City Life Starter

The Word

24 Now Thomas (also known as 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.”

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.”

Exegesis

I want to take this time to focus on verse 29. The disciple Thomas was gone when Jesus first appeared and didn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. Of course he would doubt, why should he trust the rest of the disciples who experienced something that seemed so insane to him? Jesus rose from the grave? It didn’t make any sense to him. We often forget that we have the privilege to know the conclusion of the story, but Thomas didn’t. He doubted because any sane person would doubt.

Then Jesus came to Thomas in his doubt. Jesus stood next to him, lifted him up, and gave him the ability to truly understand the power of God and the Truth that was in Him. Thomas was blessed by God and when we see the historical significance of what Thomas did, which was to travel all the way to India to preach about Jesus, we have no doubt about his faith. This guy truly went as far East any anyone before Him.

Then Jesus says in verse 29 something extraordinary. He doesn’t bless Thomas, He blesses those who did not see, but has believed. Jesus blesses us! Jesus, in the midst of showing Himself to Thomas, speaks to us. He speaks to the believers who never saw Him, but follow Him with all of their hearts. That is us. That is each and every one of us who has taken the step of faith to believe in who Jesus is and what He did on the Cross for our sins. That He rose from the dead and we will do the same. This message was to exhort us, to remember that God sees our belief and truly blesses us for believing without truly being there as Thomas was.

Application

Where is your faith right now? Are you in a place of doubt? In a place where your faith is shaken? Do you want to know for sure that Jesus died on the Cross, that He rose from the dead, and that He truly is God incarnate?

Well, I would say that doubting is perfectly okay. God will be there and re-affirm Himself in your life. That you are blessed for believing without seeing. It takes more faith to believe without seeing, than seeing and believing. God knows this, and that’s why Jesus said what He said in verse 29 to Thomas. He was speaking to us.

The question is, will you do what Thomas did in the end? Bow and down and worship Jesus? Will you say to Him, in the end, “My Lord and my God!”?

Prayer

Thank you Father for revealing your Son to this world. That He would die on the cross for our sins and rise on the third day. That you have blessed us through Him because of our belief. That you will affirm our faith in you and also raise us from the grave in the last days. Thank you for being the perfect Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.