The Great Commission, Doubting Thomas & the Apostolic Age
Bible Study Guide
(Verse 19) The Great Commission was about to usher in a new age. It was a time period that would last approximately 60-70 years after the death of Christ. The world as the people of that day knew it to be would change. It would be called the Apostolic Age. We’ll look at it more closely in a bit.
There was not a soul in Jerusalem that didn’t know about the crucifixion. Many were greatly relieved of Christ’ death. His teachings and miracles were a burden to their way of life. Now that Jesus was dead, they could finally get back to their lives as usual.
Many others were filled with grief and mourning. They followed for three years, the One who came from God. He was going to save them from the oppression of Roman occupation. Instead, they found Him hanging on a cross. He was persecuted and put to death by the very regime they hoped would be defeated by Christ.
Darkness filled the land. It filled their hearts and the very rooms that they hid in while swallowed by their grief. The darkness was about to make way for the Light. The Light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
No power of death could hold Him back.
Forty Days of Proof Leading to the Great Commission
(Verses 19-20) Jesus appeared to His disciples over a span of forty days after His resurrection. The disciples, like many hid in the darkness of their room behind locked doors. They feared the Jewish leaders. There were still many things they didn’t understand. But that was about to change.
Alone, dark and afraid, Jesus appears to His disciples and says, “Peace be with you!” Christ understood that they were fearful. They must’ve been white like ghosts when Jesus first appeared. He tries to calm them with His peace.
Luke records in his account of the Acts of the Apostles, how Jesus gave them a very specific command in order that He might perform the Great Commission.
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)
The Power of the Great Commission
(Verses 21-23) Jesus appears to them once again. This time, he’s there to bless them with the promise He gave them of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus breathed on His disciples. In the same way that God made all creation, Jesus re-created humanity through Himself. He made them new in His image. The old was gone and the new was brought to life.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We receive the same gift of the Holy Spirit when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Then, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us on our Christian journey. He also produces good works in us. These good works are spreading the gospel of Jesus and being a witness to Him in our lives.
The power of the Holy Spirit would now help the disciples to understand all what Jesus taught and did. Jesus was about to leave and ascend to the Father. This meant that the responsibility of spreading the “good news” of Jesus Christ would be on the Apostles of Christ. Thus ended the Great Commission. Then began the Apostolic Age.
The Beginning of the Apostolic Age
The Apostolic Age would now begin after Jesus’ ascension. The apostles would begin by sharing the gospel with those in Judea, then in Samaria and finally to all nations. Thousands would be “saved” by the preaching of the apostles. They would travel through their modern world sharing the resurrection story.
The Apostolic Age would come to a close after John finishes his work on his own gospel. He would complete his account of Revelation as given to him by an angel sent from Jesus given to Him by God. Shortly after, John would be the last living apostle to die.
This would end the Apostolic Age and it would usher in the Church Age. We’re currently living at the end of the Church Age. It would be wise to understand the warning that Jesus leaves with the churches in the book of Revelation.
Was Doubting Thomas Always A Doubter
(Verses 24-26) John’s gospel is the only book in the New Testament that offers any details about Thomas. We know very little about him. The other gospels only list his name as one of the twelve disciples. He makes a brief appearance in Acts of the Apostles, whose name is only listed as part of a group of apostles.
Was Thomas always a doubter?
John records Thomas on two previous occasions before the doubting Thomas verse.
“Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (John 11:16)
In this doubting Thomas verse, we see him demonstrating his lack of faith in Jesus being able to help Lazarus after Lazarus died.
“Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5)
Here again, we see in this doubting Thomas verse, his lack of faith and trust in Christ. Clearly, John demonstrates Thomas’s doubting characteristic well before the famous doubting verse. The story that wins Thomas the famous moniker, the “doubting Thomas.”
Thomas Had To See To Believe and No Longer Doubt
(Verses 27-29) It took Jesus having to show His crucifixion wounds to doubting Thomas in order for him to believe. He only believed because he could see with his own eyes.
What if that was the only way people would come to believe in Christ today? No one would believe. It’s likely Thomas was saved for this very time. His story of doubt teaches us that there will be doubters in the world. Many will be in our own families. It’s important that we share the story of Christ with them using kindness and love in order to bring them to Christ.
Doubting Thomas’s verse was also a wonderful way for Christ to offer us today a blessing. Today’s Christians have not seen, but we believe. Blessed are all of us who believe and have not seen. It’s amazing to think that thousands of years ago, Jesus placed a blessing on us. What a blessing that is!
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 11:15)
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
(Revelation 2:7)
The Multitude of the Great Commission and His Miracles
(Verses 30-31) John reminds us of the work that Christ performed when He was with them. It’s recorded in history that on many certain days, Jesus performed so many healing miracles they lost count.
His disciples sat in amazement of His power to heal and change lives. Jesus in turn reminded His disciples that they would do much greater things. Much more than physical healing, they would turn people to Christ. Not only that, but they would also turn other people into disciples. They would in turn, point people to Christ.
Because of this great work of the apostles given to them by the power of God through the Holy Spirit during the Apostolic Age, we today are able to learn and share the story of our Lord and Savior.
It all began when Christ lit the flame of the Holy Spirit in His disciples at the Great Commission.
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