puricarexfiles: DOUBTING THOMAS - He sees Jesus, believes and cries out “My Lord and my God!” He was really no more of a doubter than any of the others. Jesus tells him to stop doubting and to believe .

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

DOUBTING THOMAS - He sees Jesus, believes and cries out “My Lord and my God!” He was really no more of a doubter than any of the others. Jesus tells him to stop doubting and to believe .

Doubting Thomas

Some people are doomed to be labelled for as long as they are remembered.

Ethelred will always be unready, and while Alexander will always be great, Vlad will always be an impaler.

And the disciple Thomas? Always going to be the doubter.

Which is not entirely fair.

Here’s the deal – on the evening of that first Easter Sunday, the resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples, who are obviously overjoyed.

Thing is, Thomas is not there – maybe he was gone to ground, maybe he was held up somewhere, but he was not there.

That is important, because no-one was expecting a resurrection.

John’s gospel tells us that Mary, Peter and John, when faced with the empty tomb, thought they had been victims of grave robbers.

It was only when they later meet Jesus that they truly believe.

So why was Thomas the one who was known as the doubter?

He was the victim of 2,000 years of belief in the resurrection. He was on the first wave of the clean up crew. I think we can forgive him a burst of initial skepticism.

Maybe it was the way he expresses himself. He comes across as a bit blunt, a bit dark.

A week after Easter and he was back with the disciples, although he was not that receptive to their good news: “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.”

He was probably not all that different from his friends in that regard, but he was doomed to be last, the eternal skeptic.

Or the eternal pessimist? He crops up earlier in John’s gospel – Jesus has been threatened with stoning and they were laying low.

However, they have heard that their friend Lazarus is dying.

Jesus wants to go to him; the disciples do not want to go back into the dragon’s maw. Which of the Twelve thinks they should take the risk and follow Jesus?

It was Thomas – “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

It was not the cheeriest expression of loyalty, but loyalty it is – he thinks he was going to die, but he was still willing to follow Jesus.

It was an act of downbeat bravery. And, given what happens with Lazarus, it was interesting that the guy noted for doubting the resurrection is the catalyst for the disciples going with Jesus and thus witnessing another resurrection.

It is also interesting to note how Thomas reacts to seeing the risen Jesus.

The offer is given for him to touch the scars in Jesus’ hands and feet, but here is the thing – there is no evidence that he actually did.

He sees Jesus, believes and cries out “My Lord and my God!”

He was really no more of a doubter than any of the others. He just was not in the right place at the right time.

Jesus tells him to stop doubting and to believe but I would not be surprised if he had already had ten similar conversations.

But then it was easy to label people. One act, one trait, one mistake can become your epithet forever, and your reputation can be boiled down to one word.

It was a terrible thing and I do not think Jesus wrote Thomas off as the eternal doubter after this.

I do not think God does that to us either.

Easter, after all, is a time for new starts – for Thomas and for us.

Are you struggling with a big decision or wondering how your eternal future will play out?

Why not talk to the God of the universe and let Him work in your behalf?

He says, “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" (Psalm 32:8).

Ask God to show you what to do. Pray the following prayer:

“Heavenly Father,

I admit that I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and begin a new life with You.

Please forgive me. I now receive your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior, my Master and my Lord. I believe and confess that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose from the dead.

I want to receive all that Jesus Christ has provided for me as my Savior. Your Word says, ‘Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Romans 10:13).

I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes unto the Father, but by Him.

Lord Jesus, I pray and ask You, to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. I thank You that you have given me eternal life, and according to Your Word, I am born again.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who is in me now. I surrender my life to You. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.

Use me for Your glory.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

RELATED POSTS: