Are you one of those people who proclaim; “I have to see it to believe it?” You are not alone. I think most of the world is like that. Thomas was one of the disciples who did not believe Jesus was alive after the resurrection. He had a lack of faith when his friends recounted their encounter with Jesus. This one instance of disbelief gave him a name that is still used in reference to him today, doubting Thomas. The Bible speaks much about faith or the lack of faith. Anytime we are doubting something, it results from a lack of faith. Doubt and faith are two sides of the same coin. We all have both faith and doubt; the one that determines our belief is the one we choose. We mentally decide what we will believe.
Thomas was not in the upper room when Jesus had appeared to the other disciples. He would not believe their account of Jesus being with them when he joined them later. Why he would not believe the disciples, I do not know. These were men he had served with, men with whom he was meeting in secret, away from the danger of persecution from the Jews. These were men who had given him no reason to doubt their words. Yet, Thomas would not believe them until he put his hands in the scars from Jesus’ crucifixion.
John 20:24-25 “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples, therefore, said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Jesus appears to them again eight days later. This time, Thomas is with them. Thomas must have been miserable during these eight days. He was still spending time with those who had seen Jesus. They must have been talking about Jesus constantly. They must have mulled over in their minds the conversation and events of that day when Jesus had appeared to them. There must have been an anticipation of what would come next. Would Jesus appear again? Where was He during this time? Were they searching for Him? Thomas had chosen, against the testimony of his friends, and determined, by his will, that he did not believe Jesus was alive.
The other disciples were surely dissecting all that Jesus had said to them that day. He had declared peace to them. He had given them a commission, “so send I you.” He had breathed on them and given them the Holy Spirit, and He had also shown them His scars. They had experienced, what Thomas had requested.
John 20:19-23 “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, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose so ever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose so ever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
We don’t know why Thomas did not believe. Maybe he was stubborn and prideful like a lot of people I know. Many will not believe because if they did, they would have to admit they were wrong. Many are so self-centered that they want to be their own god. We now have more proof of the risen Savior than the early Christians. We have history, as our proof. We have the written word that is God-breathed. We have the eyewitness accounts of Jesus, where over 500 people saw Him before He went back to Heaven. Most of all, we have the change He has made in our lives as evidence. We have the confidence that the Holy Spirit produces in us. We have a relationship with Him that cannot be explained with words, but we know, that we know.
When Jesus appears to them eight days later, Thomas is with them, and he does believe. Jesus is all-knowing and is fully aware of Thomas’s words before, where he declared he would not believe until he had placed his hands in the scars of Jesus. When Jesus appears, He tells Thomas to come and touch His scars.
John 20:26-28 “And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.”
Where do you stand today? Are you like Thomas, do you doubt what you cannot see? If your answer is yes, then you are a liar. We all believe that George Washington existed, and was the first president of the United States, but none of us were there to see him. We believe the history books from ancient periods of time, a time when Jesus lived on this earth, yet, many chose to discount those accounts of history. Your belief or disbelief is a matter of your will. If you want to believe in Jesus the Messiah, God in the flesh, the creator of everything, it is your choice. God will not force you to believe in him or love him, but He has supplied all the evidence needed if you will get yourself off the throne of your life.
Jesus speaks to Thomas after Thomas touches his scars and tells him that he believed because he saw, but blessed are those who have not seen but believed. Those who believe without seeing will have greater faith than Thomas. For us, on this side of the cross, it is a matter of the will to believe, but oh, when you do it is then a matter of the heart. When the Holy Spirit comes in to dwell within you, there is no doubt that He is alive. If you feel you have little faith, study to know Him, pray to talk to Him, and live to please Him. I cannot explain the depth of the joy that you will feel as grow in your faith in Him.
John 20:29 “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
