Andy Stanley - Easter 2026

April 4, 2026 | 28:29

Your Move with Andy Stanley — to help people make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.

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Your Move with Andy Stanley | Andy Stanley - Easter 2026 | April 4, 2026
  • ...
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  • Andy stanley: hi everybody, welcome to "your move" where we
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  • Help you make better decisions and live with fewer regrets.
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  • I'm andy stanley, and i'll be your guide.
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  • Every once in a while somebody asks me why i'm a christian, and
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  • My answer is simple.
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  • I say because following jesus has made my life better and
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  • Following jesus makes me better at life.
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  • Now it's not always easier, but it sure is better and why it's
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  • Better is what we're talking about today right here on
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  • "your move."
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Andy: one of the great things and one of the consistent things
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  • Throughout all the narratives without--with all the details
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  • Of the resurrection, is this, that the eyewitnesses, the
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  • People who bring us the message and the narrative of the
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  • Resurrection, they were so honest that all of them, the men
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  • And the women, as we say every easter, they all expected to do
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  • What dead people normally do, which is stay dead.
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  • So when they visited his tomb and found it empty, nobody,
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  • Nobody, nobody expected no body.
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  • But there was no body.
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  • And then jesus came to them in a body fully alive.
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  • But what we're gonna talk about for the next few minutes is
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  • This: we're gonna dive into one character story, a character
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  • That you've all heard of before, that plays a key role in the
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  • Story of the resurrection of jesus.
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  • But what we're gonna talk about specifically is this.
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  • So what?
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  • Even if it's true, even if jesus really rose from the dead,
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  • What--even if it's true, what difference does that make
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  • To you?
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  • Or what difference does that make for you?
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  • I mean, what difference does it--what does this have to do
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  • With you or your future or your children's future?
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  • I mean, is the resurrection of jesus actually, i mean, like
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  • Physically, like experientially, does it really matter?
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  • Does it matter in the real world?
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  • Does it matter in your world?
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  • Does it solve anything?
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  • Does it make anything better?
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  • Does it make anybody better?
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  • Does it make anybody better off?
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  • I mean, do we really need easter?
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  • I mean, it's fine if you're a christian, you know, we get to
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  • Do all this cool stuff, but does it--do you really need easter?
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  • Does the world really need easter?
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  • Now, if you're a christian, if you're like me, you say
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  • Absolutely yes, it matters, and yes, there are real-world
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  • Implications for easter as it relates to easter.
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  • And the reason i say that is this, and sandra and i were
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  • Chatting about this 2 nights ago, that because we were raised
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  • In church, and we were raised on the teaching of jesus, it has
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  • Extraordinarily real-world implications for us.
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  • But maybe that's not your story.
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  • And maybe you're kind of on the fence, or you're not even on the
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  • Fence anymore.
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  • You just don't give it any thought.
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  • Or maybe you walked away from faith as a child, or i should
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  • Say maybe a teenager or a college student, or you got
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  • Married and then you just got busy, or maybe you were driven
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  • Away from your faith because of something that happened in a
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  • Church or because of something that happened in your family or
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  • Something that happened to a member of your family.
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  • And the interesting thing is if you'll give jesus a chance and
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  • You follow him through the gospels, he addresses all
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  • Of that.
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  • And the story of the resurrection actually addresses
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  • Much of that as well.
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  • So here's the backstory.
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  • Again, nobody expected jesus to rise from the dead, even though
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  • He predicted it and he told them several times.
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  • They just weren't believing it because in order to rise from
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  • The dead, he had to be dead and they didn't think jesus was ever
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  • Going to be dead because they believed he was the messiah.
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  • And again, nobody expected, again, for him to come back to
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  • Life once they saw him crucified.
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  • And the other amazing thing, they're so honest, as i
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  • Mentioned before, nobody who brings us the story of the
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  • Resurrection writes themselves into the story as
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  • Diehard believers.
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  • They actually tell the truth, which means they admit that we
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  • Were, "show me the receipts skeptics," all of them.
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  • And the other thing they admit that's kind of interesting is
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  • That after jesus was crucified, the men went into hiding, and
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  • The women went into action, because some
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  • Things never change, okay?
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  • So, on that, what we would consider that first easter
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  • Morning, again, these women, i mean, they loved jesus, they
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  • Supported jesus, many of them financially.
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  • They did not believe for a minute he was gonna rise from
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  • The dead.
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  • Nobody was standing outside that tomb on that first easter going,
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  • "10, 9, 8, 7, cue the sun, 6, 5."
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  • Nobody's out there.
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  • And the reason they showed up to embalm his body is because they
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  • Expected him to stay dead.
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  • But when they arrive at the tomb, the stone is rolled away.
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  • Mark indicates that it was like moved away.
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  • It wasn't just rolled away.
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  • It was like in a different location, and the body is
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  • Missing, and they assume what logical--they assume what
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  • Logical, rational people would assume: that somebody stole
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  • The body.
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  • So they run back to town, they find the disciples who are all
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  • Huddled together in a house, and they don't say, "he's alive,
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  • He's alive, he's alive."
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  • Do you know what they say?
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  • "he's missing, he's missing, he's missing."
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  • And two gospels tell us that peter said, "okay, guys, you
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  • Stay here.
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  • I'm gonna check it out."
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  • Peter runs to the tomb.
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  • He knows where jesus was buried, and he looks inside, and he
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  • Doesn't say, "he's alive, he's alive, he's alive."
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  • The text tells us, he allows this to be written about
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  • Himself, that he was bewildered, he was confused.
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  • He didn't know what to think.
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  • And besides that, when the-- again, to demonstrate the
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  • Confusion, when the women reported this to the men, here's
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  • The men's response.
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  • The text says that "they didn't believe the women, because their
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  • Words seemed to them like nonsense."
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  • So it seemed like nonsense.
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  • Peter shows up at the tomb.
