Peter could be quirky and impulsive, but when properly focused could get a lot done. Peter tried to walk on the water, and he also told Jesus that he would not allow him to be killed. To which Jesus said to Peter, “get behind me Satan!” Peter could be outspoken, brash, and made a lot of mistakes. Instead of going in the order of the scripture readings that I read for this morning, I want start with the last one that we just looked at, that is listed on our cover picture for this morning. This scripture is Matthew 26:69-75, and this takes place on the first Good Friday, when Jesus died for us all. This is what it says, once again, picking up in Matthew 26:69:

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant-girl came to him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ ⁷⁰ But he denied it before all of them, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’ ⁷¹ When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ ⁷² Again he denied it with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.’ ⁷³ After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you.’ ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know the man!’ At that moment the cock crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly (Mt. 26:69-75, NRSV).

 

          Peter, who has already, like the rest of us, made mistakes and took missteps, publicly denies Jesus Christ our Lord three times. This is written in all four gospels of, Matthew 26:34, Mark 14:30, Luke 22:34, John 13:38. Not only does Peter tell Jesus that he won’t deny him prior to this, but he also says that he will die with Jesus. Yet, on that first Good Friday, the day of Jesus crucifixion, Peter says, “I don’t know Him, I don’t know Him, I don’t know Him”. Peter then hears the rooster or the cock crow as Jesus said that Peter would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed. I have always wondered if from that day on the Apostle Peter struggled every time that he heard a rooster crow?

          After this, we hear in our gospel reading for this morning in Matthew 26:75, once again,

⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly                                          (Mt. 26:69-75, NRSV).

 

          As our cover picture shows, Peter, after realizing that he had forsaken the Lord of Life himself three times, went out and wept or cried, with great guilt and shame. Here is one amazing painting of a depiction of one of the three of Peter’s denials of Christ on that first Good Friday:                           

(Peter’s Denial of Jesus - Picture)

Some of you might think or say, “well Pastor Paul I have done a lot of things wrong”. Did you ever deny Jesus Christ three times after Jesus himself told you that you would do so? I can imagine that on that first Good Friday, that first Holy Saturday, and until the tomb was empty on Easter Sunday that the disciples were probably in very lowly, broken, and saddened state. Even after the tomb was found empty on that first Easter Sunday, the disciples still struggled to have faith and still struggled to fully believe. As we talked about a few weeks ago, the Apostle Thomas or “Doubting Thomas” said that he would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw the risen Christ and could his finger in Jesus’ nail holes in hands, and the spear wound in His side. Peter denies Him three times, all the disciples, except “the beloved disciple” or John, flee and hide. One would think on that first Good Friday that Peter’s doom was now sealed, but this message for this morning is called “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness”.

          So, what then happens after the Apostle Peter denies Jesus publicly three times on Good Friday? The answer is that Jesus restores him and forgives him. Here is a picture depicting this:

(Jesus Restores Peter - Picture)

After Jesus rose from the dead Easter Sunday, we have multiple accounts in the gospels and the New Testament of Jesus appearing to many after His resurrection. In the gospel of John 21:15-17, and only in this gospel, Jesus appears to Peter and the other disciples. At this point, minus the Apostle Judas Isacariot. In this scene the remaining eleven disciples are fishing all night, but they catch nothing. Jesus appears in the famous scene and tells Peter to through his net over the right side of the boat, and the catch ends up being 153 fish. Jesus makes breakfast for the disciples in this post-resurrection appearance, and then this what the gospel of John 21:15-17 says:

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ ¹⁶ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ ¹⁷ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep (Jn. 21:15-17).

 

Peter denies Jesus three times publicly, then Jesus returns to Peter and the other disciples, and He ask Peter three times if he loves Him. Why? Jesus wanted to forgive the Apostle Peter and restore him to a leader in the church. We have to accept forgiveness from Jesus though. We have to be sincere and desire to be restored, to be forgiven.

