My Lord and My God (part 1) – reprinted

​If someone were to ask you who Jesus is to you, how would you answer?  Would your mind immediately conjure up the cruel scene at Calvary, as Jesus hung, bled and died for your sins?  Would it remind you of the great grace that entered your life the day you were told the death of Jesus on the cross was for you, and through it, your sins were forgiven?  Truly the thought of the redeeming work of the cross is a monumental moment in the life of a believer.  It is for this reason many see Jesus as their Savior because His death and resurrection saved them from eternal separation from God.  If you only see Jesus as your Savior, then allow me to broaden you review by challenging your perception of Who Jesus is.  Let’s begin by visiting the disciples in the upper room.  The time is shortly after the event of the cross and Thomas, upon hearing that Jesus has been resurrected from the dead, helps all of mankind by making the statement many of us would want to make; but would be too embarrassed to allow it to leave the confines of our thinking.  In John 20:25, he said, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  What a brave statement!
 
Thomas is often criticized for this statement and it was here that the phrase “Doubting Thomas” was born.  This is not the end of this moment for Thomas (or us), because a week after he said this, as they were sitting once again in the same room, Jesus appears and challenges Thomas to verify that which he struggles to believe (He even allowed him to use his own methods for verification).  After Thomas examined the evidence in Jesus’ hands and side, he made the proclamation that is missing from the lives of most believers.  He immediately exclaimed, “My Lord and my God.”
 
Did you catch it?  So what does that mean, “My Lord and my God,” and how does it differ from “Savior”?  We will examine the answer to that question next week.
 
Blessings!
 
Lamar