Conversations with Jesus #6, Rebecca Whittlesea

·37 min·3 clips

Jesus appears in a locked room to his fearful disciples after rising from the dead.

The episode begins with a reading from John 20, describing Jesus appearing to his disciples after his resurrection, with Thomas absent. Rebecca Whittlesea introduces this as the sixth and final sermon in the 'Conversations with Jesus' series, summarizing previous sermons on Nicodemus, the crowd in John 6, the man born blind, Mary and Martha, and Pilate. She emphasizes that Jesus tailors his approach to each individual. The focus shifts to Thomas, who missed Jesus's initial appearance, and the speaker sympathizes with his experience of FOMO, challenging the negative 'doubting Thomas' label. She notes that Thomas later declares 'My Lord and my God' upon seeing Jesus. The sermon explains that Thomas did not ultimately miss out, as he received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost along with the other disciples. Rebecca then delves into the Holy Spirit, using the Greek term 'paraclete' from John 14, which she translates as an influential friend or advocate. She references Andy McCulloch's book 'Made Flesh' for cultural insights, explaining that in communalistic cultures, such a broker is essential. The speaker outlines the Spirit's roles: bringing God's presence, teaching, testifying, convicting, and speaking truth. She connects this to Jesus's breathing of the Spirit in John 20 and the Genesis creation story. The episode concludes with a personal application, encouraging listeners who feel they have missed out to seek the Spirit's filling, and includes a call to prayer and worship.

As heard by us

A pastoral movement from Thomas's doubt to Pentecost's promise of the Spirit.

Fear, absence, and faith shape this PlayNext review of a sermon on Jesus meeting the disciples after the resurrection. It follows the locked room in John 20, Thomas's refusal to believe without seeing and touching Jesus' wounds, and his confession, "My Lord and my God." From…

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Why you'd press play

Press play when Thomas's doubt feels uncomfortably familiar and Pentecost still feels hard to picture.

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