Introduction:
When I watch movies, I find myself asking, "Is that a good guy or a bad guy?" You see, Hollywood generally portrays its characters as either good guys or bad guys, and you have to understand which character is which if you’re going to understand the story line. The good guys always wear white hats, shoot straight and always tell the truth. Bad guys always wear black, never shoot straight, lie through their teeth, and they never have a single redeeming feature. In Hollywood, most everyone is either a good guy or a bad guy.
But that’s not the way things are in real life. We still have the good and the bad, but most folks are a mixture of the two. Even the best of people have feet of clay; even the worst of people have an occasional good quality.
Even our Christian lives are lived in a struggle between these two sides of our nature. There is the one side that calls us to follow God, to have fellowship with Him, and to obey His commandments. The Bible calls this side of our nature "the spirit." But there is another side of us that seeks to rebel against God and his commands; the Bible calls this side of us "the flesh." We’re often a battlefield where the flesh and the spirit fight for supremacy.
And if you think that sounds like an overly dramatic statement, then listen to Paul in Romans 7. It’s a passage that can be a little bit confusing (especially in the King James Version), so I’ve decided to read from the New Century Version: "We know that the law is spiritual, but I am not spiritual since sin rules me as if I were its slave. I do not understand the things I do. I do not do what I want to do, and I do the things I hate....Yes, I know that nothing good lives in me -- I mean nothing good lives in the part of me that is earthly and sinful. I want to do the things that are good, but I do not do them. I do not do the good things I want to do, but I do the bad things I do not want to do....In my mind, I am happy with God’s law. But I see another law working in my body, which makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and it makes me its prisoner." (Romans 7:14-15,18-19,22-23).
Paul very eloquently captures the essence of the Christian struggle -- it’s a struggle between right and wrong, between strength and weakness, between the flesh and the spirit. And the good that our spiritual nature wants to do very often is counterbalanced by the evil that our flesh insists on doing. That struggle goes on constantly. Our spiritual growth and maturity as Christians doesn’t stop the struggle; it only increases the number of victories that we win.
One of the problems that we face in this struggle, though, is that we sometimes think that we’re the only ones who feel that way. We look around at other people, other Christians, and we may see no signs of such a battle going on in their lives. We feel so intensely that battle between flesh and spirit raging within us, but we don’t see that struggle in anyone else. Everyone else seems to have it all together spiritually.
I remember hearing the story of two Christian men walking down the street, one of them about 40 years old and the other about 80. As they walked together, there was a young, beautiful woman that passed by. As their conversation resumed, the 40-year-old said, "I’ll be glad when I’m old enough that I won’t have to struggle with thoughts of lust." And the 80-year-old responded, "So will I."
It’s true, isn’t it, that all Christians, no matter how mature, are pretty much like ducks swimming in the pond. On the surface we may appear to be calm and passive, but underneath we’re all paddling like mad, struggling with our faith and our feelings, torn between what we know is right and what we’re tempted to do.
I think it’s important for us to admit that. I think sometimes people who aren’t Christians get to know us and they say, "I don’t fit in with this group. They’ve got it all together and I’ve got so many struggles. They would never understand!" Or sometimes a new Christian has these feelings and feels guilty because nobody else seems to.
So I think it’s important for us to admit that, to one degree or another, we all walk a tight-rope of sorts between strength and weakness, between faith and doubt. Like ping-pong balls, we bounce back and forth between the two extremes, some days feeling very strong and adequate, other days wondering how God puts up with the many ways that we disappoint him.
And so we all struggle with the ups and downs that we experience in our spiritual lives. As we look to the scriptures, we find an apostle who experienced the same sort of struggle. I’m not talking about Peter, although he certainly was a man with his ups and downs. Rather, I’m referring to Thomas.
Somewhere, hundreds of years ago, somebody began referring to Thomas as "Doubting Thomas." That title owes its origin to a passage we’ll look at in a little bit -- the fact that Thomas refused to believe the resurrection without verifiable proof. But I don’t think that the picture the Bible paints of Thomas is one of a doubter at all. In fact, the greatest single statement of faith in Jesus as deity comes from the lips of this man.
I. The Faith of the Doubter: Thomas
As we look to the scriptures, we find that there’s not an awful lot that we know about Thomas. We do know that he was one of the twelve apostles, that he also went by the name of Didymus, which means "the Twin". Thomas didn’t belong to Jesus’ close circle of friends, and he doesn’t stand out as a leader of the apostles. But he does, however, stand out in three different episodes recorded by his fellow apostle John. I think these three incidents in Thomas’ life tell us something very interesting about this man -- and perhaps something about ourselves as well.
1. The first incident (John 11)
The context here involves the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus had just received word that his good friend Lazarus was very sick. When he heard that, Jesus was on the west side of the Jordan River and some distance from Bethany which was where Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. Then he told his apostles that Lazarus had died, and that they would now go to Bethany.
