Seeing Is Believing, But Believing Without Seeing - Well That's Something Else

Sorry I have not posted in awhile. I went to a conference down state and then got the flu. I'm still not a 100%, but I did feel well enough to post. So here we are looking at John 20:24-31 in this post.

John 20:24-31
24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 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 it."

26 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!" 27 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."

28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Christ Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The Resurrection sometimes loses its powerful meaning with us. We forget that Christ Jesus rising from the dead was more than a mere miracle from God. His resurrection was the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promises to us:

Gen 3:15

15 And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise him on the heel."

The resurrection was not simply an event to change the minds of a few doubting men and women in that day. It was an event God used to change the hearts of men and women forever. Because of Christ Jesus’ resurrection, we realize that God’s promises are real, not manipulative double-talk to keep us hoping that one day our lives will change. God’s Word is true. Everything He has said about Himself is undeniably the truth.

Following Christ Jesus’ resurrection, the early church began to see how all of God’s promises had been—and still were being—fulfilled. They began to understand that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Saviour, regardless of what they expected the Messiah to be. They saw that a personal relationship with God the Father was possible. And they began a life empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Thomas, poor Thomas is often remembered as “Doubting Thomas” because he did not believe the other disciples’ report that Christ Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:24–29). He replied, “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” (John 20:25 ESV). Eight days later, Christ Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27 ESV). Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28 ESV).

This is the same Thomas who in John 11:16, showed devotion and courage. Do you remember when Christ Jesus wished to return to Bethany of Judea because his friend, Lazarus, had died (John 11:1–7). The disciples were concerned because Jews in Judea had recently tried to stone Christ Jesus (John 11:8). Seeing Christ Jesus was determined to go Thomas replied, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16 ESV). And yet it is his doubting that is best remembered, poor guy. Let's look at how Thomas got his famous nickname.

1. Thomas The Doubter (vs. 24-25)

Thomas, the original “show me” guy. He was not going to be called gullible, no sir-re. If Judas depicted betrayal and Peter denial, Thomas demonstrated skepticism. But is being skeptical a bad thing, really? Ever the practical realist, Thomas had been so certain they were coming to Judea to “die with Him” (11:16). 

Can you blame him for thinking the Crucifixion was the end for Jesus? I mean in all fairness no one had ever survived a crucifixion. Jesus was dead, which one of them would be next?

Perhaps Thomas had hidden in fear. Or maybe he had gone off to brood over the failure of Christ Jesus’ whole mission. Maybe he turned back to his old ways. Whatever it was that kept Thomas away from the other disciples gave him occasion to voice his deepest doubts. Mary had failed to recognize Christ Jesus because of her grief and Thomas had slipped away from the others because of doubt. Now be honest haven't you found yourself slipping away from Christ Jesus because of doubts?

 So when the “other disciples” declare, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas simply demands proof (v. 25). In the Greek language, tense is very important. The word translated told in verse 25 appears in the imperfect tense. The disciples kept on telling Thomas they had seen the risen Lord. Thomas fed up with this nonsense, grew weary of holding on to a faith that had seem to crumble with the death of Christ Jesus on the cross. 

He removed himself from the disciples so to speak, telling them he did not want to hear any more of this ridiculous notion of a resurrection. Unless Thomas could see and feel Christ Jesus’ scarred hands and wounded side, how could he be certain these others had seen anything more than a mystical apparition? 

Many have been down that same road and have found it to be a lie. During seminary days a student came to a point in his studies where he was desperately asking the questions of Thomas. If he could not have objective proof—seeing and handling—he would not believe. He felt, perhaps the resurrection was a subjective, existential, mystical experience rather than a historical, objective event which kindled faith. 

How could anyone be certain that a man of flesh who was actually dead had been raised again to life? It was a dark night. The student lived with his doubts until he began to become aware that he could not explain the power of a transformed, living community of believers without knowing that Someone—an actual, living Person—had been the Source of this life and power. 

This compelled him to read again the New Testament accounts of Christ Jesus’ Resurrection as a child would for the first time. He was also grasped by J. B. Phillips’s Ring of Truth and encountered the living, resurrected Lord. So he found himself profoundly grateful to Thomas, who saw his doubts through to the end. 

