No More Doubt!

One of the most famous idioms in the English language revolves around an event that occurred only eight days after Easter. We use this idiom to express doubt or skepticism in a person, by calling them a "Doubting Thomas." In fact, Wikepedia defines this idiom in the following way, "Doubting Thomas is a term that is used to describe someone who will refuse to believe something without direct, physical, personal evidence; a skeptic." We seem to relegate Thomas to the position of second-class apostle because he had doubts about the resurrection. I am fascinated by the story of Thomas. It is told in the Gospel of John, in the 20th chapter. The story is a familiar one. On the day that Jesus was resurrected, it seems that Thomas was not with any of the disciples when Jesus made His appearances to them. Later, as they explain to Thomas that Jesus is alive, just as He said He would be, Thomas makes perhaps the most famous skeptical statement of all time, "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 in His side, I will never believe." A pretty strong statement, but I can't say I blame Thomas. Think about it, Thomas saw with his own eyes the death of his Lord, on a Roman cross. We don't know for sure, but Thomas was probably huddled in desperate sorrow with the rest of the disciples, as they watched what they believed to be the end of the story. He had no reason to believe that things could be different than what his eyes told him was true. Most days, I am very much like Thomas! However, the story of Thomas is one of love and grace, not sorrow, doubt and defeat! Verse 26 tells us the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say. It goes like this, "Eight days later, the disciples were again inside 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.' " Can't you see the love that Jesus had for Thomas? He knew that Thomas doubted His resurrection and He could have done what we do...write off Thomas and his doubts. After all, He had a room full of disciples that had seen Him and believed that He was alive. He didn't need Thomas to believe, but Thomas needed Him! And that's where grace and love overtook doubt and disbelief! Jesus made a special point of coming to the disciples specifically to meet with Thomas. And what was the result of that meeting? The same result that has happened countless times with other doubters! Thomas looks at the Lord and verse 28 says, "Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!' " In reality, when you meet the risen Saviour, there is only one true response and that is the same one Thomas had. So what happened to Thomas, after he saw the Lord? Tradition has it that he travelled to India and spread the Gospel there, ultimately giving his life as a martyr. Not too shabby for a doubter!

The story of Thomas always reminds me of one of my favorite Scriptures, found in Isaiah 49:14 -16. This is a word from God through the prophet Isaiah about the nation of Israel after they have been sent into captivity. The people cry out and ask God if He has forgotten them. It goes like this, "But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;" This passage also foretells the type of death that Jesus would die and the fact that He would bear those nail marks for all eternity, not only for Israel, but for you and me. I have a lot of things that I want to see and do when I reach heaven, but there is one thing that I will do first. I will find my Lord and Saviour and I want to take His hands and feel those nail scars and I am sure that I will respond as Thomas, "My Lord and my God!" I hope you are there too!