Doubting Thomas

Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples[a] were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.[b] The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 [c][Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 [d]And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. 23 [e]Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”24 Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” 28 [f]Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 [g]Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written that you may [come to] believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.-John20:19-35

Thomas' reaction is possibly normal. Though personally, if I am Thomas, I would have believed since some women and other disciples apart from the 12 have already testified to this truth. Yet, despite so many witnesses, Thomas refused to believe possibly because he is the type who will only believe in something he has seen, heard, tasted, smelled and touched.

Today, we cannot see Jesus physically albeit indirectly and in spirit only. But His invitation to Thomas is extended to us - Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed. We belong to the post-glorification disciples, meaning, we believe in Jesus though we have not experienced Him in history and for real. However, because of the testimonies from one generation to the next, we have come to believe. Jesus is empowering us to proclaim the Good News through many means - witnessing, proclaiming, evangelizing, teaching, etc.

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Witnesses

Peace be with you.

35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.36 [a]While they were still speaking about this, he stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? 39 [b]Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” 40 And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed, he asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of baked fish; 43 he took it and ate it in front of them.44 He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. 46 [c]And he said to them, “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.-Luke24:35-48

Jesus truly showed that He resurrected from the dead by showing Himself to Mary Magdalene, the other women, the two disciples who went to Emmaus, Peter and the other disciples. From one generation to the next, each disciple and follower bore witness to this truth. Today, as we spread Jesus' triumph over death and sin, and His fulfillment of the Law and what the prophets and psalms say, we are witnesses of His in our time.

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Everything is Grace

Stay with us.

13 Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles[a] from Jerusalem called Emmaus, 14 and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. 15 And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, 16 [b]but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?”
... They said to him, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. 22 Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning 23 and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. 24 Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer[c] these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. 29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. 31 With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. 32 Then they said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” 33 So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them 34 who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.-Luke24:13-35

Everything is grace. It begins with grace. It ends with grace. Seemingly, it is the disciples who invited Jesus to stay with them. But the truth, Jesus is the one who invited them to Him. Without the disciples knowledge, Jesus secretly knocks in their hearts as He interpreted the Scriptures to them. Surely, something is stirred within them as they listened. And they responded to this 'hidden grace' by inviting Jesus - a stranger in their eyes at the moment - to stay with them. With the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened making them witnesses too.

It is true that Jesus knocks in our hearts always. How then should we respond? Are we going to open? Or, are we going to ignore. Remember, the disciples who went to Emmaus seemingly struck gold when they asked Jesus to stay with them. What could Jesus be bringing along as He knocks in our hearts?

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Witnesses

The Witness has spoken clearly.

7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with[a] water, but he will baptize you with[b] the Holy Spirit.”

9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”-Mark1:7-11

Not only did John bore witness to Jesus, but the Father in Heaven also gave witness to Jesus. Why is it so difficult to accept that Jesus is the Messiah? Why is it that some find it difficult to accept that God loves us so much that He gave His only Son for us?

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