Jn. 20:24-31 - Thomas Struggles with Doubt, Believes

    

     Do you ever struggle with doubt or disappointment with God? Thomas, Jesus' doubting disciple did, for several reasons which I'll explore in this blog. But Jesus also gave Thomas a solution.

     When Jesus appeared to His disciples on Resurrection Day evening, Thomas was not with them. Later, when they saw him, they excitedly told him, "We have seen the Lord!" (v. 24, 25). Rather than believing his friends, Thomas stubbornly said, "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 it."

     Why this demand for empirical evidence? Why not believe his fellow disciples? Why this stubborn "I will not believe, unless?"

     A week after Jesus' first appearance to His disciples, He came again, but this time Thomas is with the rest. What will Jesus say to him?

     Well, let's pause a moment. What was Jesus doing for the intervening week? What were the disciples doing? Why wouldn't they spend every day together after the joyful reunion on Resurrection evening?

     Jesus always had a reason for His actions; this time is is not explained. Was He letting the reality of everything sink in? Did the disciples need time to reflect on what had happened for their own spiritual growth? Maybe repentance for their failures needed to deepen. Possibly Jesus wanted them to just think about the meaning of His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Perhaps He wanted to let questions form in their minds so He could instruct them further in the days ahead. Quiet time is not wasted time. God's silence is sometimes for a good purpose in our growth--even in a "Thomas's" case.

     Luke tells us that Jesus "appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3). This does not mean He was with them constantly, but purposefully. He was growing their repentance, faith, and resolve.

     John tells us that when Jesus appeared that day, "the doors were locked" but "Jesus came and stood among them" (v. 26). This was a miraculous appearing and substantiated again the supernatural character of the risen Christ.

     As He appeared to them, His greeting, as always, was "Peace be with you." That is Jesus' greeting to us too. He wants us to have His peace in our hearts and lives. He wants us to live in peace because He is for us. As we saw earlier, this salutation of Jesus was about much more than merely calming the disciples' fears. He is teaching them how to live in peace by trusting the Prince of Peace.

     Jesus' next words are to Thomas, and they show that He knows everything about us. He knows our thoughts, our struggles, our failures. He knows our whispered doubts and our disappointments with God. And He loves even us in spite of these. He tries to help our weak faith. Amazing grace!

     "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'" (v. 27).

     Jesus gave Thomas the evidence he had required. He accommodates our weak faith sometimes, but our trust must learn to rest on deeper things than miracles and empirical proof. Jesus' faithfulness to His word contained in the Scriptures, the self-authenticating nature of truth, the witness of His Spirit to our hearts--all these things are deeper bedrock for faith, though apologetics, evidence, and miracles have their place.

     Then Jesus had a word of loving correction for Thomas: "Stop doubting and believe" (v. 27). Whatever motivated Thomas' demand--disappointment with God because Jesus hadn't fulfilled Thomas's messianic hopes, jealousy at having been left out of Jesus' first appearance, or just plain doubt, Jesus now gives Thomas a solution: "Stop doubting and believe."

     There comes a time after enough evidence has been given, when faith becomes a choice. In fact choice is always the key element in believing. God never removes all doubt, but He gives enough evidence for us to choose to trust Him, and to trust His word.

     "Stop doubting and believe." It is not healthy to remain in the land of doubt. It is an unstable, discouraging place. We may still have questions, but God invites us to trust the big things about Him, to trust Him. With trust comes peace, relief, joy.

     "My Lord and my God!" This is enough for Thomas. In a moment, he makes his choice and leaps from dejected doubt to worship. Whatever was holding him back, He gives up and surrenders to faith.

     Jesus' response was not congratulatory, but instructive. Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (v. 29).

     Is it possible to believe only on the testimony of others? If it is not, then Christian witness is useless, and its mission is doomed. But Jesus is about to send His disciples out to witness to thousands who have never seen Him. The disciples must learn that a simple witness given in the power of the Holy Spirit--and backed up by the predictions/fulfillments of God's word, is enough for saving faith.

     Jesus was making the success of His Church's mission dependent on the testimony of transformed witnesses, not scientific fact or personal observation, per se. Truth appeals to the mind and heart, and that is enough to make a saving relationship with God. People can believe without seeing. They can sense the Holy Spirit stirring their hearts through a believer's testimony.

     Peter describes some of these believers: "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him: and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Pet. 1:8-9).

     The Christians of India and Syria tell us, backed by ancient history and tradition, that Thomas came to them in 52 A.D. to share the Gospel. Thomas, then, travelled further outside the bounds of Palestine than the other eleven disciples. He preached to people groups who not only had never seen Jesus, but didn't know anyone who had. He share Christ with those who found it most difficult to believe and had great success even with the leading, high class Brahmin families of India, before he was martyred there.

     To me it is so wonderful that Jesus takes us where we are, with all our weaknesses and foibles, and helps us. Then He sends as encouragers and witnesses to people who struggle with the same things we have.

    

Pastor Michael Brownfield