Thomas - Moment Of Doubt Life Of Faith

Put your hand up if you have ever been through a hard time!!!

Most of us have been through some trials and difficulties.

Even when we were born it wasn’t easy.

let’s focus for a moment on the reading for today.

Thomas had been through a hard time.

He had just a few days earlier to this reading seen his leader – the one he had risked his life for – arrested – face a false trial and judgement and then he had had to undergo the guilt that comes with abandoning your closest friends during a time of trial – add to this the Crucifiction of Jesus – Jesus’ impeccable responses right through the process right up to his death – add in the powerful visual aids of the three hours of darkness – the earth shaking earthquake – the final moments of Jesus’ life his at last merciful death and dignified burial and you have Thomas a man whose life has gone through a massive downturn.

Then just as he begins to pick his emotions his feelings and indeed his life up off the floor – a group of the disciples come to him and tell him that Jesus is alive he has been seen and has been talking with the disciples.

Little wonder that Thomas in the midst of his depressing circumstances utters to his friends.

25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "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."

Unless I see.

I don’t know the full mind set of Thomas at this time but Can’t we understand his emotions.

Sometimes when someone brings me some good news I say I don’t believe it.

Thomas is just like all of us.

Then of course he does see.

That which was hidden from him is now before him in undeniable reality.

This is no ghost no digitally enhanced image or whatever this si the risen Christ and there is no denying that immovable fact.

What happens next?

JN 20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"

But he said to them, "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."

JN 20:26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

JN 20:28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

JN 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Thomas sees and believes and Jesus tells Thomas:-

JN 20:29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Well that sounds great it means that we who are Christians in the 21st century can claim that we are blessed by God and that blessing is great because we have not seen and have believed.

This morning I want us to consider the life of the early disci;les inclucding Thomas and to ask the question.

What does it mean to believe?

As one writer said:-

When we think of the Lord’s disciples. We have certain words that almost always go with them. We think of Judas Iscariot or Judas the Betrayer, we think of Peter denying Christ three times but also Peter the Rock that the church was build on, we think of the John, the one Jesus loves, and we also think of Thomas or as he is better known as Doubting Thomas.

But I want to suggest to you that Thomas is not really doubting thomas he is Believing Thomas.

Peter had his bad moment out in the courtyard where the rooster crowed three times thus signalling his prophesied betrayal. Thomas’ bad moment was in doubting the resurrection of Jesus at a low moment in his life.

But I think he should be called believing thomas and I believe that there are some key areas to believing that god is wanting us to culture in our own lives.

The first thing you learn about belief from thomas is that he was a worshipper of god and of Jesus –

11:16 Thomas . . . Didymus. The Hebrew word from which we get "Thomas" and the Greek word Didymus both mean "twin." We usually remember Thomas for his doubting, but he was also capable of devotion and courage.