Learning From Thomas Series

I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT IT WAS THOMAS WHO GETS A BUM RAP AS THE “LONE” DISCIPLE OF DOUBT. WHEN WE SPEAK OF THOMAS, HE IS USUALLY REFERRED TO AS “DOUBTING THOMAS.”

ALTHOUGH UNDERSTANDABLE, IT REALLY ISN’T FAIR. ALL THE REMAINING DISCIPLES DOUBTED AS WELL. DEPSITE THEIR JOY OF PROCLAIMING “WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD,” AND ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS, HERE THEY ARE RIGHT BACK WHERE THEY STARTED.

VERSE 26, SAYS, “A WEEK LATER THE DISCIPLES WERE IN THE HOUSE AGAIN…THE DOORS WERE LOCKED.” THE DESCIPLES ARE HIDING AND ACTING LIKE THEY NEVER HAD THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE RISEN CHRIST IN THE FIRST PLACE.

NO WONDER THOMAS 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 IT.” THOMAS LITERALLY SAID, “I WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT HE IS REALLY ALIVE. I DON’T BELIEVE YOU REALLY SAW HIM!” THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT JESUS HEARD THOMAS AND APPEARS TO HIM AND SAYS IN VERSE 27, “STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE.” IN THE GREEK TEXT, JESUS IS LITERALLY SAYING, “DO NOT BECOME FAITHLESS, BUT FULL OF FAITH!”

THOMAS IS BEING CHALLENGED TO CHANGE. THOMAS IS BEING PROMPTED BY JESUS TO BECOME LIKE THOSE, WHO UPON SEEING JESUS JUST A WEEK EARLIER, EMBRACE HIM WITH STELLAR FAITH.

UPON HIS TOUCH, HIS ENCOUNTER, AND HIS FAITH, THOMAS EXCLAIMS, “MY LORD AND MY GOD!” THOMAS ADDRESSES JESUS AS BOTH “LORD” AND “GOD.” IT IS AS IF HE IS SAYING “YOU ARE MY LORD, EVEN MY GOD” OR “YOU ARE THE ONE WHO RULES OVER ME, AND YOU ARE GOD, WHOM I WORSHIP.”

THOMAS, OF ALL THE DISCIPLES, CONFESSES HIS HEARTFELT BELIEF IN JESUS. THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS DOUBTER OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS NOW UTTERS THE GREATEST CONFESSION OF THE LORD AND GOD WHO ROSE FROM THE DEAD! THOMAS’ FAITH COMES ALIVE. THOMAS’ FAITH BECOMES SINCERE AND IT IS REAL.

WHAT, THEN, ARE SOME LESSONS THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS EXPERIENCE THAT THOMAS HAD WITH JESUS? I WANT TO LOOK AT TWO: FIRST, DON’T EVER ABANDON FAITH OR GIVE ULTIMATUMS. TWO, TRUST, BY FAITH, THE WITNESS OF OTHERS AND GOD’S WORD.

FIRST, DON’T EVER ABANDON FAITH OR GIVE ULTIMATUMS. WHEN FACING DISBELIEF, CHALLENGES, AND DISAPPOINTMENTS, AS DID THOMAS, WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP OR DEMAND THAT GOD DO EXACTLY AS WE SAY, “OR ELSE!”

NO MATTER WHAT: NEVER STOP PRAYING, ATTENDING CHURCH, STUDYING SCRIPTURE, OR MOPE AROUND ANGRY AT GOD. THOMAS DIDN’T DOUBT; HE FLAT-OUT REFUSED TO BELIEVE. THOMAS SULKED AND REJECTED THE TESTIMONY OF MANY RELIABLE WITNESSES.

HE ALSO GAVE A SEVERE ULTIMATUM: HE WANTED TO SEE IT FOR HIMSELF. HE DEMANDED PROOF BEFORE HE WOULD BELIEVE! HE WAS BEING UNREASONABLE IN INSISTING HIS DEMANDS WERE MET FIRST. WE MUST NOT BE SELFISH AND UNREASONBLE AS WELL. WE MUST NOT MAKE DEMANDS OF GOD NOR PUT HIM TO THE TEST.

LUKE 4:12, IN RESPONSE TO SATAN, “JESUS ANSWERED HIM, “IT IS SAID, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.” TO TEST GOD IS TO INSIST THAT HE PROVE THAT HE IS GOOD AND TRUSTWORTHY.

DEUTERONOMY 31:8, “THE LORD HIMSELF GOES BEFORE YOU AND WILL BE WITH YOU; HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED.”

GOD IS FAITHFUL. GOD IS JUST. GOD IS HOLY. OUR FAITH TRUSTS HIS PLANS THAT, AS ROMANS 8:28, “…GOD MAKES ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO LOVE HIM….”

TWO, TRUST, BY FAITH, THE WITNESS OF OTHERS AND GOD’S WORD. THIS IS WHY JESUS ENCOURAGED THEM IN VERSE 29, “…BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED.”

THOMAS DEMANDED PROOF. JESUS WANTS THOMAS TO SEE THAT THE TESTIMONY OF RELIABLE WITNESSES WAS EVIDENCE ENOUGH. THROUGHOUT THE GOSPELS, JESUS TRIUMPHS OVER SICKNESS, SIN, EVIL MEN, DEATH AND SORROW. NOW WITH THOMAS, JESUS CONQUERES DOUBT AND UNBELIEF.

HEBREWS 11:1, “NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN. WE ARE CALLED TO CLING TO THE PROMISE THAT GOD IS GOOD AND GOD IS FAITHFUL.

THIS IS WHY, WHEN JESUS APPEARED TO THOMAS, HE SAID, “PEACE, BE WITH YOU.” THIS PEACE WASN’T JUST A “HUSH” IN THE MIDST OF NOISE, BUT A DEEP ASSURANCE THAT THERE WAS NO CAUSE TO FEAR, AND THAT ALL IS WELL. JOHN 14:27, “PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU; MY PEACE I GIVE YOU. I DO NOT GIVE TO YOU AS THE WORLD GIVES. DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED AND DO NOT BE AFRAID.”

THE SOLUTION IS GIVEN BY JESUS IN VERSE 27, “DO NOT BE UNBELIEVING, BUT BELIEVING.” REMEMBER, JESUS IS LITERALLY SAYING, “DO NOT BECOME FAITHLESS, BUT FULL OF FAITH!” GOD KNOWS, IS FULLY AWARE, AND HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL. IN OTHER WORDS, “GOD’S GOT THIS!”