          Where did the Apostle Peter end up then? Here is a clue:

(St. Peter’s Basilica - Picture)

Does anyone know what famous church this is? This is church is St. Peter’s Basilic in the Vatican, in Rome Italy. This is the church the Roman Catholic Pope, Pope Leo XIV performs his religious duties while in Vatican City. The Apostle Peter’s bones are entombed under this massive basilica, or church. Why? Well, because The Roman Catholic Church, and maybe some other churches claim that there first Pope or leader was Peter. This means that in the Roman Catholic Church, that Pope Leo XIV is seen as the successor of Peter. The guy who publicly denied knowing Jesus three times, who made many other mistakes in the scriptures, was restored by the same Jesus in John 21:15-17. Restored so much in fact, that the Roman Catholic Church still claims the Apostle Peter as there first leader. While we do not believe that we need a central leader in the Baptist tradition, the story of the Apostle Peter is certainly an impressive story.

          The second person that I want to discuss in this “The Operation “Repentance and Forgiveness” is the Apostle Judas Isacariot. Well, how did Judas Isacriot fail Jesus and sin, you might ask?

(Judas Iscariot 30-Pieces of Silver - Picture)

This is what our reading from Matthew 26:14-16 from this morning says, once again:

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

 

¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him (Mt. 26:14-16).

 

          The Apostle Judas Iscariot sells his soul and sells out his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for thirty-pieces of silver. Do we still have people in this world that will willingly sell their souls, their self-respect, and their morals and values for money? I am sure we can think of many “Judas Iscariots” both past and present, that have sold their souls for a bag of coins. What is worse, is that Jesus of course already knew that Judas Iscariot was going to do this. Even so, Jesus still offered Judas Iscariot communion at the Last Supper. What is one of the reasons that I believe in an open communion table for all people? Well, Jesus gave communion to Judas Iscariot at the Last Supper, so if we desire to know Jesus more, then come to the table.

          At the same Last Supper, Jesus tells the twelve disciples that one of them will betray Him, which of course is Judas Icariot. Jesus then tells Judas to go quickly and do what he must. Judas Iscariot will be sure that Jesus will be arrested early in the morning on Good Friday, because he will lead the wolves right to Jesus. Not only this, is gets even worse picking up Matthew 26:47-56, saying, once again this:

(Judas Iscariot greets Jesus with a kiss - Picture)

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

 

⁴⁷ While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.’ ⁴⁹ At once he came up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, do what you are here to do.’ Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him (Mt. 26:47-50, NRSV).

 

          So, Judas sells out Jesus, for thirty-pieces of silver, which according to the Old Testament book of Exodus was the cost of a slave, as Judas Iscariot sold his soul for money. Then after Jesus is up all night praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, which by the way, Peter was there with James and John, and they all fell asleep on Jesus twice, after Jesus asks them to stay awake. Judas then leads Jesus’ persecutors right to Him. In addition to this, Judas greets Jesus with a brotherly kiss, after he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” which means teacher. Judas Iscariot sold Jesus out for thirty-pieces of silver and then led those who were going to arrest Jesus and get him crucified. He even sealed this with a brotherly kiss. After this brotherly kiss, Jesus says in Matthew 26:50:

‘Friend, do what you are here to do’ (Mt. 26:50, NRSV).

Or as some version of the Gospel of Luke 22:48, Jesus says to Judas Iscariot something like, “you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

          So here is the million-dollar question then, if Jesus restored Peter, then what happened to Judas Iscariot? The answer is, Judas Iscariot committed suicide.           

(Judas Commits Suicide - Picture)

The two scriptural narratives said that Judas Iscariot out of great guilt and shame hung himself, another scripture said fell over and his bodily organs burst out. Some scholars like to say that Judas’ hanging rope broke, and then his organs burst out as he fell. Judas had at this point returned the thirty-pieces of silver, but it was too late. So, Judas Iscariot took his own life. The question I have always had though is, if Judas Iscariot had not committed suicide out of guilt and shame, would Jesus have come to him to like he did to the Apostle Peter and forgiven him and reconciled with him? I think he would have.

