“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:27-31)
In the midst of the chaos, violence and uncertainty of the 21st Century, it is normal for us to have questions and doubts about our faith. Such things arise when we go through severe trials and illness. But if worry about all the bad things that are happening or might happen, we may fail to recognize or accept God’s blessings and miracles when they occur. Maybe we think it would be so much easier to cope, to have faith, if we could see Jesus with our eyes, touch Him with our hands, or hear His voice speaking to us.
But we do not need these things. We have the testimony of trustworthy men and women, the testimony of eyewitnesses, revealed to us in the Word of God. We have the testimony of men like the Apostle Thomas.
Now Thomas was not present the evening of the first Easter when the risen Lord Jesus first appeared to His disciples. Maybe he was too scared and stayed home in bed, hiding under the blankets. We may laugh at such a thought but, tragically, people who get severely depressed or suffer the loss of a loved one through sudden violence tend to do exactly that. They want to stay home and lie in bed, too afraid, too apathetic to do anything.
And yet, as we see here with Thomas and Jesus as told by the Apostle John, great revelations can and do arise from doubts. As we wrestle to understand God, as we complain to Him and call on Him for help, we often receive enlightenment and blessings. Certainly we are all enriched by these words of Jesus in response to Thomas’ skepticism. “My Lord and My God!” These words tell us the great truth of the uniqueness of Jesus, of His oneness with the Father, of His deity. Were it not for Thomas’ doubts, we would not have this great affirmation of Christ’s deity.
Their testimony of Thomas reveals the great truth that has been handed down by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and through the church to us. This message is one we need to proclaim to people in our world who need truth, hope, and purpose. Our God is real; He is alive; He is in control. No other religion has this truth. No other religion worships a God like ours, who, out of His great love for His enemies, we sinners, sacrificed His life to save them from pain and death. You will find no love at all in the gods of any of the world’s religions or cults. You will find a living and loving God only in the Christian Faith. Only we serve a Risen and Living Savior!