The other disciples told him [Thomas], “We have seen the Lord.” John 20:25
Thomas committed himself to Jesus, and now Jesus has been taken from him. He has just come through the most painful trauma of his life. He saw Jesus arrested, tortured, condemned, and then crucified.
Thomas was not with the group when Jesus appeared to them. “We’ve seen the Lord,” they say. Thomas finds that hard to take, and he says, “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” (20:25).
Thomas refused to believe just because somebody else said so. He loved and respected the other disciples, but he could not believe in a second-hand kind of a way. It was quite obvious that something had happened to them, but at this point, Thomas had no idea what it was. He felt that he needed some evidence.
One week later, the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared, and he spoke directly to Thomas: “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (20:27).
Jesus Christ is presenting the evidence to him directly. And as soon as he is confronted by the evidence, Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!” (20:28). He saw and he believed.
Thomas is only remembered for one thing, and that is his doubting of the resurrection of Jesus. He has been unfairly dubbed with the name “Doubting Thomas.” But far from being a weak disciple, Thomas is actually portrayed in the Bible as a model of Christian faith.
Have you ever had a “doubting Thomas” moment in your faith? What happened? Are you there right now?