          So, we have the Apostle Peter who made plenty of mistakes, but Jesus forgave him and reconciled him, and then Judas who also made some huge mistakes, but committed suicide. Would Jesus have come to Judas Iscariot to offer him forgiveness and reconciliation. I think so.

(Forgiveness of Christ - Picture)

This is one of my favorite paintings, as we see in this Jesus forgiving a man, a person just like any of us who nailed him to the cross. We all fall short brothers and sisters, and yet Jesus is mighty to save. He forgives us, then He forgives some more. How grateful are we for Jesus our Lord! We are all fallen, all are imperfect, but we have Jesus, who forgives and is mighty to save. Next week will discuss “The Recovery (Living in Grace),” and finally “The Rehabilitation (Extending Grace to Others).”    

          With all this said, how can we take this sermon out the church and into Adams and the world with us this week? Here are some sermon application points:

The betrayals of Jesus by Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter represent two distinct responses to sin and failure. Judas’s calculated betrayal for money signifies premeditated treason and final apostasy, whereas Peter’s impulsive threefold denial represents a momentary failure of fear and cowardice. Judas resulted in remorse without repentance, while Peter led to repentance and eventual restoration, illustrating the power of grace.

Judas Iscariot: Calculated Treason and Despair 

·       Nature of Betrayal: Judas, motivated by greed and influence, intentionally sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, handing him over to authorities.

·       Significance: His act represents the ultimate rejection of Jesus, a cold, premeditated action that resulted in his total ruin.

·       Result: Filled with despair and lacking true repentance, Judas committed suicide instead of seeking forgiveness. 

Simon Peter: Impulsive Failure and Restoration

·       Nature of Betrayal: Peter, despite vowing loyalty, denied knowing Jesus three times out of fear in his darkest hour.

·       Significance: Peter's action demonstrates that even close followers are prone to failure through fear, cowardice, and overconfidence.

·       Result: Peter wept bitterly, repented of his actions, and was restored by Jesus after the resurrection, going on to play a pivotal role in the early Church. 

Key Contrasts and Lessons

·       Repentance vs. Remorse: Both men felt immense guilt, but only Peter sought repentance (a turning back to God), while Judas fell into despair.

·       Restoration: The narratives highlight that no sin is too great for forgiveness if one seeks it, as seen in Peter’s rehabilitation compared to Judas’s tragic end.

·       Fulfillment of Prophecy: Both betrayals were predicted by Jesus, highlighting that even in his humiliation, Jesus remained in control of his destiny. 

My friends, brothers and sisters, whatever we have done, whatever we have said, if we turn to Jesus, He is mighty to forgive, and mighty to save. Amen.

AVBC - Sunday - 04/19/26 - Sermon Title: “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 1 of 4) - Book of Jonah 1-2

 Sunday 04/19/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” – “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” Sermon Series (Part 1 of 4) - Book of Jonah 1-2                            

(Cover Picture)

           I have a question for us all to consider this morning. The question is this, have we ever failed at something? I could have been a test or a quiz in school that you failed. It could be something new that you tried, like a sport or a hobby. It could be a variety of things that you tried, and you failed at. Who here has ever failed at something before?

          Some people might think that failure under any circumstances is bad, but sometimes when we fail, we grow stronger, wiser, and more prepared than ever before. For example, who here knows who invented the light bulb? The answer is, Thomas Edison. Do you know though that Thomas Edison failed over and over to make his light bulb invention work. Here is what Thomas Edison said about creating the light bulb:

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work” (https://www.thomasedison.org/edison-quotes).

(Thomas Edison - Picture)

          When Thomas Edison was creating the “Light Bulb” he failed over and over again. How many times? Well according to him, 10,000 times. Thomas Edison was also quoted as saying this:

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up” (https://www.thomasedison.org/edison-quotes).

 

          In recent years, more and more churches in the United States are shrinking and closing, but the question is do they have too? If we try something and it does not work, then we keep trying over and over. Churches can grow because we are one of them. Amen!

(Cover Picture)

          All of us have failed. It is simply a matter of how many times we have failed, and in how many ways we have failed. With all of this said, I am starting a new four-week sermon series this morning called “The Anatomy of a Second Chance.” This is a sermon series that I found the framework of, and I recreated it for us, it has a medical and surgery sort of theme. Today’s message is called “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” and then the next three weeks will be called “The Operation (Repentance and Forgiveness),” “The Recovery (Living in Grace),” and finally “The Rehabilitation (Extending Grace to Others).” So, this four-week sermon series, “The Anatomy of a Second Chance” is about how we all fail, are called to repent and forgive, to live in grace, and to extend grace to others.

          This morning in this first sermon in this “The Anatomoy of a Second Chance” sermon series, in our first message, called, once again, “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure),” reminds us that when we get a diagnosis from a doctor, and if it is true, we must do something about it. Given this, this morning, I want to talk about Jonah. Many of have heard the story about “Jonah and the Whale,” or more biblically accurate, “Jonah and the Fish.” The Book of Jonah only has four chapters, and this morning we read two of them. The good news is that Jonah will be forgiven after failing.  

(Jonah 1:2 Scripture - Picture)

          In looking at our scripture reading for this morning from the Book of Jonah or the Prophet Jonah 1-2, God speaks to Jonah and asks Jonah to serve Him in a specific way. Jonah 1:1-2, says, once again:

Jonah Tries to Run Away from God

 

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ² ‘Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me’ (Jonah 1:1-2, NRSV).

 

          So, the Old Testament Prophet Jonah, is spoken to by God. God has selected and called Jonah for a mission. How does Jonah respond to God telling him to go to the great city of Nineveh and cry out against there wickedness? Well, Jonah of course, runs away. Picking up in Jonah 1:3 it says:

(Jonah Fleeing God - Picture)

³ But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord (Jonah 1:3, NRSV).

 

When Jonah flees or runs away from God, he is believed to been in his hometown of “Gath-Hepher,” which is near present day Nazareth or Galilee. This is the area where Jesus grew up and started His Earthly ministry. From “Gath-Hepher,” which is around present-day Nazareth of Galilee, Jonah flees Joppa, which in modern day Jaffa/Tel Aviv area in what is today the country of Israel. This journey where Jonah flees God is about 60-miles.

          Jonah pays for passage on a ship going to “Tarshish,” which is present day Southern Spain, although there is some academic dispute over this.

(Jonah Map - Picture)

So, God tells Jonah to go to the city in Ninevah, which is in the modern-day country of Iraq, specifically the city of Mosul on Tigris River. God tells Jonah to preach and lead them all to repent of their wicked ways and turn back to God. In response to this call from God, Jonah, once again, flees from what is today Nazareth or Galilee in modern day Israel, about sixty miles away in what is today Jaffa/Tel Aviv in modern day Israel. Jonah then found a ship in Joppa, which, once again, is today Jaffa/Tel Aviv in modern day Israel. He then heads with all these men to Tarshish or Southern Spain.

(Jonah Flees - Picture)

          Picking up in Jonah 1:4, we hear this, once again:

 

⁴ But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. ⁶ The captain came and said to him, ‘What are you doing sound asleep? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps the god will spare us a thought so that we do not perish.’ ⁷ The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots, so that we may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.’ So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ Then they said to him, ‘Tell us why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?’ ⁹ ‘I am a Hebrew,’ he replied. ‘I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’ ¹⁰ Then the men were even more afraid, and said to him, ‘What is this that you have done!’ For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them so. ¹¹ Then they said to him, ‘What shall we do to you, that the sea may quieten down for us?’ For the sea was growing more and more tempestuous. ¹² He said to them, ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quieten down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great storm has come upon you.’ ¹³ Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them. ¹⁴ Then they cried out to the Lord, ‘Please, O Lord, we pray, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not make us guilty of innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.’ ¹⁵ So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

(Jonah Storm - Picture)

          So, this violent storm comes, and the men on the ship are scared and doing all they can to keep the ship from sinking. They threw cargo overboard to try to lighten the ship, as Jonah was asleep in the hold of the ship. Jonah is awoken and asked to call upon his God to save them. The sailors then cast lots to figure out which of them has caused this great storm, and they settle on Jonah. Jonah told them that he is a Hebrew and that worships the Lord, the God heaven. This made the sailors even more scared, and they said to Jonah ‘What is this that you have done!’ These sailors now know that Jonah has offended God, and that Jonah was fleeing from God.

