Exeter Temple Message notes: 3rd April 2016
Bible Reading: John 20:24-31
The women in
the Easter story were afraid, the soldiers were terrified, the centurion was
amazed, the Jewish leaders were angry, Peter full of regret and Judas in
despair.
Thomas was
doubtful. Maybe this was because of his deep disappointment and he was not
ready to hope again. Or perhaps he was concerned that his friends were facing a
reality that Jesus’ mission was over.
It is rather
unfair to link only Thomas with doubt as none of the other followers of Jesus
believed Jesus had risen from the dead at first either. Mary saw the risen Lord but did not believe
until she heard His voice. The two friends on the Emmaus road heard Jesus but
did not recognise Him until they saw Him break bread. None of the disciples
believed the women.
Yet although
he was the last disciple to see the risen Christ, Thomas was the first one to
voice the truth that Jesus is God.
Thomas doubted
at first but progressed to great faith.
1.
Thomas was candid.
Thomas would
not believe in the resurrection on the say so of his friends. He was clear
about that.
“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finder
where the nails were and put my hand in his side I will not believe it.”
(John 20:25)
“Doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong, it may be a
sign that he is thinking.” Oswald Chambers
Not all doubt
comes from the same source. There is a kind of doubt that is utterly condemned
in the Bible. It is a deliberate denial and resistance to God. There
are those who approach the Bible with scorn and blanket assertions that
something is impossible. Their minds are closed.
“Doubt
is the sincere question - but unbelief is the unwillingness to hear the
answer.” (Anon)
The Bible
calls people who show that unwillingness, “Fools!”
“The fool has said in his heart, there is not God.” (Psalm 14:1)
Thomas’ doubt
came from a reverence of the truth. Thomas absolutely refused to say that he
understood what he did not understand or that he believed what he did not
believe. He knew he would never still his doubts by pretending they did not
exist.
How much
better to be honest than to profess and insincere faith! Yet Thomas was open
and ready to accept the evidence when he could see for himself. Then he was
humble enough to bow the knee in worship.
2.
Thomas is convinced
The story of
Thomas bears witness to the fact that honest doubt can grow into full
faith.
Suddenly
without warning Jesus appeared in the room where the disciples had gathered and
He greets them with; “Peace be with
you.” (John 20:26)
There is no
rebuke for Thomas. In fact, Jesus was very gentle with him and showed Thomas
the evidence he had asked for.
Thomas’ story
is important because he took a leap of faith and worshipped. Thomas gave up his
own conditions and his own demands and had his eyes opened to the truth that he
was seeing God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Thomas then made
the most amazing declaration for a Jewish man to make. “My Lord and my God.” (John
20:28)
The Greek Old
Testament translated Yahweh as Lord and Elohim as God and were used together to
address the Almighty as Lord God. Thomas was using the same language to address
Jesus as he would have used to address Yahweh!
Thomas had set
the conditions for faith based on miracles - yet he learns that sense and sight
are not the sufficient proofs he thought. His declaration of Jesus as Lord God
was not the result of physical sight but when he believed what he saw he was
given a holy understanding of the significance of what was happening.
“Belief in the resurrected Lord does not
require physical sight or touch of him. It requires spiritual insight into him
and allowing oneself to be touched by him.” (Anon)
Jesus
confirmed this by saying, “Blessed are
those who have not seen and have believed.” (John
20:29b)
3.
Thomas was challenged
Thomas was a
latecomer in believing in the resurrection and had earlier missed out because
he was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them.
We are not
told why that was but maybe Thomas did not want to go back to the upper room
with the other disciples to be reminded of their failure and be together with
them without Jesus. What changed his mind and caused him to join in with the
others we don’t know - but Thomas the latecomer did not get left out after all.
This gives such hope to all those who
are slow on the uptake.
At the earlier
appearance of Jesus, Jesus had given the disciples a challenge, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21)
Thomas wasn’t
there for that but I have no doubt that it was a commission for him too. Thomas
believed on and submitted to Jesus as Lord and God. His testimony would be
invaluable in spreading the news that Jesus was alive.
Even his
doubts could be used to help others. The fact that he and the others doubted
shows that they only started spreading the good news of the resurrection when
they were sure the evidence was reliable.
This is reassuring
for us. We who believe, but who do not see in the same way as those first
disciples can know that the accounts of the resurrection were not made by the
gullible but by people who made sure of the facts.
We don’t hear
much more of Thomas, except that the other disciples did not treat him with
disrespect because of his early doubts. He became one of the leaders of the
early church, some believe that he was the first missionary to take the gospel
to India.
He obeyed the
commission of Christ and was a true witness. He did not miss out and we don’t
have to either.
God bless
Alan