The Twins

to go back. Thomas made the statement Let us go that we may die with him. This wasn't a statement that inspired hope into the hearts of the others, but was certianly a staement to show he was willing to die for the cause.

II. Thomas which is called Didymus- This is the physical outer man of Thomas. Didymus was the name that everone referred to him. The Bible says 3 times his name was Thomas but he was called Didymus. Didymus was the one that:

A. Fled in the garden-All the disciples fled, but where was the courage that Thomas had in Bethany, that we are ready to die with Him. It was true only 3 disciple were allowed to go into the inner sanctum of the garden the others were outside the garden, I figure the view of the vast Roman guard on the horizon, caused those on the outside to leave pretty quickly.

B. Failed to show up at church-I figure the fear in the garden, and watching Jesus crucified, made Thomas feel like a failure, left him thinking if he could have done something to stop all of this. I guess he figured whats the point in going to church now.

C. Faith bottomed out-Fear and failure leads us all to a lapse in our faith. His faith was gone, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. All of Thomas faith was gone because he would not believe without seeing. He wouldn't even believe those he was closest to. Thomas was not a doubter, he had exhausted all his faith. It is easy to just say people are doubting, it is not doubt when you are not able to believe. They only way at this point to restore faith is to physically see once again. But you will never see unless you are willing to look.

III. Thomas and Didymus were twins- yes they were the same person, but one being the spiritual man, one being the physical man. The greatest opposition he had was the difference in Thomas and Didymus.

A. It was easy to be Didymus- That was who he was that was who everyone knew him as, he didn't have to do much work to be Didymus. That was exactally who everyone expected him to be, when they seen him, they would say there goes ole slow to believe Didymus. I don't know why he is trying to follow Jesus. It will take Jesus forever to get Didymus to believe anything he says.

B. Being Thomas one of the twelve was hard- This was new to him, how to be a disciple, how to live a life surrendered to Christ. To believe without question. To try to change from the man people knew him as to the new man that Christ made out of Him. It took a great deal of work. People were watching him and people are always the same. They were thinking he won't never change he will always be the same. But Thomas was determined, but then herein lies the problem.

C. Being both people caused a conflict-Didymus didn't want to be Thomas "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I