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  • The tomb is empty.
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  • It just seems confusing to him.
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  • They all get back together.
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  • Meanwhile, somebody lets them know that judas is dead.
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  • Judas betrayed jesus, and now judas is dead.
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  • How did that happen?
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  • They look and they realize thomas is missing.
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  • Where is thomas?
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  • Now it's down to ten.
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  • So on the day that jesus's body was discovered missing, and all
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  • These--all this confusion, all this emotion, they're gathered
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  • Together that evening, and you can imagine they're afraid, they
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  • Gotta figure out what to do, they've gotta stick together,
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  • But two of them are already missing.
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  • And while they're there, jesus appears to them, and they did
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  • Not say, "he's alive."
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  • Do you know what they said?
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  • "it's a ghost," because they just--they are not--they have
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  • No comprehension that jesus is gonna come back to life.
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  • And then jesus asked for some food, and i guess in that
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  • Context it's like, "i don't think ghosts eat," and so jesus
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  • Is eating with them, and they're just, you can imagine, or it's
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  • Hard to imagine, they're just, i mean, they stood in the back of
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  • The crowd with their hoodies up and watched him die in public.
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  • They saw where he was entombed, and now he is in their presence,
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  • Very much alive.
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  • And stories and jesus sightings begin to circulate around
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  • Jerusalem that the rabbi from nazareth is alive and soon that
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  • Rumor is outside jerusalem into the other parts of judea, and
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  • That's where we're going to jump into the story.
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  • So here we go.
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  • John, who was there for all of it, he records this account.
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  • Here's what john says.
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  • He says, "now thomas," who i just mentioned, "one of the
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  • Twelve," jesus's original apostles.
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  • "thomas was not with the disciples when jesus came."
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  • More than likely when jesus was arrested and all the disciples
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  • Ran away and abandoned him, you know, they kept their distance.
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  • Apparently thomas, he must have left town, okay?
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  • Maybe he stood at the back of the crowd and saw jesus
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  • Crucified, and then they didn't see him again.
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  • But days later, apparently, he returned.
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  • So the text says this.
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  • He says, "so the other disciples told thomas," once thomas
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  • Returned back to town and found where they were hiding, they
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  • Told him, they said, "thomas, we have seen the lord!
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  • You've heard the rumors.
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  • We've seen the reality.
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  • We have seen the lord," and thomas responds like we would.
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  • He's like, "sure you have.
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  • Yeah, i've heard the rumors.
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  • It's part of the reason why i came back to town."
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  • And then he says, makes this famous statement.
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  • Perhaps you've heard this before, read it before, but he's
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  • Like, i'm not--i, you know, i've heard the rumors, but guys,
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  • Come on, come on.
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  • I mean, we've known each other, what, 3 or 4, some of us 10
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  • Years, but unless i see the nail marks in his hands and unless i
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  • Put my finger where the nails were, and unless i put my hand
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  • Into his side," because jesus was bleeding out.
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  • Centurion asked one of his men to take a spear and thrust it up
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  • Under jesus's ribs into his heart to make sure he was dead
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  • Because the sabbath was coming and they needed to take these
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  • Decaying bodies off the cross.
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  • You couldn't have people moaning and groaning through
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  • The sabbath.
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  • They knew he was dead.
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  • "and unless i can touch the nail marks in his hands and put my
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  • Hand in his side, i will not believe."
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  • And this is where--this is so amazing.
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  • This is where this account intersects with perhaps some
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  • Of you.
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  • In fact, when you read, you follow jesus through the
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  • Gospels, listen to his teaching and listen to his narratives, if
  • 00:08:45.632 --> 00:08:48.034
  • You read slow enough and long enough, you will find yourself
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  • In this story over and over and over.
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  • And maybe for you today, this is where the story of jesus
  • 00:08:54.074 --> 00:08:57.344
  • Intersects with you.
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  • "i will not believe."
  • 00:08:58.678 --> 00:09:02.315
  • And the reason he wouldn't believe, and the reason perhaps
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  • You don't believe in the resurrection is you're
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  • Not superstitious.
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  • People, dead people, do not come back to life unassisted, right?
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  • And thomas's point, back in that ancient time, was probably this:
  • 00:09:13.893 --> 00:09:17.931
  • "hey guys, look, i know, wishful thinking.
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  • You probably saw somebody who reminded you or looked a lot
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  • Like the rabbi, or perhaps somebody," because this would
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  • Happen in ancient times.
  • 00:09:27.040 --> 00:09:28.375
  • "perhaps somebody crazy enough, and they would have to be so
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  • Crazy, is parading themselves around claiming to be the rabbi
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  • Who's come back to life."
  • 00:09:35.015 --> 00:09:37.050
  • Now, this famous exchange between thomas and the disciples
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  • Branded him with an unfortunate and i think unfair nickname.
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  • And you've all, maybe you didn't even know this was a biblical
  • 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:49.462
  • Character, but you've all heard about doubting thomas, right?
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  • I think it should be rational thomas, okay?
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  • He wasn't doubting, he's rational, reasonable, you know,
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  • Nobody's fool thomas.
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  • And they try to convince him that jesus is back from the dead
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  • And he's just not buying it.
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  • "i mean, you're seeing things, guys, you're seeing things, and
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  • If you keep this up, you're gonna get all of us crucified."
  • 00:10:13.219 --> 00:10:17.357
  • Because for thomas, the resurrection of jesus--the
  • 00:10:17.357 --> 00:10:21.594
  • Resurrection of jesus wasn't just too good to be true.
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  • It was impossible to be true.
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  • Andy: hey, i wanted to take just a minute to address a growing
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  • Crisis in america.
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  • Did you know that nearly 75 million americans have no
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  • Religious affiliation, none whatsoever?
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  • Most of us know some of these people.
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  • Many of us are related to some of these people.
  • 00:10:41.614 --> 00:10:43.616
  • So for us they aren't statistics, they're people we
  • 00:10:43.616 --> 00:10:46.419
  • Love and would love to see return to faith in jesus.
  • 00:10:46.419 --> 00:10:49.823
  • So at "your move" we are committed to reaching people
  • 00:10:49.823 --> 00:10:52.525
  • With the teaching of jesus right where they are and when they
  • 00:10:52.525 --> 00:10:55.862
  • Least expect it.
  • 00:10:55.862 --> 00:10:57.263
  • We use a research-backed digital strategy that's already making a
  • 00:10:57.263 --> 00:11:01.101
  • Difference so if you'll stick around after today's message, we
  • 00:11:01.101 --> 00:11:03.870
  • Would love to tell you more about it or visit the website or
  • 00:11:03.870 --> 00:11:07.107
  • Call the number on your screen to learn how you can be a part
  • 00:11:07.107 --> 00:11:09.676
  • Of this revolutionary approach to introducing and reintroducing
  • 00:11:09.676 --> 00:11:13.880
  • People to jesus.
  • 00:11:13.880 --> 00:11:16.149
  • Andy: but here's what else thomas knew.
  • 00:11:16.149 --> 00:11:20.520
  • Thomas knew that if jesus had come back to life, if jesus
  • 00:11:20.520 --> 00:11:25.892
  • Really had risen from the dead, it had real-world implications,
  • 00:11:25.892 --> 00:11:32.198
  • Because he was there for all of it.
  • 00:11:32.198 --> 00:11:33.533
  • He heard jesus teaching.
  • 00:11:33.533 --> 00:11:34.901
  • The teaching of jesus that we read, the parables of jesus that
  • 00:11:34.901 --> 00:11:36.870
  • We read in the gospels, were parables and teaching that he
  • 00:11:36.870 --> 00:11:39.239
  • Taught over and over and over and over, not just one time.
  • 00:11:39.239 --> 00:11:42.408
  • And thomas was there for all of it.
  • 00:11:42.408 --> 00:11:45.145
  • He had heard over and over and over who jesus claimed to be,
  • 00:11:45.145 --> 00:11:51.217
  • That jesus claimed to be a king, that jesus literally claimed on
  • 00:11:51.217 --> 00:11:56.055
  • Multiple occasions to speak on behalf of god.
  • 00:11:56.055 --> 00:11:59.692
  • At two occasions, he said, "the words that i say to you are not
  • 00:11:59.692 --> 00:12:03.363
  • My own words, they are from above."
  • 00:12:03.363 --> 00:12:05.598
  • That was blasphemy to speak on behalf of god.
  • 00:12:05.598 --> 00:12:08.301
  • But interestingly enough, after the resurrection, the people who
  • 00:12:08.301 --> 00:12:11.437
  • Write the--when they wrote their accounts, they equated the
  • 00:12:11.437 --> 00:12:14.607
  • Words of jesus with the words of god.
  • 00:12:14.607 --> 00:12:19.279
  • This was what jesus claimed for himself, that he spoke on behalf
  • 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:22.649
  • Of god.
  • 00:12:22.649 --> 00:12:23.983
  • Not only that, jesus claimed to act on god's behalf, to act on
  • 00:12:23.983 --> 00:12:28.288
  • Behalf of god.
  • 00:12:28.288 --> 00:12:29.622
  • In other words, he, jesus, would say, "if you wanna know what god
  • 00:12:29.622 --> 00:12:31.925
  • Is like, watch me.
  • 00:12:31.925 --> 00:12:33.493
  • If you wanna know how god responds to this group of
  • 00:12:33.493 --> 00:12:35.728
  • People, watch me.
  • 00:12:35.728 --> 00:12:37.063
  • If you wanna know how god responds to that kind of chaos,
  • 00:12:37.063 --> 00:12:40.433
  • Watch me.
  • 00:12:40.433 --> 00:12:41.801
  • If you wanna know how god responds and how god feels about
  • 00:12:41.801 --> 00:12:43.503
  • That kind of need, watch me."
  • 00:12:43.503 --> 00:12:46.105
  • Thomas understood that jesus came to demonstrate in the real
  • 00:12:46.105 --> 00:12:50.009
  • World what god is actually like.
  • 00:12:50.009 --> 00:12:54.214
  • At the end during passover, when they were so confused about how,
  • 00:12:54.214 --> 00:12:57.350
  • You know, jesus was talking about he's going away, but he's
  • 00:12:57.350 --> 00:12:59.352
  • Coming back, you can't go with me, but you'll come with me
  • 00:12:59.352 --> 00:13:01.321
  • Later, and they're like, "whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, what--
  • 00:13:01.321 --> 00:13:03.623
  • You're scrambling our brains.
  • 00:13:03.623 --> 00:13:04.991
  • Okay, jesus, look."
  • 00:13:04.991 --> 00:13:06.326
  • One of the apostles says, "just show, just--look, just show us
  • 00:13:06.326 --> 00:13:09.162
  • The father.
  • 00:13:09.162 --> 00:13:10.496
  • Just show us the father."
  • 00:13:10.496 --> 00:13:11.865
  • And jesus makes this outlandish statement: "if you've seen me,"
  • 00:13:11.865 --> 00:13:15.802
  • He said, "you've seen the father.
  • 00:13:15.802 --> 00:13:18.605
  • This is as good as it gets, that god has sent me into the world.
  • 00:13:18.605 --> 00:13:22.508
  • I am god in a body come to explain what god is like because
  • 00:13:22.508 --> 00:13:26.980
  • There's so much confusion and there's so much mystery and god
  • 00:13:26.980 --> 00:13:30.283
  • Loves you too much to leave you with that kind of mystery.
  • 00:13:30.283 --> 00:13:34.254
  • I have come to show what god is like."
