I think that Thomas gets a bad rap. Imagine being forever identified as “doubting Thomas” because of one incident. John writes:
“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”” (John 20:24–29, NASB95)
When Jesus first appeared to the disciples in the upper room, Thomas was absent for some reason. Neither would Thomas just buy the other disciple’s testimony about seeing the resurrected Christ. Was it doubt or something else?
John’s Gospel quotes Thomas two other times. The first is when Jesus decided to return to Bethany to raise Lazarus even though it was not safe for him. “Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” (John 11:16, NASB95) While it may sound a bit fatalistic, his statement is loaded with faith. Perhaps that is why he wasn’t in the room when Jesus first appeared; maybe his courage overcame the fear of what may happen.
In John 14, Jesus told His disciples that He would soon leave them to prepare a place for them. “Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” (John 14:5, NASB95) To which Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6, NASB95) This gives us insight into Thomas’s thinking. He had a practical edge that needed to be satisfied. While Jesus was speaking in spiritual terms, Thomas was only seeing the physical reality.
Does Thomas warrant the doubter nickname? I don’t think so. He’s willing to believe and follow through, but he is also cautious. We are probably more like Thomas than we dare admit. And in a way, that is an admirable and desired quality. On the one hand, the gospel of Jesus must be accepted by faith; on the other hand, it is reasonable. We are not expected to believe only in someone’s word. We have many witnesses that testify to the truthfulness of the gospel.
The Bible is supported by ancient manuscripts more than any other book or writing from that era. The Bible is also a “warts and all” account; it doesn’t sugarcoat people. We see their failings and their successes. We also have the testimony of others and how their belief has affected their lives. If we have eyes to see and ears to hear, the hand of God is visible in the world around us in millions of small ways. Lastly, we have the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our own hearts. “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Romans 8:16, NASB95)
Jesus didn’t rebuff Thomas’s doubts. He instead held out His scared hands, saying, “do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas instantly responded with faith. Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
That movement from unbelief to belief is John’s primary motivation for writing his gospel accounts of Jesus. “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30–31, NASB95)
How does any one person go from unbelief to belief? There isn’t a special formula. Sure, hearing or intersecting with God’s good news of Jesus is a necessary step. But hearing doesn’t always lead directly to faith; often, there are other required steps. Everyone is a bit different. Some dive into belief on a wave of emotions. Others, like me, need to process the words. Some need to see some tangible evidence of change. That evidence could range from seeing the giving of refreshing water to an unexplainable miracle. Everyone’s journey towards faith in Christ is a bit different and also much the same. Because of this, I encourage an attitude of accepting people where they are at and root for them to take the next small step of belief in front of them.
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