But Jesus had reached a point in his ministry where it had become dangerous for him to move from place to place. His enemies were out to kill him, and that was no secret. In John chapter 8 and then again in chapter 10, the Jews picked up stones and tried to kill Jesus. That opposition had centered around Jerusalem, and now Jesus was contemplating a trip that would take him within two miles of that city. It was a dangerous trip, and his apostles recognized that fact. But listen to the words of the man that we call the Doubter. In John 11:16, Thomas said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
The trait that we see in Thomas here is loyalty. Here was a man who had no doubt waited his whole life for the Messiah, and Thomas was convinced that he had found him in Jesus. He was determined to cling to the Christ with every fiber of his being even if that meant his own death. Because of a loyalty based on a strong faith, Thomas was able to say, "Come on guys, let’s go die with Him!" That’s loyalty.
2. The second incident (John 14)
The context here is shortly before the crucifixion of Jesus. After Jesus predicted the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter and his own death on the cross, Jesus soothed his friends with some of the most beautiful words of scripture: "Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know." (John 14:1-4).
Again and again, Jesus had told his apostles where he was going, but they still didn’t understand. They didn’t understand how he was going to the Father, and they certainly didn’t understand the way by which Jesus was going, because that way was the cross. At that moment the disciples were confused and bewildered.
And, again, it was Thomas who spoke up. Thomas was the kind of person who was far too honest and far too earnest to be concerned with any vague and pious expressions. So Thomas expressed his doubts and his failure to understand. He said, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?" (John 14:5).
I think to a large extent Thomas’ question was a sign of his loyalty. He didn’t want Jesus to leave; he was willing to follow Jesus anywhere. He says, in essence, "You tell me where you’re going and I’ll be right there with you." Thomas had a deep loyalty for Jesus, a loyalty based on faith. And that loyalty comes to the surface every time we meet Thomas.
But his statement of loyalty was also a statement of an imperfect faith. He was confused. He didn’t understand. He missed the spiritual beauty of Jesus’ statement and in effect asked the Lord for a Rand McNally road map with the route marked in red. We see "the faith of the doubter" -- faith mingled with doubt. And we see ourselves mirrored in Thomas.
3. The third incident (John 20)
We finally come now to our text this morning, the most familiar passage about Thomas -- "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ’Peace be with you.’ Now when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord....But Thomas, called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, ’We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ’Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.’" (John 20:19-20,24-25).
If we go back, this chapter begins with Mary Magdalene discovering the empty tomb of Jesus. Peter and John also witnessed that empty tomb. Then after the apostles left, Jesus appeared to Mary. She told the apostles about this appearance. Then, later that day, as ten of the remaining eleven apostles were together behind locked doors, suddenly Jesus appeared to them. He showed them his hands and his side, and the apostles were overjoyed to see that it was true -- Jesus was alive!
But there was one apostle missing. Thomas wasn’t present. We don’t know why. We can speculate all day as to why Thomas wasn’t with his friends. We can assume that he wasn’t there because he had no faith -- he had totally given up and deserted the apostles.
We could also suggest that he wasn’t there because his faith was greater than the rest. They were there in hiding because of fear. Maybe Thomas wasn’t afraid, and therefore he didn’t fit in with his former associates! All of these ideas are simply speculation. The point of the matter is that he wasn’t there.
Of course, the other apostles were very quick to tell Thomas about their experience with the risen Lord. I imagine that when Thomas joined his friends that the conversation didn’t go like this:
"Hey Thomas, did you happen to notice how much cantaloupes are going for at the market? And we’re all going fishing later, you want to come? And by the way, we saw Jesus a little while ago, and he looks pretty good for someone they crucified three days ago. How much did you say the cantaloupes were?..."
No, they fell all over one another telling Thomas about the greatest event in all human history, the event that turned the world upside-down. The Lord Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. He was alive, he was alive!
Now we come to the doubting part of doubting Thomas. Thomas wasn’t willing to accept their testimony about the resurrection. He told his friends that he wouldn’t believe until he could see for himself. Until he could see and touch the scars, he wouldn’t believe. So he remained in his disbelief for a solid week until Jesus appeared to him.
But why wouldn’t Thomas believe? Lest we be too hard on him, I think we need to realize that Thomas wasn’t asking for any further proof than had been already offered to the other ten apostles. In verse 20, when Jesus appeared to the ten apostles, he offered them his hands and side as proof. So when Thomas said, "I won’t believe until I see it," the proof he was looking for was no different from what the others apostles had already had.
But I think there’s another consideration to be made in defense of Thomas. In Matthew 24, Jesus warned His apostles to be very careful when people made claims about His appearance. "Then if anyone says to you, ’Look, here is the Christ!’ or ’There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect." (Matthew 24:23-24).
It’s entirely possible, maybe even likely, that when Thomas heard that Jesus had appeared, he thought about that warning. And his reluctance to believe the message of the resurrected Lord may have been tied to his insistence upon believing Jesus. Thomas could have been thinking, "Jesus warned me about such reports; I didn’t think, however, that my own buddies would be taken in so quickly." It is more than possible that Thomas’ statement of doubt is also a statement of great faith.