  • 00:13:34.254 --> 00:13:36.022
  • In fact, the apostle paul later, when he is convinced by the
  • 00:13:36.022 --> 00:13:38.558
  • Resurrection as well, the apostle paul said it this way--
  • 00:13:38.558 --> 00:13:41.160
  • I love this verse.
  • 00:13:41.160 --> 00:13:42.495
  • It's in colossians.
  • 00:13:42.495 --> 00:13:43.830
  • He says, "everything that came before jesus, everything that
  • 00:13:43.830 --> 00:13:46.666
  • Came before jesus in terms of what, you know, what does god
  • 00:13:46.666 --> 00:13:49.335
  • Like and who does god like and what does god like, everything
  • 00:13:49.335 --> 00:13:52.105
  • That came before was a shadow."
  • 00:13:52.105 --> 00:13:54.674
  • And then he says this: "but the reality is messiah.
  • 00:13:54.674 --> 00:13:58.645
  • Reality is the anointed one.
  • 00:13:58.645 --> 00:14:00.780
  • Reality is christ jesus, that jesus came to explain god," and
  • 00:14:00.780 --> 00:14:07.387
  • Thomas knew that.
  • 00:14:07.387 --> 00:14:09.289
  • The other thing he knew was this.
  • 00:14:09.289 --> 00:14:11.524
  • He had seen jesus forgive what were considered the worst kinds
  • 00:14:11.524 --> 00:14:15.762
  • Of sin in that culture.
  • 00:14:15.762 --> 00:14:18.398
  • He saw jesus forgive sin when people didn't even ask to
  • 00:14:18.398 --> 00:14:21.668
  • Be forgiven.
  • 00:14:21.668 --> 00:14:23.002
  • Jesus would just proclaim with the authority of god, "your sins
  • 00:14:23.002 --> 00:14:26.005
  • Are forgiven, your sins are forgiven, your sins
  • 00:14:26.005 --> 00:14:29.008
  • Are forgiven."
  • 00:14:29.008 --> 00:14:30.810
  • If jesus was who he claimed to be and rose from the dead to
  • 00:14:30.810 --> 00:14:33.913
  • Prove it, it had real-world implications about where people
  • 00:14:33.913 --> 00:14:37.817
  • Stood with god in spite of their sin.
  • 00:14:37.817 --> 00:14:41.321
  • But maybe most encouraging of all, if jesus rose from the
  • 00:14:41.321 --> 00:14:44.958
  • Dead, is how jesus talked about death.
  • 00:14:44.958 --> 00:14:48.494
  • Because jesus consistently referred to death as sleep.
  • 00:14:48.494 --> 00:14:53.533
  • And he referred confidently and repeatedly of this zoe--
  • 00:14:53.533 --> 00:14:58.037
  • Zoe aionion.
  • 00:14:58.037 --> 00:15:00.873
  • It's a greek phrase, it's difficult to translate
  • 00:14:59.505 --> 00:15:02.275
  • Into english.
  • 00:15:02.275 --> 00:15:03.643
  • It shows up in our english texts.
  • 00:15:03.643 --> 00:15:04.978
  • It's everywhere, but it doesn't really capture the idea because
  • 00:15:04.978 --> 00:15:07.914
  • There was a context in which this made perfect sense.
  • 00:15:07.914 --> 00:15:10.316
  • Literally it means life of the age.
  • 00:15:10.316 --> 00:15:12.452
  • Jesus constantly talked about life of the age, life of the
  • 00:15:12.452 --> 00:15:15.722
  • Age, life in the age to come, life beyond this life, where all
  • 00:15:15.722 --> 00:15:21.627
  • Would be made right because the kingdom of god would be manifest
  • 00:15:21.627 --> 00:15:25.665
  • Throughout the entire world, and it would be ruled by a
  • 00:15:25.665 --> 00:15:29.535
  • Good king.
  • 00:15:29.535 --> 00:15:30.870
  • And jesus claimed to be that king, which for thomas and the
  • 00:15:30.870 --> 00:15:34.741
  • Rest of that group, the men and the women, that was so difficult
  • 00:15:34.741 --> 00:15:37.076
  • To imagine, because all of the kings and the kingdoms of this
  • 00:15:37.076 --> 00:15:40.580
  • World, they ruled with their own best interest in mind.
  • 00:15:40.580 --> 00:15:43.483
  • And it was jesus, their messiah, who claimed to be king, who on
  • 00:15:43.483 --> 00:15:46.252
  • One occasion said, "i have not come to be served.
  • 00:15:46.252 --> 00:15:50.156
  • I have not come to be served.
  • 00:15:50.156 --> 00:15:51.591
  • I have come to serve and to give my life a ransom for many,"
  • 00:15:51.591 --> 00:15:56.162
  • Which when they saw him die on the cross, they didn't know it
  • 00:15:56.162 --> 00:15:58.231
  • In the moment, but that's exactly what he came to do.
  • 00:15:58.231 --> 00:16:00.833
  • He was the good king.
  • 00:16:00.833 --> 00:16:02.168
  • He was the perfect king, and he promised a kingdom that's not of
  • 00:16:02.168 --> 00:16:05.505
  • This world, but was for this world, and with his arrival was
  • 00:16:05.505 --> 00:16:09.075
  • In this world.
  • 00:16:09.075 --> 00:16:12.712
  • So, thomas knew if jesus rose from the dead it really
  • 00:16:12.712 --> 00:16:18.584
  • Ultimately changed everything.
  • 00:16:18.584 --> 00:16:21.888
  • Because if someone could predict their own death and
  • 00:16:21.888 --> 00:16:24.290
  • Resurrection, which jesus did on multiple occasions, and they
  • 00:16:24.290 --> 00:16:26.926
  • Just didn't believe him because they believed he was probably or
  • 00:16:26.926 --> 00:16:30.196
  • Possibly messiah, we've waited on messiah for hundreds
  • 00:16:30.196 --> 00:16:33.699
  • Of years.
  • 00:16:33.699 --> 00:16:35.034
  • You're not going to go to jerusalem and die.