They then asked Jonah what they should do, and Jonah told them to throw him overboard off the ship. The sailors tried to row to shore, but storm was just too strong. They cried out to the Lord that Jonah would die and or be punished on account of them throwing him overboard. Then we hear in Jonah 1:15-17, once again, this:  

¹⁵ So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ Then the men feared the Lord even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. ¹⁷But the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:15-17, NRSV).

Our cover picture for this morning then is when the sailors overboard throw Jonah, and a large fish swallows him for three days.

(Jonah 2:2 - Picture)

          Picking up starting in Jonah 2:1, it says, once again:

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

 

2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, ² saying,

‘I called to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me;
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. ³ You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and your billows passed over me. ⁴ Then I said, “I am driven away from your sight; how shall I look again upon your holy temple?”
⁵ The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head ⁶ at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land
    whose bars closed upon me for ever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O Lord my God. ⁷ As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord;
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. ⁸ Those who worship vain idols forsake their true loyalty. ⁹ But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the Lord!’ ¹⁰ Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land. 

(Fish Spewing Jonah - Picture)

          In the story, Jonah, in the belly of the fish calls out to God. Jonah realizes that he failed. In praying and crying out to God, he admitted his failure. “The Diagnosis” of running from God, and “Admitting Failure” to God. God hears Jonah, forgives him, and after three days later the large fish spewed Jonah out on the dry land.

          Jonah, after failing, heeds God second call from him to go to the city of Ninevah to call them turn from wickedness and repent. Everyone from the King down to lowest servant and slave put on sackcloth and ashes, and repented. This is the biggest and more prominent city in the Bible that ever repented.

(Cover Picture) 

          So, Thomas Edison, according to him, failed to make a successful lightbulb in his first ten thousand tries. To him, once again, he did not fail, instead he just found ten-thousand ways that will not work. Jonah fails God and flees from God, and yet when Jonah repents and calls upon God, God forgives him and restores him. This morning in this first week of this four-week sermon series called “The Anatomy of a Second Chance,” we are talking about “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” How many of us have failed? How many of us eventually succeeded? How many of realize that there is nothing that we can do that Jesus will not forgive us for? You see, as we have been talking about, we all have failed in different ways, and in different times. Are we all that different from Jonah? Do we also realize that God will always forgive us but that we need to come to God repent and ask for forgiveness. When we do, we will have it, and we probably will not have to spend three days in a large fish either!

          In trying to make this sermon “The Diagnosis (Admitting Failure)” be a sermon that can walk out the door with us this morning, let us go over some application points to what we are discussing this morning. Here they are:

In Jonah 1-2, the prophet Jonah flees from God’s command to preach against Nineveh, causing a storm. Sailors throw him overboard, and he is swallowed by a great fish. After three days, Jonah prays, repents, and is vomited onto dry land by the fish, ultimately declaring, "Salvation is of the Lord". 

Key Events in Jonah 1-2

·       The Call and Flight (1:1-3): God commands Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah flees toward Tarshish to escape the presence of the Lord.

·       The Storm and Consequence (1:4-16): A great storm leads to Jonah confessing his disobedience to the sailors. He is thrown into the sea, which immediately causes the storm to calm.

·       The Fish and Repentance (1:17, 2:1-10): A great fish swallows Jonah. From the fish's belly, Jonah prays to God, acknowledging God’s mercy, repenting, and promising to fulfill his vows.

