Introduction

Good morning, beloved family of God. It's a joy to be with you today, to gather once again in the warmth of fellowship, under the banner of our shared faith, united in our love for the Lord. Today, we find ourselves in the company of a familiar figure, a man who walked closely with Jesus, who shared meals with Him, heard His teachings firsthand, and yet, found himself wrestling with doubt. Yes, dear friends, we're speaking of none other than Thomas, often referred to as 'Doubting Thomas'.

Before we delve into the heart of the matter, let's take a moment to consider a thought from one of the great Christian minds, John Stott. He once said, "Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God." Isn't that profound? Even in our doubts, we are called to reason, to trust, and to find confidence in the trustworthiness of God.

Tackling Thomas' Doubt

When we look at Thomas, we often see a mirror of our own doubts. Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. He heard the news from his fellow disciples, but he couldn't bring himself to believe without seeing Jesus with his own eyes, without touching His wounds. This is a doubt that many of us can relate to. We live in a world that values empirical evidence, that tells us to trust only what we can see and touch. But faith calls us to believe in what we cannot see, to trust in the promises of God even when they seem impossible.

The first thing we need to understand is that doubt is not the opposite of faith. Doubt is a part of the human experience. We all have moments of uncertainty, moments when we question what we believe. Thomas was not unique in his doubt. Even the other disciples struggled to believe when they first heard that Jesus had risen from the dead. They too needed to see Him, to touch Him, before they could believe.

Thomas' doubt was not a sign of weak faith, but of a desire for certainty. He wanted to know for sure that Jesus had risen, that the hope they had all placed in Him was not in vain. This is a desire that many of us can relate to. We want to know that our faith is not misplaced, that the promises of God are true.

But here's the thing: faith is about trust. It's about believing in the promises of God even when we can't see the fulfillment of those promises. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, He didn't rebuke him for his doubt. Instead, He invited Thomas to touch His wounds, to see for himself that He had indeed risen from the dead. Jesus met Thomas in his doubt, just as He meets us in ours. He doesn't turn away from us when we question, when we struggle to believe. He invites us to seek Him, to know Him, to trust Him.

We also need to consider the response of Jesus to Thomas' doubt. Jesus didn't condemn Thomas for his doubt. He didn't tell him to just believe without questioning. Instead, He offered Thomas the evidence he needed. He showed him His hands and His side, the marks of the crucifixion. He gave Thomas the proof he needed to believe.

This shows us that Jesus understands our need for evidence, and our need for something tangible to hold onto. He knows that we are human, that we struggle with doubt. And He is patient with us. He doesn't expect us to have perfect faith. He knows that our faith will be tested, that we will have moments of doubt. And He is there to meet us in those moments, to offer us the evidence we need to believe.

Transparency in Faith Journey

As we continue our reflection on the story of Thomas, we find ourselves drawn to the transparency of his faith experience ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO