Thomas, the Doubter

Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), 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.”

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!” 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.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:24-29

Poor Thomas. In 2,000 years his reputation for unbelief sure hasn't changed. And yet, all of the disciples doubted, for days . . . right? Peter wasn't sure he knew what had happened when he ran to the tomb. In fact, when the women who had seen the empty tomb ran to tell the disciples, only Peter and John had enough inkling of hope to even rush to the tomb to see what was going on!

Interestingly, Jesus does not condemn or even chastise Thomas for his fears. He simply appears to him and tells him to trust. "Stop doubting and believe." What words of hope for us today!

Even Jesus' final words are not a criticism to Thomas. They are simply a statement of fact that hold such promise for us today. We have not seen him. Billions of people have not seen him, and yet believe. Jesus has promised us a special blessing for that!

But what I think is most striking here about Thomas is that we are so quick to judge him, even though Jesus didn't, and despite his earlier reputation. That's right, he has another reputation that most people don't even know about.

Look at John 11. This is the time that Jesus was going to Bethany to see his friends Mary and Martha, who were grieving over the loss of their brother, and Jesus' friend, Lazarus.

The disciples try to talk Jesus out of going, because they know that the Jewish leaders are after him. The Jews had recently tried to stone him, and the disciples felt like it was too dangerous.

They told Jesus that. It's too dangerous. It's not worth it. Don't go.

All of them, that is, except Thomas. Look at verse 16: Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

I've heard people label Thomas as a coward for not believing in the resurrection at first. Does this sound like a coward? He was the only one of the disciples that was ready for war!

We can learn a lot from Thomas. That we must believe despite what we see. That we must be humble, and fall on our knees before him. But we can also learn this: that we must be prepared to do battle with our God.

And . . . that we should not judge someone by one action only, but by a close inspection of all their fruit.

Someday, when we get to heaven, Thomas will not be walking around the streets of that city with an albatross hanging around his neck. In other words, he will not be defined and characterized by his sin any more than any of us will be. His mistakes and issues will shine like those very streets of gold, because the blood of Christ has turned them from shame to glory!

Amen!