Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28 NIV
Thomas shall forever be the disciple known as “Doubting Thomas.” But when I look at the other details we’re given about this follower of Jesus, I have to admit, I find him very easy to relate to and quite honestly, someone I aspire to be like.
Thomas demonstrated an amazing level of commitment to Jesus. Let’s consider the disciples reaction to Jesus when He determined to help Lazarus despite the danger of returning to Judea:
So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” John 11:6-8 NIV
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:16 NIV
Wow! Thomas was ready to die for Jesus and he was the one who encouraged the rest of the disciples to have the courage to do the same!
On another occasion, when Jesus was encouraging the disciples and preparing them for His death, He was sharing with them some difficult things to understand:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” John 14:1-5 NIV
I believe Thomas was the first to jump in and ask a question because he really wanted to understand. He was not afraid to admit that he was confused and he was not afraid to question Jesus. Have you ever felt like Thomas; like God expects you to know the way, to understand what you should do, but in reality you just feel confused? I know I have! Those are the times that God wants us, like Thomas, to ask Him for wisdom; to realize and admit that we don’t have all the answers, and to seek His guidance.
Now let’s take a closer look at the situation that earned him the name “Doubting Thomas.”
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20 NIV
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. John 20:24 NIV
Although we’re not told why Thomas wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came, we are told that they had the doors locked because they were frightened. Could it be that Thomas, the one who wasn’t afraid to die with Jesus earlier, was not with them simply because he was not afraid of the Jewish leaders? The Bible doesn’t tell us if that was the case, but I’d like to believe it is a strong possibility.
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 20:25-29 NIV
We will never know if any of the other disciples would have believed Jesus was alive had He not personally appeared to them. Thomas was the only one who was in that situation. I have to wonder if God’s plan for Thomas was going to include many times where he would need to trust the things Jesus had taught Him even when there was not physical evidence. Or maybe Thomas was to serve as an example for you and I. We do not have the advantage of seeing Jesus in human form, yet we are asked to believe by faith.
Let it be noted too, that Thomas did not have a crisis of faith, he just didn’t believe Jesus was alive. I don’t believe he understood that was part of the plan. He hadn’t abandoned his faith or he wouldn’t have been with the other disciples the second time Jesus appeared. Did Jesus rebuke Thomas for not believing? No! On the contrary, He offered Thomas the evidence he needed to move forward in his faith. I can’t count the number of times God has done that for me! He always knows when I am struggling and He always provides me the evidence I need to keep believing! Then He gently reminds me that I am blessed when I believe without seeing…a goal, that all of us can aspire to!