  • 00:16:35.034 --> 00:16:36.402
  • That must be some metaphor or some parable or something.
  • 00:16:36.402 --> 00:16:38.838
  • You're, you know, you were-- we're so confused so often by
  • 00:16:38.838 --> 00:16:41.441
  • What you say, that can't be literally true.
  • 00:16:41.441 --> 00:16:43.443
  • But if somebody can predict their own death and resurrection
  • 00:16:43.443 --> 00:16:46.012
  • And pull it off, that has real-world implications
  • 00:16:46.012 --> 00:16:50.383
  • For everybody.
  • 00:16:50.383 --> 00:16:52.051
  • For you, for me, for your children, for my children.
  • 00:16:52.051 --> 00:16:57.290
  • But thomas, he's not buying it.
  • 00:16:57.290 --> 00:17:01.360
  • People don't rise from the dead, especially embalmed,
  • 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:04.730
  • Entombed people.
  • 00:17:04.730 --> 00:17:07.500
  • Now before we jump back into the story, here's just something
  • 00:17:07.500 --> 00:17:09.469
  • To consider.
  • 00:17:09.469 --> 00:17:10.803
  • Especially if you're a different religious tradition or you used
  • 00:17:10.803 --> 00:17:12.171
  • To be a christian or you know, you're just, you're not sure
  • 00:17:12.171 --> 00:17:14.941
  • It's even important, you're not sure it's relevant or maybe
  • 00:17:14.941 --> 00:17:17.743
  • You're having a tough time.
  • 00:17:17.743 --> 00:17:19.512
  • And you think to yourself, "i'd like to think there's a god who
  • 00:17:19.512 --> 00:17:22.081
  • Could be my heavenly father that would listen to my prayers."
  • 00:17:22.081 --> 00:17:25.118
  • Just--i want you to consider this.
  • 00:17:25.118 --> 00:17:27.453
  • And this is a bit hyperbolic, okay?
  • 00:17:27.453 --> 00:17:30.823
  • Even if every christian you've ever met, even if every
  • 00:17:30.823 --> 00:17:34.527
  • Christian you've ever met is a raging hypocrite, if every
  • 00:17:34.527 --> 00:17:38.331
  • Religious leader strikes you as wanting something from you or
  • 00:17:38.331 --> 00:17:42.135
  • Just kind of weird, including me, okay?
  • 00:17:42.135 --> 00:17:45.605
  • If every christian you've ever met is a raging hypocrite and
  • 00:17:45.605 --> 00:17:48.341
  • Every religious leader, christian religious leader, just
  • 00:17:48.341 --> 00:17:50.443
  • Strikes you as weird or wanting something from you, here's what
  • 00:17:50.443 --> 00:17:53.446
  • I want you to consider.
  • 00:17:53.446 --> 00:17:55.848
  • If jesus rose from the dead, and by rising from the dead
  • 00:17:55.848 --> 00:18:00.419
  • Punctuated everything he claimed about himself and everything he
  • 00:18:00.419 --> 00:18:03.923
  • Claimed about god's love for you, wouldn't it be tragic--
  • 00:18:03.923 --> 00:18:09.362
  • Wouldn't it be tragic for you to allow anything or anybody or any
  • 00:18:09.362 --> 00:18:15.434
  • Experience to get between you and jesus of nazareth?
  • 00:18:15.434 --> 00:18:20.306
  • And the reason you should consider following jesus, the
  • 00:18:20.306 --> 00:18:24.310
  • Reason you should consider leaning into the message is not
  • 00:18:24.310 --> 00:18:28.548
  • This, and not people like me.
  • 00:18:28.548 --> 00:18:31.918
  • It's who he claimed to be.
  • 00:18:31.918 --> 00:18:33.686
  • It's who he claimed to be, and his resurrection demonstrated
  • 00:18:33.686 --> 00:18:37.990
  • And authenticated everything he said about himself.
  • 00:18:37.990 --> 00:18:40.693
  • And if what he said about himself is true, it has
  • 00:18:40.693 --> 00:18:43.696
  • Real-world implications for you for the rest of your life.
  • 00:18:43.696 --> 00:18:46.966
  • God in a body, love personified.
  • 00:18:46.966 --> 00:18:52.338
  • I mean this is remarkable.
  • 00:18:52.338 --> 00:18:53.873
  • Probably everybody listening or watching at one point in your
  • 00:18:53.873 --> 00:18:57.043
  • Life has said, "god is love," or "i believe god is love," or "i
  • 00:18:57.043 --> 00:18:59.545
  • Believe god loves everybody."
  • 00:18:59.545 --> 00:19:00.947
  • Do you know where that phrase originated from?
  • 00:19:00.947 --> 00:19:03.516
  • It originated from john, who brings us matthew, mark,
  • 00:19:03.516 --> 00:19:06.285
  • Luke, john.
  • 00:19:06.285 --> 00:19:07.620
  • He's an old man.
  • 00:19:07.620 --> 00:19:08.955
  • He lives in a world where there--it's not lovely, it's
  • 00:19:08.955 --> 00:19:10.489
  • Not loving, it's anything but.
  • 00:19:10.489 --> 00:19:12.825
  • And as an old man, he dictates his story of his time with the
  • 00:19:12.825 --> 00:19:15.494
  • Life of jesus, and he's the first person in all of ancient
  • 00:19:15.494 --> 00:19:18.097
  • Literature to make this statement and to document it,
  • 00:19:18.097 --> 00:19:20.333
  • Where he's the one who says, "god is love."
  • 00:19:20.333 --> 00:19:22.935
  • And if we were to say to john, "what do you mean, 'god
  • 00:19:22.935 --> 00:19:24.770
  • Is love'?
  • 00:19:24.770 --> 00:19:26.138
  • Look at the world, it's full of chaos.
  • 00:19:26.138 --> 00:19:27.473
  • You've been isolated, you've been--all of your friends have
  • 00:19:27.473 --> 00:19:29.308
  • Been executed.
  • 00:19:29.308 --> 00:19:30.643
  • What do you mean, 'god is love'? where is god?
  • 00:19:30.643 --> 00:19:32.245
  • The world isn't lovely."
  • 00:19:32.245 --> 00:19:33.579
  • And john would say this.
  • 00:19:33.579 --> 00:19:35.114
  • He would say, "i don't believe god is love because the world is
  • 00:19:35.114 --> 00:19:37.516
  • A loving place.
  • 00:19:37.516 --> 00:19:38.851
  • I believe god is love because i stared into the eyes of love,
  • 00:19:38.851 --> 00:19:45.825
  • And i'm convinced that jesus was god in a body.
  • 00:19:45.825 --> 00:19:50.162
  • And if god is anything like my rabbi, my master, and my lord,
  • 00:19:50.162 --> 00:19:56.002
  • That i'm convinced that god is love."
  • 00:19:56.002 --> 00:19:59.905
  • And he dictated that and believed that because of the
  • 00:19:59.905 --> 00:20:02.575
  • Resurrection of jesus that punctuated everything jesus
  • 00:20:02.575 --> 00:20:05.978
  • Claimed about himself.
  • 00:20:05.978 --> 00:20:08.080
  • The resurrection of jesus, not his teaching, the resurrection
  • 00:20:08.080 --> 00:20:11.217
  • Of jesus was the pivot point for his first century followers, and
  • 00:20:11.217 --> 00:20:14.253
  • It has been the pivot point and the deciding factor for people
  • 00:20:14.253 --> 00:20:19.525
  • Ever since.
  • 00:20:19.525 --> 00:20:20.860
  • So yeah, this is a big deal.
  • 00:20:20.860 --> 00:20:23.796
  • If it's true, it has implications for you and they
  • 00:20:23.796 --> 00:20:27.600
  • Are all good.
  • 00:20:27.600 --> 00:20:30.503
  • Back to the story.
  • 00:20:30.503 --> 00:20:32.104
  • So again, thomas leaves town, thomas comes back to town, he
  • 00:20:32.104 --> 00:20:36.342
  • Ain't buying it, and then john tells us this--this is so cool.
  • 00:20:36.342 --> 00:20:40.646
  • John tells us that jesus's disciples, you know,
  • 00:20:40.646 --> 00:20:43.449
  • Now they're 11, thomas is back.
  • 00:20:43.449 --> 00:20:45.084
  • "they're in the house again, and thomas was with them.
  • 00:20:45.084 --> 00:20:49.155
  • And though the doors were locked, jesus came and stood
  • 00:20:49.155 --> 00:20:53.492
  • Among them and said, 'peace be with you!'"
  • 00:20:53.492 --> 00:20:55.895
  • And the reason he said, "peace be with you," is because he
  • 00:20:55.895 --> 00:20:58.731
  • Scared them to death.
  • 00:20:58.731 --> 00:21:00.066
  • It's like, "jesus, would you just use the door?
  • 00:21:00.066 --> 00:21:01.600
  • Okay, this is the second time you've done it."
  • 00:21:01.600 --> 00:21:02.935
  • I don't know if they thought that or not, but they're--i
  • 00:21:02.935 --> 00:21:04.570
  • Mean, it's like, it's just terrifying.
  • 00:21:04.570 --> 00:21:07.173
  • And thomas is there, and thomas is stunned, and jesus looks at
  • 00:21:07.173 --> 00:21:11.877
  • Thomas, and i think he smiles.
  • 00:21:11.877 --> 00:21:13.245
  • I think this next interchange, he's not shaming thomas.
  • 00:21:13.245 --> 00:21:16.482
  • I think there's humor here.
  • 00:21:16.482 --> 00:21:19.185
  • "thomas, i heard what you said.
  • 00:21:19.185 --> 00:21:23.222
  • So, come here.
  • 00:21:23.222 --> 00:21:24.890
  • Come here.
  • 00:21:24.890 --> 00:21:26.258
  • I want--thomas, just--i heard what you said.
  • 00:21:26.258 --> 00:21:28.160
  • Put it right here.
  • 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:29.495
  • Put your finger right here.
  • 00:21:29.495 --> 00:21:30.863
  • Put your finger here and see my hands."
  • 00:21:30.863 --> 00:21:32.198
  • Jesus is smiling.
  • 00:21:32.198 --> 00:21:33.566
  • Thomas ain't moving, you know?
  • 00:21:33.566 --> 00:21:34.900
  • "reach out your hand and, come on, put it in my side."
  • 00:21:34.900 --> 00:21:37.203
  • Thomas just stares.
  • 00:21:37.203 --> 00:21:39.772
  • And there's no indication that jesus--that thomas took jesus
  • 00:21:39.772 --> 00:21:42.174
  • Up on this.
  • 00:21:42.174 --> 00:21:43.542
  • He did not need to.
  • 00:21:43.542 --> 00:21:45.010
  • And then what jesus says to thomas next is so powerful.
  • 00:21:45.010 --> 00:21:49.415
  • And what jesus says to thomas next, he says to you, he says to
  • 00:21:49.415 --> 00:21:52.885
  • Me, and the english text, you know, it sounds like he's
  • 00:21:52.885 --> 00:21:55.988
  • Shaming thomas, he's not.
  • 00:21:55.988 --> 00:21:57.323
  • Here's what--the english text says this in one translation:
  • 00:21:57.323 --> 00:21:59.925
  • "and then jesus said to thomas, 'stop doubting and believe.'"
  • 00:21:59.925 --> 00:22:04.163
  • That can't really be the tone and the posture.
  • 00:22:04.163 --> 00:22:06.632
  • It's like--here's what the greek says, literally.
  • 00:22:06.632 --> 00:22:09.769
  • I love this.
