Seeing And Believing

Verse 25 says: “So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’” In the Greek, this statement is in a grammatical emphasis that means, “They kept telling him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’” They repeatedly and emphatically reported that they had seen the risen Savior. The disciples should be commended for this. They did not hold Thomas’s absence against him and made it their business to share the good news with him that Jesus was alive. We who are believers ought to follow their example and share the good news with every unbelieving man, woman, boy, and girl that Jesus lives today! But note that even though they passionately shared the good news, they could not make Thomas believe. Verse 25 says: “But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the marks of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’” Thomas’ response to the disciples report teaches us that faith in the risen Savior is a choice.

FAITH IS A PERSONAL DECISION. There is no record that Thomas witnessed the crucifixion or that he saw the dead body of Jesus. But he was aware of the fact and nature of the tortuous execution Jesus suffered. Consequently, he refused to rest his faith on the experience of others, even it if was the credible witness of his close friends. I believe this is commendable. He knew that faith in the risen Savior is a personal decision. There is no such thing as a “faith transplant” in which another believer’s faith can be transferred to you. You family and friends’ faith can’t save you. You must trust the risen Savior for yourself. In John 3:7, Jesus told Nicodemus, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” This is the word of the Lord to you today: You must be born again!

FAITH IS A DIFFICULT DECISION. We call Thomas a doubter. But the composite picture of Thomas we get from John’s Gospel is of one who truly believed in Jesus. Yet this believer doubted the resurrection. That does not make him unique. All the disciples initially doubted the news of the resurrection. Luke 24:11 says that when the women told the disciples that Jesus had risen from the dead, it “seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” All the disciples initially doubted Jesus was alive. It was just too good to be true, until Jesus appeared to them. Thomas was not present, which is why he doubted. More than doubting, Thomas was disappointed. He had left everything to follow Jesus. But the crucifixion had dashed his hopes and shattered his dreams. He was so crushed by disappointment that he could get his hopes up just be hurt again. In this sense Thomas’ story may be a word of encouragement for you today. You may find it hard to believe because you have been disappointment by life. Maybe your parents let you down or your family forsook you or your friends betrayed you. Maybe the church has hurt you. Or maybe you feel that God himself has let you down. Thomas told me to tell you, “I know how you feel. But as hard as it may be, trust Jesus with your doubts. Matthew 12:20 says, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench.” Jesus is a friend to the disappointed.