Whatever his motivation for disbelieving, it was his reaction when he confronted Jesus that is especially impressive. "And after eight days his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ’Peace to you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ’Reach your finger here, and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ And Thomas answered and said to him, ’My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ’Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:26-29).
Thomas was driven to his knees before Jesus when he realized that it really was Jesus. He fell down before Christ and exclaimed, "My Lord and my God!" Nowhere in all of scripture is there a greater statement of faith, and it comes from the lips of the man that we call "Doubting Thomas"!
I heard about a man who was driving his sport utility vehicle when he came to a detour sign that read, "ROAD UNDER REPAIR." Now this guy’s got an SUV. He’s not going to let a little construction stop him. So he throws it into 4-wheel drive, drives around the sign and gets through the construction site with no problem. His success continued for about 20 miles until he came to the absolute end of the road, beyond which there was a huge gorge with no bridge.
The guy had no choice but to turn around and retrace his route back to the detour sign. When he approached the back side of the same construction sign, he read what someone had written on the back of sign: "WELCOME BACK STUPID."
I’m sure glad that’s not the way Jesus welcomed back Thomas. Jesus meets Thomas and his doubt with openness and love. I can even picture Jesus smiling; smiling to the point of being near laughter because of the look of surprise and joy on Thomas’ face when he finally sees that Jesus is truly risen.
Once again, the loyalty of Thomas shines through. He’s now convinced that the good news of the gospel is true -- Christ is risen! Thomas is once again ready to follow Jesus anywhere and put his life on the line. Legend has it that Thomas traveled to India to spread the good news about Jesus. There they had to kill him to keep him from telling the story of his dead friend who had come back to life. Thomas had once offered to follow Jesus even though it would mean his death and, if we can believe the legend, that’s exactly what happened.
II. The Faith of the Doubter: Us
It’s not wrong to doubt. Doubt is a natural part of life. Frederick Buechner once wrote: "Were there no room for doubt, there would be no room for faith, either." Sometimes our doubt even leads to faith.
In every recorded episode of the life of the apostle Thomas, there is a mixture of loyalty and doubt. His faith was always present, and it was always directed at the right focus -- Jesus Christ. But, at the same time, that faith was always incomplete, always imperfect. Thomas had a unique way of expressing confidence and doubt at the same time. But even in his doubt, that underlying loyalty to Christ was still there. It was that loyalty that made him a great servant of God. It’s what makes him such a great example for us.
I don’t suppose that I need to document the assertion that each of us has an imperfect faith. There are too many examples that come readily to mind that demonstrate that fact to us:
-- The Lord says, "I’ll give you a way of escape," yet we still stumble and sin and then try to justify our weakness by saying, "I just can’t help it."
-- The Lord says, "Take no thought about tomorrow," and not only do we spend a great deal of time giving thought, but that thought drifts into worry and anxiety just as He knew it would.
-- The Lord says, "Nothing can separate us from the love of God...," and yet we spend so much time wondering how God could possibly love us.
-- The Lord says, "Lo, I am with you always...," and yet we fail to serve him and his church because we don’t feel that we really have anything to offer.
We betray all too often the imperfection of our faith, and we know it. We know that we disappoint our Lord because we disappoint ourselves. It’s so easy to look at the all too prevalent proofs of our weak faith and become hopelessly discouraged. We have failed the Lord so often, too often.
And here’s where the example of Thomas comes in. I think Thomas shows us the great difference between "imperfect faith" and "faithlessness". While his confidence in the Lord wavered from time to time, his loyalty never did. Now he didn’t always know how to translate that loyalty into ways of thinking and acting, but that loyalty and love were always there, even when he had his doubts, even when he didn’t fully understand.
You see, the obedient faith that saves is not a perfect faith. It’s not flawless faith without doubts and fears. It is rather a loyal faith. It is a faith that accepts Christ as its center. And while the expression of that faith may stumble and stagger a bit, it never loses sight of its center. That’s the "faith of the doubter". That’s the lesson of Thomas.
I mentioned earlier about those who are not Christians who are a bit intimidated by what they seem to see in the church. I’ve known a lot of people who said, "I’ll become a Christian as soon as I get my life straightened out." And I think what they mean by that is that they have struggles in their lives and Christians don’t seem to have them so they want to wait until the struggles disappear. And they never will.
And I think a lot of young Christians fall away discouraged because they thought that becoming a Christian would take away all the struggles, all the temptations, all the desires to do the things they wanted to do before they became Christians. And it doesn’t. As I said earlier, maturing as a Christian doesn’t take away the struggle; it merely means that we’ll win the victories more often.
I don’t know what the situation with your faith is this morning. It may be that you’re struggling with doubt, struggling with things you don’t understand. There’s nothing wrong with that, nothing to be ashamed of. Our faith needs to go through those sorts of struggles before it can grow. May we all pray with the father in Mark 9:24, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." That is the faith of one who struggles, but it’s the only kind of faith we’ll ever know.