  • 00:22:09.769 --> 00:22:11.137
  • "jesus said to thomas, 'be not unbelieving, but believing.'"
  • 00:22:11.137 --> 00:22:17.743
  • Be not unbelieving, but believing.
  • 00:22:17.743 --> 00:22:20.479
  • The implication is this: "thomas, now you don't have to
  • 00:22:20.479 --> 00:22:24.049
  • Struggle to believe, because here i am."
  • 00:22:24.049 --> 00:22:27.920
  • He wasn't doubting thomas.
  • 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:29.455
  • In fact, the greek term "doubt" doesn't even show up in this
  • 00:22:29.455 --> 00:22:31.624
  • Phrase in the greek text.
  • 00:22:31.624 --> 00:22:33.159
  • He wasn't doubting thomas; he was like some of us: he was just
  • 00:22:33.159 --> 00:22:36.762
  • Unconvinced thomas.
  • 00:22:36.762 --> 00:22:38.864
  • And jesus invites him to move from unbelief to belief, and
  • 00:22:38.864 --> 00:22:43.636
  • What thomas says next was so blasphemous for a jewish boy
  • 00:22:43.636 --> 00:22:48.240
  • To say.
  • 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:49.575
  • What thomas says next, you don't want this associated with your
  • 00:22:49.575 --> 00:22:53.012
  • Name unless it is true.
  • 00:22:53.012 --> 00:22:55.147
  • And thomas looked at jesus, according to john, who was
  • 00:22:55.147 --> 00:22:57.783
  • There, and he said this, the text says--john says, "thomas
  • 00:22:57.783 --> 00:23:01.187
  • Said to him, 'my lord and my god!'"
  • 00:23:01.187 --> 00:23:08.194
  • Thomas was convinced in this moment, he was in the presence
  • 00:23:08.194 --> 00:23:13.632
  • Of god.
  • 00:23:13.632 --> 00:23:17.102
  • He was so convinced, you know what thomas did?
  • 00:23:17.102 --> 00:23:19.905
  • Most people don't.
  • 00:23:19.905 --> 00:23:21.240
  • Thomas traveled to india, to india, preaching and teaching
  • 00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:27.313
  • The message of jesus, anchored to the resurrection of jesus,
  • 00:23:27.313 --> 00:23:32.084
  • Planting churches.
  • 00:23:32.084 --> 00:23:33.452
  • He was martyred in india.
  • 00:23:33.452 --> 00:23:35.354
  • And today you can actually visit saint thomas cathedrals on the
  • 00:23:35.354 --> 00:23:39.024
  • Coast of tamil nadu, india.
  • 00:23:39.024 --> 00:23:43.796
  • "my lord and my god!"
  • 00:23:43.796 --> 00:23:47.633
  • These first century, non-superstitious, "people don't
  • 00:23:47.633 --> 00:23:51.871
  • Rise from the dead" followers of jesus, were convinced that if
  • 00:23:51.871 --> 00:23:56.108
  • You're a christian, that your savior was god, and if you're
  • 00:23:56.108 --> 00:23:58.477
  • Not a christian, that they were convinced god had come into the
  • 00:23:58.477 --> 00:24:01.013
  • World to make himself known.
  • 00:24:01.013 --> 00:24:03.682
  • So we didn't have to live in fear, and we didn't have to
  • 00:24:03.682 --> 00:24:06.185
  • Wonder what god is like, and we didn't have to wonder about who
  • 00:24:06.185 --> 00:24:09.955
  • God likes.
  • 00:24:09.955 --> 00:24:12.858
  • And then jesus is in that room.
  • 00:24:12.858 --> 00:24:14.827
  • He takes his attention off of thomas and he addresses the
  • 00:24:14.827 --> 00:24:17.897
  • Entire room.
  • 00:24:17.897 --> 00:24:19.265
  • He says, "okay, let's, you know, let's just kind of put it out
  • 00:24:19.265 --> 00:24:21.500
  • There, guys.
  • 00:24:21.500 --> 00:24:23.135
  • Because you have seen me, you have believed."
  • 00:24:23.135 --> 00:24:25.471
  • Believed what?
  • 00:24:25.471 --> 00:24:26.805
  • Believe that i rose from the dead.
  • 00:24:26.805 --> 00:24:28.173
  • This is a very narrow belief.
  • 00:24:28.173 --> 00:24:29.508
  • The reason you've seen me, you didn't believe when you saw the
  • 00:24:29.508 --> 00:24:31.844
  • Empty tomb.
  • 00:24:31.844 --> 00:24:33.212
  • You didn't believe when you heard the rumors.
  • 00:24:33.212 --> 00:24:34.547
  • The reason you believe i rose from the dead is because you
  • 00:24:34.547 --> 00:24:37.283
  • Have seen me.
  • 00:24:37.283 --> 00:24:39.885
  • And then jesus stares out into kind of the middle space, beyond
  • 00:24:39.885 --> 00:24:44.590
  • Galilee and beyond judea and beyond samaria, and beyond the
  • 00:24:44.590 --> 00:24:48.294
  • First century.
  • 00:24:48.294 --> 00:24:50.796
  • And he speaks to you, and he speaks to me, and he speaks
  • 00:24:50.796 --> 00:24:54.199
  • To us.
  • 00:24:54.199 --> 00:24:55.534
  • He saw us coming.
  • 00:24:55.534 --> 00:24:57.403
  • He saw us struggling to believe, to reconcile what we've
  • 00:24:57.403 --> 00:25:01.507
  • Experienced and what is claimed.
  • 00:25:01.507 --> 00:25:03.776
  • And then he says this to you and he says it to me, it's amazing.
  • 00:25:03.776 --> 00:25:06.745
  • He said, "blessed are those," blessed are those, happy are
  • 00:25:06.745 --> 00:25:11.450
  • Those, what the word means, hopeful are those, content are
  • 00:25:11.450 --> 00:25:14.486
  • Those, at peace are those, comforted are those, "who have
  • 00:25:14.486 --> 00:25:19.325
  • Not seen what you guys saw, and yet have believed."
