Jesus Our Salvation | Isaac Stone

Devotional

Day 1: From Doubt to Declaration at the Resurrection Site

Thomas touched scarred hands and cried “My Lord, my God” – not just a confession but a surrender. His doubt transformed into bold mission work that carried the gospel farther than any apostle. This story reveals how encountering the risen Christ turns skepticism into fiery devotion. The empty tomb isn’t just proof of resurrection; it’s an invitation to step into resurrected living here and now. [01:24:17]

Then Jesus told him, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:27-28, ESV)

Reflection: Where has Jesus revealed his scars to you recently? How might your honest doubts become doorways to deeper declaration of his lordship?

Day 2: Swimming Upstream in a Downstream World

Following Jesus requires pressing against life’s currents like salmon fighting a river. Complacency isn’t stillness – it’s drifting backward. Paul’s “I press on” in Philippians 3 mirrors Thomas’ post-encounter zeal, both men choosing daily motion toward Christ over stagnant religion. Resurrection life flows forward. [01:28:58]

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. (Philippians 3:12-13, ESV)

Reflection: What current threatens to pull you backward this week? What one intentional stroke “upstream” can you take today?

Day 3: The Torn Veil and the Unbarred Tomb

Two cosmic openings frame our access to God: the temple veil split top to bottom, and the tombstone rolled aside. Neither was for God’s benefit – the torn curtain invites us into holy spaces, the empty tomb invites us to witness resurrection. Both say “Come close.” [01:30:47]

When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:50-51, ESV)

Reflection: What barrier between you and God still feels real despite Christ’s finished work? How might you walk through what He’s already opened?

Day 4: Honest Stagnation as Sacred Starting Line

“Honesty is the pathway to intimacy” – even about spiritual stagnation. Thomas modeled raw transparency (“I won’t believe”), Paul admitted he hadn’t “arrived,” and both found Jesus meeting them in their authentic hunger. Our admissions of dryness become altars for new fire. [01:32:34]

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. (Psalm 51:10-12, ESV)

Reflection: What stagnant area have you been afraid to name before God? How might voicing this become the first prayer of your renewal?

Day 5: The Prize Beyond Pearly Gates

Heaven’s wonder isn’t golden streets but the embrace of the Prize Himself. Paul strained toward Christ as the ultimate reward, just as Thomas’ “My Lord” shifted focus from proofs to Person. Eternal life begins now by knowing the Life-Giver. [01:28:15]

I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: When you imagine eternity, does Jesus feel more like the destination or the tour guide? How can you “know Christ” more than “know about Christ” today?

Sermon Summary

John 20 brings Thomas face to face with the risen Christ. Jesus does not shame him; Jesus invites him to touch the wounds and see that he is alive. Thomas answers with the clearest confession in the room, “My Lord, my God.” That confession names reality: no idol, no rival, no other will die and rise for sinners. That same response sits in front of every listener, because the risen Jesus still meets doubters and turns them into worshipers.

Thomas’s story does not end in doubt. Tradition remembers him taking the gospel farther east than any of the Twelve and sealing his witness with blood. His life shows what happens when someone receives the death and resurrection of Jesus for himself. He unites with Jesus in suffering and shares in his resurrection. That offer stands open for anyone who will receive it. Salvation is not only life after death; salvation is life before death, because life is a person whose name is Jesus.

Philippians 3 gives the church Paul’s hunger: to know Christ, the power of his resurrection, and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in death, so that resurrection life fills the present and the future. Paul admits he has not arrived. He presses on to take hold of what Christ took hold of him for. He forgets what is behind and strains toward what is ahead. The goal and the prize is Jesus. Heaven is sweet, but the center is not streets of gold or pearly gates. The center is Christ himself.

For the complacent and the stuck, the way forward is available. Following Jesus is like swimming upstream in a strong current. Stopping does not hold position; stopping drifts the swimmer backward. There is real Sabbath, but the call still stands: press on, know Christ, share his sufferings, and live in his resurrection.

For the unsure, the cross speaks. Jesus was butchered for the sins of humanity and finished the work. The veil tore and the barrier fell. On the third day the tomb stood open. The stone was not moved to let Jesus out; it was moved to let witnesses in. The risen Lord now sits at the Father’s right hand, and his open tomb is an open invitation. Repent, turn from wicked ways, fix the gaze on Jesus, and be transformed. Honesty is the pathway to intimacy. Tell the truth about sin and stagnation, receive prayer, and step into resurrected life. God is with his people and stirs soft hearts toward himself.