What about you today? Do you still find yourself doubting? Why not look at God's Word as a child. If you do you will see that Christ Jesus is who He says He is, the risen Saviour.

2. Christ Jesus Alive (vs. 26-27)

We can all thank God that the “others” somehow got Thomas to come to their next “meeting” eight days later. In every generation there are those who have patiently and lovingly built relationships of trust so that they have been able to bring some honest seeker to the “meeting.”  

Sunday evening a pastor was called by a new friend who excitedly reported this had been “one of the greatest days of my life.” All day long she had been guided and encouraged by people who reached out to her, first in attending a new Sunday school class, then in a glorious Palm Sunday worship service, and finally at the end of the day in one of the church's small neighborhood groups. Here she had dared to enter into the open sharing and prayer. Someone cared and invited her, and it had led to a new beginning.

Christ Jesus came to this meeting—through locked doors—and His greeting this time was, “Peace to you!” He once more offers comfort to them by His living presence. But there is something different about this meeting. 

It is as if Christ Jesus had come to meet personally with Thomas, to gently deal with His misgivings. Christ Jesus still does this for you today. He still gently deals with any misgivings you might have. 
Christ Jesus came to Thomas, not with words of persuasion or arguments, but just offering Himself. “Look and touch, Thomas.” “Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (v. 27). The message of Christ Jesus has always been a simple, straight forward one: And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 

Will you take Christ Jesus up on His offer today? Will you invite Him into your heart now? "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Rev 3:20-21

3. Thomas Believed (vs. 28-29)

This story that started in doubt now take a turn for the better. John shows us doubt abandoned in vs. 28, how wonderful. Thomas that old rough-talking doubter moves through his doubt and into the willing worship of our Lord, Christ Jesus. Believing is seeing. Thomas saw Christ Jesus’ wounds and knew he was in His presence. This was not an illusion or a vision, but a real Person! Thomas did not need to touch. He had moved beyond sight to faith. All he could do was fall down before Christ Jesus and cry out in adoration, “My Lord and my God!” 

Twice he used the personal “my,” showing that he spoke from a spirited and earnest feeling of faith. He spontaneously gave Christ Jesus the loftiest title that can come from human lips, “My Lord and my God!”. This is the central Christological affirmation of the living church. The resurrected Christ Jesus is God! The Son is honored just as the Father! (John 5:23).

To Mary and Thomas and the over 500 who saw the resurrected Christ Jesus, sight had been granted. But for you and the millions of believers since then, faith does not finally rest on sight or smell or touch, but on the word and call of the risen Lord, Christ Jesus! As John believed before he saw the risen Christ Jesus, so we believe and trust the witness of those who have seen and believed. We have seen Christ Jesus' life revealed in the community of those on whom He has breathed. We have heard Him speak our name's and responded in trusting faith, we have been born into His family. The Spirit then confirms that we are the children of God, as blessed as those who have seen and believed. 

Over 375 times in the Old Testament and 100 times in the New Testament, the Bible speaks of blessings. The blessing here in vs. 29 refers to faith, especially faith in the resurrection. Are you willing to step out in faith today and invite the resurrected Saviour, Christ Jesus into your life?

4. There's More (vs. 30-31)

There were other signs and proofs of Christ Jesus' resurrection, but these were committed to writing, so that all might believe that Christ Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Saviour of sinners, and the Son of God. 

There was no way John could put in words all the works of Christ Jesus, those signs by which the glory and character of God has been revealed, particularly in His Resurrection appearances. But John has given his readers sufficient evidence to believe that Jesus is the “Chosen One,” the very Son of God. And in believing that, by faith, they might obtain eternal life, by His mercy, truth, and power. they receive life in His name. 

CONCLUSION: Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. May you believe that Jesus is the Christ, and in believing that you would have life by His name. Faith in Christ Jesus' promises, guarantees you a changed life forever.
 

Christ Jesus, with Your resurrection, we caught our first glimpse of what Messiah means. Thank You that You are still showing us. Please help our hearts to understand and believe.