  • 00:25:19.325 --> 00:25:25.898
  • That's us.
  • 00:25:25.898 --> 00:25:27.433
  • And the reason we believe is not simply because the bible tells
  • 00:25:27.433 --> 00:25:30.469
  • Us so, it's so much better than that.
  • 00:25:30.469 --> 00:25:32.605
  • We believe because of the eyewitness accounts.
  • 00:25:32.605 --> 00:25:35.474
  • And we believe because of the sacrifice and devotion of men
  • 00:25:35.474 --> 00:25:38.544
  • Like thomas and peter and matthew and john and mary and
  • 00:25:38.544 --> 00:25:42.414
  • Martha and a host of others.
  • 00:25:42.414 --> 00:25:44.583
  • And we believe because that next generation who knew these men
  • 00:25:44.583 --> 00:25:47.620
  • And women were convinced that these things happened.
  • 00:25:47.620 --> 00:25:50.089
  • These aren't bible stories.
  • 00:25:50.089 --> 00:25:51.857
  • These are events in history, events that ultimately changed
  • 00:25:51.857 --> 00:25:54.793
  • The world, changed the way the world sees people, changed the
  • 00:25:54.793 --> 00:25:57.863
  • World--the way the world sees children and sees women and sees
  • 00:25:57.863 --> 00:26:00.866
  • Those who are oppressed.
  • 00:26:00.866 --> 00:26:02.201
  • It changed everything.
  • 00:26:02.201 --> 00:26:03.569
  • And even if you're not a christian, you have been
  • 00:26:03.569 --> 00:26:05.204
  • Impacted by the shadow of, you've been impacted by the
  • 00:26:05.204 --> 00:26:07.806
  • Values of, and the teaching of jesus indirectly.
  • 00:26:07.806 --> 00:26:11.110
  • That what he predicted would happen in terms of his kingdom,
  • 00:26:11.110 --> 00:26:13.445
  • It has happened, it continues to happen, and it will happen until
  • 00:26:13.445 --> 00:26:16.849
  • The end of this age.
  • 00:26:16.849 --> 00:26:19.018
  • We believe because of their testimonies, but believe what?
  • 00:26:19.018 --> 00:26:22.354
  • It's narrow.
  • 00:26:22.354 --> 00:26:23.989
  • We believe the event that sits at the epicenter of all that we
  • 00:26:23.989 --> 00:26:27.026
  • Believe, the event that moved thomas from unbelief to belief,
  • 00:26:27.026 --> 00:26:31.430
  • That turned those female embalmers into evangelists.
  • 00:26:31.430 --> 00:26:35.434
  • And turned those cowardly men who understandably were fearful
  • 00:26:35.434 --> 00:26:39.438
  • For their life, it turned them into ambassadors who risked
  • 00:26:39.438 --> 00:26:42.574
  • Their lives so the world would know what god had done in and
  • 00:26:42.574 --> 00:26:46.545
  • For the world.
  • 00:26:46.545 --> 00:26:49.481
  • They believed, and we believe, in the event that changed and
  • 00:26:49.481 --> 00:26:52.451
  • Changes everything, the resurrection of jesus.
  • 00:26:52.451 --> 00:26:57.022
  • Andy: hey, thanks so much for watching.
  • 00:26:57.022 --> 00:26:58.691
  • You may find it hard to believe that 75 million americans claim
  • 00:26:58.691 --> 00:27:02.127
  • No religious affiliation.
  • 00:27:02.127 --> 00:27:04.263
  • On a personal note, perhaps you found it nearly impossible to
  • 00:27:04.263 --> 00:27:07.332
  • Believe that your son or your daughter or perhaps a grandchild
  • 00:27:07.332 --> 00:27:10.269
  • Drifted away from faith as part of that number.
  • 00:27:10.269 --> 00:27:13.072
  • This is a crisis culturally and perhaps for you it's a
  • 00:27:13.072 --> 00:27:16.075
  • Crisis personally.
  • 00:27:16.075 --> 00:27:17.409
  • At "your move," we are committed to addressing that crisis.
  • 00:27:17.409 --> 00:27:21.313
  • We actually have a plan to solve it, but we need your help.
  • 00:27:21.313 --> 00:27:24.216
  • We've developed a digital online tool that invites people to take
  • 00:27:24.216 --> 00:27:27.619
  • A personal assessment that launches them on a journey that
  • 00:27:27.619 --> 00:27:30.989
  • Eventually intersects their questions with the teaching of
  • 00:27:30.989 --> 00:27:34.326
  • Jesus and ultimately with a bible-teaching church in
  • 00:27:34.326 --> 00:27:38.097
  • Their community.
  • 00:27:38.097 --> 00:27:39.465
  • Tens of thousands of people are currently engaged in this
  • 00:27:39.465 --> 00:27:42.067
  • Process, but we need your help to continue creating the bread
  • 00:27:42.067 --> 00:27:45.471
  • Crumbs, the content, that keeps them moving forward on their
  • 00:27:45.471 --> 00:27:49.007
  • Faith journey.
  • 00:27:49.007 --> 00:27:50.442
  • We're attempting something that no one has ever attempted before
  • 00:27:50.442 --> 00:27:53.612
  • And it is already working.
  • 00:27:53.612 --> 00:27:55.380
  • To find out more, go to the website or call the number at
  • 00:27:55.380 --> 00:27:58.183
  • The bottom of the screen and, as always, thank you so much for
  • 00:27:58.183 --> 00:28:01.353
  • Watching, and now it's your move.
  • 00:28:01.353 --> 00:28:03.756
  • ♪♪♪
  • 00:28:03.822 --> 00:28:19.638
  • ...
  • 00:28:22.875 --> 00:28:29.999