·       Release (2:10): God speaks to the fish, which then vomits Jonah onto dry land. 

Key Themes

·       God's Sovereignty: God controls the storm and the fish to achieve His purposes.

·       Disobedience and Repentance: Jonah's attempt to flee results in intense spiritual reflection and eventual submission in the fish's belly.

·       Mercy: Even in judgment, God provides a way to save Jonah from death. 

Brothers and sisters, we have all failed before, but the God of the universe will never fail us. Jesus will never give up on us and will never stop loving us. Let us turn to Christ, and live! Amen.

AVBC - Sunday - 04/12/26 - Sermon Title: “Doubting Thomas” - John 20:19-31

 Sunday 04/12/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “Doubting Thomas” - John 20:19-31          

                    

(Welcome Picture)

           According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the word “doubt” can be defined as:

1. to call into question the truth of: to be uncertain or in doubt about;

2. or to lack confidence in: distrust: to consider unlikely                        (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doubt).

 

          I begin this message this morning by giving you this definition of the word “doubt” because this morning we will be talking about the Apostle Thomas. In our gospel lesson for this morning from John 20:19-31 that we just read, we hear the story that is often called the story of “Doubting Thomas”. This story picks up immediately after the Gospel of John Easter Sunday/Resurrection Sunday narrative that we read last week on Easter Sunday. This story, in John 20:19-31 is often called the story of “Doubting Thomas”, because the Apostle Thomas would not believe that other disciples had seen the risen Christ. I mean how can Thomas be sure that Jesus physically rose from the dead on Easter Sunday? Beyond this, Thomas “upped the ante,” as it were, as he told the disciples that if saw the risen Christ that he would need to have more evidence than just seeing the risen Christ. Thomas told the disciples that he also would need to put his finger in Jesus’ hand nail holes, and then put his hand in the Jesus side, where the spear entered Christ’s side. Only then would the Apostle Thomas, or “Doubting Thomas” believe. I mean Jesus’ tomb was found empty on Easter morning, Peter and John confirmed this, and it was generally agreed upon that Jesus rose from the dead. So, what is the problem here? Further, should be judge Thomas in a bad way since he doubted the resurrection of Jesus?

          If you were to ask me in the first half of my years in ministry, I would have been much harder on Thomas than I would be now. I mean Thomas was with Jesus for three years, and he heard and saw things that we only read about in the gospels. Thomas was there, and we were not. How could Thomas not believe? Yet, we are all just so human, aren’t we? All the of the disciples of Jesus, except the “Beloved Disciple,” or John fled on Good Friday. They were all afraid of being persecuted and killed like Jesus was. Yet they were all with Him for three years. If the original disciples of Jesus all scattered but one on the day of His crucifixion, what does that say about us here today? If Peter denied Jesus three times on Good Friday, what does this say about us today?

          We are just so human, and even so, Christ pursues us and pursues us some more. Turning to Jesus, repenting of our sin, guilt, and shame, and coming to Him, is indeed salvation, justification, forgiveness, eternity, and new life. Yet we are still so human. Every day we are called to live out our faith, as this world is still what it is. We are called to be loving, kind, generous, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Yet, we are just so human. Should the Apostle Peter have denied Jesus three times on Good Friday? No, but if we feared death, would we stand firm in our faith in Christ? I hope that all of us here would do so if we were put to the test. If we were offered 30-pieces of silver like Judas Isacriot, which was the cost of slave at the time, would we take the money to sell out Jesus? Or would we resist? Would we run away like most of Jesus’ disciples did on Good Friday, or would we stay with Him?

          What I found over the years is that it is really easy to talk about faith here in the Church, but it can be much harder to live it out in the world. We are called according to the Bible to have anxiety over nothing, but to trust God in everything. We are told not to worry, etc. Yet, my brothers and sisters are just so human. It does mean that we do not believe in and love God, and it does mean that we do not love Jesus. What does it mean though is that we live in a broken world, and we are people of faith who are in this broken world. As we grow closer to Christ, our faith grows and our trust in Christ grows.

