The Day Death Died: A Holy Week Devotionalናሙና

The Doubting Disciple

READ

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although 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, 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!” John 20:24–28

Additional Reading: John 11:11–16

REFLECT

The account in John 20 gave Thomas the nickname “Doubting Thomas.” For generations to come, he would be considered an example of what not to be as a disciple.

But John 11 gives us a different Thomas. Jesus wanted to go to Judea to where Lazarus had died. Fearing for their lives and Jesus’ life, the disciples tried to talk Him out of it by saying, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” (John 11:8). Thomas—and only Thomas—said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him . . .” (John 11:16).

Before he became Doubting Thomas, many scholars affirm that he was first the “I-am-willing-to-die-with-Jesus" Thomas. The events that led to Jesus’ death left him broken, full of doubts and fear. He was distraught when he heard that Jesus was brutally disfigured. Jesus’ death was a blow to his faith. The wound it created in his heart made him declare that, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Just like Thomas, we experience things that cause us to lose faith. Instead of clinging to God and His words—claiming His promises against all odds, we become doubtful, fearful, and hopeless.

When Jesus met with the disciples, He specifically addressed Thomas’s doubts by showing him His pierced hands. Jesus did not condemn him for his doubts. In the same way, we have the assurance that Jesus will also reach out to us whenever we are facing our own seemingly dead ends. Despite our doubts and fears, God continues to reach out to us, and hopefully we will not push away from Him. Jesus knew how to reveal Himself to Thomas. In the end, Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” In fact, history affirms that Thomas was devoted to Christ and was stabbed by spears, giving his life for Christ.

Jesus revealed Himself not just to Thomas, but to all His disciples. They, too, had been filled with doubts and fear. When the women came and announced the astounding news that Jesus had risen from the dead, the disciples could not believe it. They locked themselves in a room, fearing for their lives (John 20:19). Then all of a sudden, Jesus miraculously came through the locked doors and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Sometimes we may feel that we are in a place beyond Jesus’ reach. But we are to fear not, for Jesus longs to bring hope and restore our courage. He can go through any wall we have built around ourselves. Just like what happened to His disciples, Jesus’ presence in our lives can turn our sadness to gladness, and replace our fear and doubts with peace and faith. He silences our greatest doubts and fears by letting us experience the marks of His victory, so that we too shall believe.

For every believer, the miracle of the resurrection of Christ is a breath of new life. In our own lives, things can shake our faith and fill us with doubt and fear. But just as Thomas and the other disciples experienced, we can believe that Jesus has the power to bring our wounded, broken faith back to life, and sustain us until the very end.

RESPOND

• How would you describe your faith? Has it been weakened or wounded by some circumstances in your life? Ask God to strengthen your faith and restore your hope in Christ Jesus.
• In what areas of your life do you need to experience God’s presence and power? Ask God to turn your situation around and use it to make Himself known to people around you.