Three Words That Change Everything: Lord and God
Discovering divine transformation through Thomas's ultimate confession of the risen Christ.
Sermon Summary
This sermon addresses the human struggle with doubt and fear, presenting the resurrected Christ as the ultimate answer to every spiritual uncertainty. By examining Thomas's personal encounter with Jesus in John 20, believers are taught that genuine faith moves beyond intellectual assent to personal surrender. The desired spiritual response is for every listener to abandon doubt, confess Jesus Christ as personal Lord and God, and live in obedience to His resurrection power.
Introduction
We live in a world filled with shifting promises, uncertain futures, and lingering doubts. Many people move through life seeking something absolute—an anchor that cannot be shaken by grief, disappointment, or anxiety. In the quiet places of our hearts, we ask if God is truly near and if Jesus is who He claimed to be. The disciples in the upper room knew this tension intimate as they sat behind locked doors, burdened by grief and fear. Yet, when the risen Saviour appeared in their midst, everything changed in a single moment. Thomas, who had struggled with deep hesitation, was met with overwhelming grace and truth. His response was not a long theological essay, but a brief, breathtaking declaration that echoes through eternity. When we truly understand and speak those same words from the heart, our past is forgiven, our present receives divine purpose, and our future is secured forever.
Main Scripture
John 20:28
Thomas answered him, “ My Lord and my God! ”
John 20:28 records the highest Christological confession in the entire Gospel according to John. After demanding physical evidence of the resurrection, Thomas is personally addressed by Jesus, who offers His wounded hands and side. Overcome by the reality of Christ's physical resurrection, Thomas utters, 'My Lord and my God!' By applying to Jesus the divine names reserved for Yahweh in the Old Testament, Thomas acknowledges both the absolute deity and the personal lordship of Jesus Christ. This verse serves as the theological climax of John's Gospel, inviting every reader to make the same personal confession of faith.
Main Sermon Points
1. Bring Your Doubts directly to the Risen Saviour
Then he said to Thomas, “ Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’ t be unbelieving, but believing.”
Jesus did not reject Thomas for his questions, but graciously invited him into a personal encounter that replaced doubt with firm faith.
Thomas had declared that he would not believe unless he saw and touched the nail marks himself. Rather than condemning Thomas, Jesus entered the room eight days later and met him precisely at the point of his weakness. Christ's omniscience knew Thomas's private struggles, demonstrating that our Lord understands our human fragility and extends His grace to draw us closer.
Do not allow hidden doubts or spiritual questions to isolate you from God or the fellowship of believers. Bring your honest questions, fears, and struggles directly to Jesus through prayer and deep engagement with Scripture, trusting Him to reveal His truth to your heart.
Quick Insights
- Jesus meets us in our weakness rather than casting us away.
- Honest questions brought to God lead to deeper spiritual conviction.
- The wounds of Christ are permanent proof of His infinite love.
2. Confess Jesus as Your Sovereign Lord and God
Jesus said to him, “ Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Jesus accepted Thomas's worship as Lord and God, and declared a special blessing upon all future generations who would believe through the gospel word.
In Jewish culture, calling a human being 'God' was considered severe blasphemy unless the person was truly divine. When Thomas fell before Jesus and declared Him as Lord and God, Jesus did not correct him. Instead, Jesus affirmed this truth and commended true saving faith that rests upon divine revelation.
Evaluate every area of your life to ensure Jesus is truly your Lord. Surrender your plans, career, family decisions, finances, and personal desires to His absolute authority, trusting that He leads you with divine wisdom and love.
Quick Insights
- Confessing Jesus as Lord requires total surrender of self-will.
- Faith sees the spiritual reality of Christ through the truth of Scripture.
- Jesus receives the worship due only to Almighty God.
3. Walk Daily in the Power of Resurrected Life
but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
John explicitly reveals that the aim of scripture is to produce saving faith that results in abundant, eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Believing in Jesus as Lord and God is not merely an intellectual agreement with historical facts; it is an entry into spiritual regeneration. The resurrection of Jesus Christ inaugurates a new creation wherein believers receive the Holy Spirit, divine peace, and the gift of eternal life.
Live each day as an active participant in God's new creation. Reject the lifestyle of fear and compromise, and step out in bold obedience by sharing the gospel at work, serving in your local church, and reflecting Christ's love in your home and community.
Quick Insights
- Eternal life begins the moment you surrender to Jesus Christ.
- The resurrection empowers believers to overcome daily temptations.
- Faith in Christ produces active obedience and lasting peace.
Bottom Line
Declaring Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and God replaces every fear and doubt with the unstoppable peace and power of His resurrected life.
Memorable Quote
When Jesus becomes your Lord and God, your doubts melt into worship, your fear yields to peace, and your life finds eternal purpose.
Theological Point
This passage highlights the deity of Christ and the necessity of personal justification through faith. By receiving worship as 'Lord and God,' Jesus affirms His divine nature as the eternal Son, co-equal and co-essential with God the Father.
Prayer Guide
- Ask God to remove every seed of doubt and strengthen your faith in the risen Lord.
- Pray for grace to surrender every area of your personal life to Christ's absolute lordship.
- Thank God for the gift of eternal life and the peace brought by the resurrection.
- Seek God's help to boldly witness about Jesus Christ in your daily workplace and community.
Responding to God’s Word
Returning to our title, Three Words That Change Everything: Lord and God, we see that these words hold the key to temporal peace and eternal life. Thomas entered the room bound by sorrow and demand for proof, but he left as a transformed witness because he encountered the living Christ. The same Jesus who stood among the disciples stands before you today through His holy Word. He shows us His hands and His side, reminding us that the price for our redemption is paid in full. Jesus points us to the Father, breathes His Spirit upon us, and invites us to step out of darkness into light. Will you bow your heart today and say to Him with complete trust, 'My Lord and my God'? Let this confession reorder your priorities, heal your relationships, direct your business, and anchor your hope. Rise up in the authority of His resurrection, walk in obedience to His word, and share this life-changing gospel with a world in desperate need of a Saviour.