Key Takeaways

1. Thomas’ confession sets the template Thomas moves from demand to devotion when Jesus shows the wounds and calls him close. “My Lord, my God” names who Jesus is and what faith must do, dethroning every rival love. That confession is not a momentary flare up; it is a new center of gravity for a human life. Worship becomes the way doubt is healed. [84:17]
2. Salvation’s prize is Jesus himself Paul does not chase a place but a person. Knowing Christ means resurrection power and the fellowship of suffering, not comfort on demand. Heaven’s gifts are secondary to Christ’s presence, now and forever. Salvation is participation in him, not a box checked in the past. [87:44]
3. Pressing on resists complacent drift The upstream image exposes neutrality as a myth. Stagnation is not standing still; it is quiet backsliding shaped by the current of the age. Perseverance keeps attention on Christ when comfort tries to rock faith to sleep. Rest is holy, but resignation is not. [88:58]
4. The torn veil invites nearness “It is finished” did not just ease guilty feelings; it ended the barrier. Access to God is blood-bought, open, and present, not seasonal or selective. Intimacy grows where honesty meets a holy God who welcomes sinners home. Nearness is the gift Jesus died to give. [90:14]
5. The rolled stone calls witnesses The empty tomb is an invitation to come and see. Resurrection is not observed from a distance; it is entered by repentance and surrender to the enthroned King. Submission to his authority opens resurrected life now, not just later. The doorway stands open for the honest. [90:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[83:54] - Communion reflection: Thomas and Jesus
[84:17] - “My Lord and my God”
[85:11] - Beyond the Doubting Thomas label
[86:01] - Life before death in Jesus
[86:29] - Philippians 3: Knowing Christ
[87:44] - Pressing on toward the prize
[88:58] - Swimming upstream picture
[89:44] - Invitation to the unsure
[90:14] - It is finished, veil torn
[90:47] - Stone rolled to let witnesses in
[91:54] - Repent and receive resurrected life
[92:34] - Honesty builds intimacy
[93:13] - Closing prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 20:24-29 (ESV)
24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Philippians 3:7-14 (ESV)
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Observation Questions

What specific action did Jesus invite Thomas to take when He appeared to him, and how did Thomas respond? (John 20:27-28)
According to Philippians 3:10-14, what does Paul say is his ultimate goal, and how does he describe his attitude toward pursuing it?
The sermon compared following Jesus to “swimming upstream.” What happens when someone stops swimming in this analogy? [01:28:58]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus emphasized physical evidence (His wounds) for Thomas but called those “blessed” who believe without seeing (John 20:29)? How does this tension apply to faith today?
Paul says salvation is “knowing Christ” and “pressing on” rather than a one-time event. How does this redefine common ideas about what it means to be “saved”?
The sermon states, “Stagnation is not standing still; it is quiet backsliding.” How does the “swimming upstream” metaphor clarify the danger of complacency? [01:28:58]

Application Questions

Thomas moved from doubt to worship when he encountered Jesus’ wounds. What doubts or demands do you need to bring to Jesus honestly, and how could His invitation to “come close” change your response? [01:24:17]
Paul says he “forgets what is behind” to press toward Christ. What past failures, successes, or habits might be holding you back from pursuing Jesus more fully?
The torn veil means we can approach God directly. What areas of your life need honest confession to grow deeper in intimacy with Him? [01:32:34]
The empty tomb’s open stone is an invitation to witness resurrection life. How could you “step into” and share this reality with someone this week? [01:30:47]
The sermon warns that neutrality in faith leads to drift. What practical step (e.g., prayer, Scripture, community) will you take this month to “keep swimming upstream”?

Sermon Clips

37s

“And I was I was having conversation with a loved one about, know, who rolled away that stone? Was it Jesus or was it angel? The answer is, it doesn't matter. It's a stone wasn't rolled away to keep Jesus in. The stone was rolled away to let the witnesses of the resurrection in. To come into the resurrection site and see that there's no one there, but that he is risen. And he is currently risen and seated on his throne at the right hand of God currently. And if you have not submitted yourself under that authority and under your under that truth, there is an invitation for you. The stone rolled away is an invitation.”

34s

“Salvation is Jesus. You know, heaven is amazing. We have so much to look forward to. Where every tear is gonna be wiped from our from our eye, and there's no more suffering. There's no more pain. But it's but it's Jesus. He's who we had to look forward to. It's not a a gold road or or or pearly gates. It's Jesus himself, and he is the prize. He is the thing that we're after. And how Paul puts it is, I will continue to press on and move towards that goal and move towards that prize.”

31s

“Put your fingers in my sides and see that I have risen. And then he says something he responds something beautifully. He says, my Lord, my God. And that is the response from when Thomas understood that there is no one else, there's no other God, there's no other idol, there's no other person that would ever come and die for him on the cross and raise him dead except Jesus. And that truth, that reality is the same for you and and for me in this room. And that should be our our response. Amen? My lord, my god.”

31s

“But the moment that Jesus took his last breath, the veil in the temple that was two feet long and the holy of holies that was separating the presence of of of the Lord from humans was torn in two and it was ripped. The barrier between us and the father was forever removed. So if there's any of us who are still a doubting Thomas, who are doubters, well, after that cross, Jesus was was buried in a tomb. And on the third day, he rose again.”

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Jesus Our Salvation | Isaac Stone

Devotional

Day 1: From Doubt to Declaration at the Resurrection Site

Day 2: Swimming Upstream in a Downstream World

Day 3: The Torn Veil and the Unbarred Tomb

Day 4: Honest Stagnation as Sacred Starting Line

Day 5: The Prize Beyond Pearly Gates

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Jesus Our Salvation | Isaac Stone

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