          Did the Apostle Thomas or “Doubting Thomas” fail some today? Yes, He did but have not we all failed at something at some point. Instead of focusing on the failure though, we can celebrate the forgiveness and the redemption offered to us all through Jesus Christ. As I said, our gospel of John 20:19-31 reading for this morning, once again occurs right has the resurrection narrative that we read last Sunday on Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Let us look again at our Gospel of John 20:19-31 reading for this morning, that many call the story of “Doubting Thomas”.

          Starting in John 20:19, we hear, once again: 

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

 

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ (Jn. 20:19-23, NRSV).

 

          So, it is the evening of the first day of the week, or Sunday night. Was this Sunday exactly a week after Jesus’ resurrection last Sunday? Many Biblical scholars would say yes, that this “Doubting Thomas” story was likely the Sunday right after the first Easter Sunday, or the day that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. In fact, in one place that I read to prepare for this sermon it called the “Doubting Thomas” story the “Second Easter,” as Thomas had not yet been convinced of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So potentially the Sunday right after Easter Sunday, which is why many Christian traditions this Sunday preach about, you guessed it, “Doubting Thomas.”

          In the gospels and in other places in the New Testament of the Bible we have what is called post-resurrection or post-mortem appearances of Jesus Christ. According to the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, hundreds of people say Jesus alive after His resurrection. In this story, the disciples, minus Judas Iscariot, who unfortunately committed suicide, are hiding in a house with the doors locked. They were still afraid of being arrested, tortured, jailed, and maybe even killed for believing in Jesus. Yet in the midst of all of this, and Jesus appears inside of this locked house. Did he walk through the walls? I am not sure, but He appeared to the disciples, minus Thomas, who was not there at the time. Jesus then tells the ten disciples that are present ‘Peace be with you.’ After saying this, Jesus showed the ten disciples his nailed pierced hands, and the spear wound in his side. He was physically present in front of them. I can imagine that they were surprised by this, and they of course rejoiced. Once again, the Apostle Thomas was not present, and Judas Iscariot had taken his own life. Judas Iscariot out of great shame and guilt for selling Jesus out for thirty pieces of silver, according to Matthew 27:5 hung himself, and then his body fell and burst open, according to Acts 1:18. This was believed to have occurred in what was called “The Potter’s Field,” which just may have been purchased by Judas with the thirty pieces of silver.

(Peace Be With You - John 20:21 - Picture)

          The ten present disciples see the risen Christ and they rejoice. Again, as it says in John 20:21 -23, it says:

“²¹ Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’ (Jn. 20:19-23, NRSV).

 

          For those of us that came to or watched our Maundy/Holy Thursday and Good Friday services, you might have noticed that we had a time in the worship of service of “passing the peace of Christ” to each other. We walked up to each other, shook hands, and said, “Peace of Christ,” or “Peace of Christ be with you.” Many Christian traditions have, as part of worship or Mass, depending on the tradition, a place in worship where people “Pass the peace of Christ” to each other, because Jesus did this in scriptures like John 20:19-31 for this morning. For example, Jesus tells us in John 14:27, before His crucifixion and resurrection this:

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid (Jn. 14:27, NRSV).

 

          There are other scriptures that speak to this to, and this is why some Christian traditions, like I said, have an actual physical practice of “Passing the peace of Christ” in worship. Jesus first appears to the ten disciples this morning then, to reinforce that He is in fact risen, alive, and that they can put their full faith and trust in Him. In fact, Jesus invites them to not worry or be afraid, but to instead have the peace that only He can give. Jesus then breathed on them the Holy Spirit, which is a dose of the Holy Spirit, which will be poured fully on the day of Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts 2, the Holy Spirit will pour out in a powerful way in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, and the disciples will speak in tongues or different languages. This will be the day that the Christian Church born, and when the disciples really “get it.” This will be about seven weeks or forty-days, as Jesus ascends to heaven forty-days after his resurrection. Jesus appears to convince, to encourage, to share His peace, and to breath doses of the Holy Spirit of God onto His followers.

