I FIND IT INTERESTING THAT THOMAS MISSED THE FIRST EASTER APPEARANCE OF JESUS. WHAT I FIND TO BE EVEN MORE INTRIGUING IS THE FACT THAT THE DISCIPLES ARE STILL HIDING BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR ONE WEEK FOLLOWING THEIR ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISNEN CHRIST.
I THINK THOMAS GETS A BUM RAP AS THE “LONE” DISCIPLE OF DOUBT. WHEN WE SPEAK OF THOMAS, WE USUALLY EMPHASIZE THAT HE IS “DOUBTING THOMAS” WHICH REALLY ISN’T FAIR. ALL THE REMAINING DISCIPLES DOUBTED.
JESUS NOT ONLY PHYSICALLY APPEARED TO THE DISCIPLES, SHOWED THEM THE SCARS OF HIS HANDS AND SIDE, BUT LITERALLY “BREATHED ON THEM” TO GIVE THEM THE HOLY SPIRIT.
YET, DEPSITE THEIR JOY OF PROCLAIMING “WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD,” AND ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS, HERE THEY ARE ONE WEEK LATER RIGHT BACK WHERE THEY STARTED AS VERSE 26, SAYS, “A WEEK LATER THE DISCIPLES WERE IN THE HOUSE AGAIN…THE DOORS WERE LOCKED.” WE SHOULD NOT BE SO QUICK TO LABEL THOMAS AS THE “DOUBTER.”
I WONDER IF THOMAS HAD HEARD THE VARIOUS ACCOUNTS OF THE RESURRECTION THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE PREVIOUS WEEK AND BECAME CONFUSED, IF NOT TAKEN BACK, THAT HIS FELLOW BRETHEREN WERE STILL BEHIND LOCKED DOORS.
ALMOST AS IF THOMAS WOULD SAY, “I THOUGHT YOU GUYS SAID YOU’VE SEEN JESUS RISEN FROM THE DEAD? NOW YOUR BACK TO HIDING AGAIN? I DON’T GET IT? IS JESUS RISEN OR NOT? YOU GUYS SURE AREN’T ACTING LIKE HE’S ALIVE. I’M NOT SURE I BELIEVE YOU!”
I THINK I WOULD BE SKEPTICAL TOO IF MY COLLEAGUES PROCLAIMED A GREAT REVELATION AND THEN TRIED TO CONVINCE ME OF IT, BUT TURNED AROUND JUST ONE WEEK LATER AND LIVED AS IF THEY NEVER HAD THE EXPERIENCE.
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.” THE DISCIPLES WERE PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR THIS STATEMENT OF THOMAS.
THE GOOD NEWS FOR US IS THAT JESUS HEARD THOMAS’ CHALLENGE IN VERSE 25! THE EVIDENCE HE IS DEMANDING FROM CHRIST IS WHAT JESUS PROVIDES FOR THOMAS – TO SEE AND TO TOUCH HIS WOUNDS.
NOT ONLY CAN THOMAS SEE THAT JESUS IS ALIVE, BUT IN ADDITION HE CAN LITERALLY REACH OUT AND TOUCH THE MARK OF THE NAILS AND THE WOUND OF THE SPEAR.
JESUS SPEAKS TO THOMAS AND INVITES HIM TO DO JUST THAT…TOUCH. IN VERSE 27, “STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE.” IN THE LITERALL GREEK TEXT, JESUS IS LITERALLY SAYING, “DO NOT BECOME UNBELIEVING BUT BELIEVING!”
THOMAS IS BEING CHALLENGED TO CHANGE. THOMAS IS BEING PROMPTED BY JESUSTO 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!” THIS IS NOT A STUTTERING DISCIPLE CLAMMERING FOR WORDS AS IF TOTALLY ASTONISHED.
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 WHO ROSE FROM THE DEAD! THOMAS’ FAITH COMES ALIVE. THOMAS’ FAITH BECOMES SINCERE AND IS REAL.
THOMAS CONFIRMS HIS FAITH IN HIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISEN LORD JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD. IT WAS THE SAME JUST A WEEK EARLIER FOR THE REMAINING DISCIPLES. FAITH AND UNDERSTANDING BEGAN ONLY AFTER JESUS MADE HIMSELF KNOWN PERSONALLY TO EACH OF THEM.
FOR MOST WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE LIVING SAVIOR, ISN’T THIS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY FOR US? WE REMAINED SOLIDLY IN OUR OWN SKEPTICISM UNTIL THE LORD BROKE THROUGH THE LOCKED DOORS OF OUR HEARTS.
THE MIRACULOUS NEWS IN ALL OF THIS IS THAT GOD SEARCHES AND FINDS US EVEN WHEN WE DON’T HAVE ANY INTEREST IN BEING FOUND.