          So, then Jesus disappears, and shortly after Thomas (who called the Twin) returns to the house where they have all been hiding in fear. As we hear in John 20:25, the disciples tell Thomas that Jesus appeared and all that had happened. Thomas replies in this way, once again, starting with John 20:25

‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe’ (Jn. 20:25, NRSV).

 

          Not only does “Doubting Thomas” not believe them, but he wants put his finger in nails holes in Jesus’ hands and put his hand in Jesus’ side where the spear pierced Him. At the gospel continues, picking up in John 20:26, it says, once again:

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ ²⁸ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ²⁹ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe’ (Jn. 20:26-29, NRSV).

 

(My Lord and My God - Picture)

(Thomas Kneeling in Front of Jesus - Picture)

The Apostle Thomas sees and believes. Jesus then says blessed are those of us that have not seen and yet have come to believe. I have never seen the risen Christ in person. Have any of you? Yet, we believe. So, this story end with “Doubting Thomas,” becoming “Restored in Christ Thomas.”

(Cross with John 20:29 - Picture)

(Blessed are those who Have Not Seen - Picture)

          Lastly and uniquely, the gospel of John reading then ends with John saying this in 20:30-31:

The Purpose of This Book

 

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. ³¹ But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. (Jn. 20:19-31, NRSV).

 

          John said that Jesus did many other signs or showed many other things to His disciples proving who He was indeed risen. Some of these are not even written in the gospel of John, John says. The ones that are written though, are written so that we will read them and or hear them so that we will come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. In believing in Jesus, we will have new life in his name.

          How then on this First Sunday after Easter, can we take this story of “Doubting Thomas,” and take it out of the doors of this church into Adams and world? How can we relate with Thomas and how can we grow closer to Christ as a result of this story? Here are some application points for us to considers:

John 20:19-31 details Jesus' resurrection appearances to his fearful disciples, establishing his victory over death, initiating their mission, and addressing Thomas's doubt. Key themes include Jesus bringing peace (shifting fear to joy), breathing the Holy Spirit onto them, and affirming that belief—especially without seeing—is the basis of eternal life. 

Key Aspects of the Passage

·       Peace and Purpose (vv. 19-23): Jesus appears despite locked doors, greeting them with "Peace be with you" to alleviate fear and offer reconciliation for their abandonment. He commissions them, saying, "As the Father has sent me, I also send you," equipping them for ministry by breathing on them to receive the Holy Spirit.

·       Thomas’s Doubt and Confession (vv. 24-29): Thomas, absent previously, demands physical proof to believe. Upon seeing Jesus, he declares, "My Lord and my God!". Jesus affirms those who believe without seeing, a message directed at future generations of believers.

·       Purpose of the Gospel (vv. 30-31): The passage concludes by stating that these accounts are written so that readers "may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing... have life in his name" (https://www.google.com/search?q=meaning+of+John).

Here is further, how we can we all relate to “Doubting Thomas?” Here is how:

We are like "Doubting Thomas" when we struggle to believe without tangible proof, demand personal experience over hearsay, or wrestle with doubt during difficult times. Like him, we often refuse to accept easy answers, requiring deeper evidence before committing our faith. However, this skepticism is a natural part of human faith, not its opposite. 

How We Mirror Thomas

·       Needing Personal Proof: Similar to Thomas needing to touch Jesus' wounds, we often demand tangible evidence or personal, undeniable experiences before we truly believe.

·       Wrestling with Doubt: When faith doesn't make sense or life is hard, we, like Thomas, struggle with uncertainty.

·       Honest Questioning: Thomas was not afraid to voice his doubt rather than faking certainty. We are like him when we honestly grapple with our questions instead of hiding them.

·       Needing to See What Hurts: Often in grief or disappointment, we refuse to accept shallow reassurances and need to face the harsh realities ("wounds") before finding hope. 

Today “Doubting Thomas,” because “Restored in Christ Thomas.” When have we “doubted?” Amen.