EVEN WHEN WE LOCK OURSELVES AWAY FROM THE WORLD AND THE CHURCH, JESUS BREAKS THROUGH THAT DOOR. EVEN WHEN WE TRY TO KEEP OUT THE GOOD NEWS, JESUS BREAKS THROUGH THAT DOOR.
THE IMMOVABLE STONE THAT BARRED THE TOMB COULDN’T RESTRAIN HIM. THE ARMED GUARDS FROM ROME HAD NO POWER TO KEEP HIM INSIDE THE GRAVE. HE HAD CONQUERED DEATH AND HE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT KNOWN TO HIS FRIENDS AND TO THE WORLD THAT HE WAS ALIVE FOR EVER MORE.
NO FLIMSY WOODEN DOOR COULD STOP HIM FROM COMING INTO THE DISCIPLES’ ROOM THAT DAY. WHEN THE DISCIPLES SAW HIM THEY REJOICED. THEY CRIED OUT IN FAITH.
THE SAME EXPERIENCE OF THE RISEN SAVIOR AND THE CAUSE FOR REJOICING CAN BE FOR THE US AS WELL. THE LORD APPEARS BREATHING HIS SPIRIT INTO OUR HEARTS LITERALLY BLOWING AWAY SEEDS OF DOUBT AND MOUNTAINS OF UNBELIEF.
WE ALL NEED TO HAVE A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE LORD BEFORE WE CAN TRULY DECLARE, “MY LORD AND MY GOD!” WE NEED GOD TO BREAK INTO OUR LOCKED HEARTS AND TO GIVE US THAT ENCOUNTER THAT ONLY HIS SON JESUS CAN GIVE US.
I AM SURE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES, EVEN IF IT WAS FOR THE BRIEFEST OF MOMENTS, WHERE WE HAVE DOUBTED LIKE THOMAS. BUT IT IS INTO THOSE TIMES OF OUR DOUBTING AND SEARCHING WHERE JESUS BREAKS IN AND REVEALS HIMSELF TO US.
GOD KNOWS OUR NEED FOR A FIRST-HAND ENCOUNTER THAT IS PERSONAL, INTIMATE AND LOVING. THAT IS WHY GOD CAME TO US IN THE PERSON OF JESUS.
GOD LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE WAS WILLING TO COME TO US “IN THE FLESH” SO THAT WE COULD SEE HIM, TOUCH HIM, HEAR HIM, AND BE TOUCHED BY HIM…SET FREE BY HIM.
THE AMAZING TRUTH IS THIS: HE DIED FOR ALL OF US – DIED ON A CROSS, RAISED UP FOR ALL TO SEE, RESURRECTED FOR ALL TO EXPERIENCE HIS LIFE AND TO HAVE OUR’S FOR ALL ETERNITY.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A VISION OF GOD’S SACRIFICIAL LOVE IN THE PERSON OF JESUS. WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE TOUCHED BY GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT, WHO BREAKS THROUGH AND BREATHES LIFE INTO OUR FAITHLESS AND DOUBTING HEARTS, SO THAT WE CAN CRY OUT LIKE THOMAS, “MY LORD AND MY GOD!”
THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE CONCLUDES BY SAYING, “THESE THINGS ARE WRITTEN SO THAT YOU MAY COME TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, AND THAT THROUGH BELIEVING YOU MAY HAVE LIFE IN HIS NAME.”
AFTER THE LORD BREAKS INTO OUR HEARTS AND WE HAVE DECLARED “MY LORD AND MY GOD,” THERE IS A LIFE THAT PROCEEDS FROM THAT POINT.
GOD CALLS US OUT OF OUR LOCKED ROOMS INTO THE WORLD. WHEN WE DECLARE OUR FAITH WE CAN NO LONGER SEQUESTER OURSELVES IN THE SAFETY OF SILENCE AND DETACHMENT. WE ARE CALLED TO SHOW OUR FAITH FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS.
SO, WHEN OTHERS HEAR OUR TESTIMONY, MAY THEY NOT SIMPLY HEAR WORDS, BUT MAY THEY SEE JESUS CHRIST ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS AND LIVES.
THE WAYS WE LOVE EACH OTHER; THE WAYS WE RESPOND TO THOSE IN NEED; THE WAYS WE ARE RESPONSIBLE WITH ALL GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO US WILL BE VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF JESUS’ PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.
OTHERS WILL COME TO FAITH, NOT BY WHAT WE SAY, BUT BY THE WAY WE LIVE GOD’S LOVE. BE A VISION AND A BREATH OF FRESH AIR, A CUP OF COLD WATER TO THE THIRSTY…ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT CAN CONVEY CHRIST TO SOMEONE TODAY.
LET’S HELP SOMEONE HAVE A FIRST-HAND ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIVING CHRIST BY THE WAY WE OPEN OUR HEARTS TO OTHERS. MAY WE NEVER DOUBT AGAIN. MAY OUR FAITH NOT ONLY BE ONE OF ACTIVE FAITH, BUT ONE THAT IS OF “DOUBTLESS BELIEF.”
