COME TO JESUS

Doubting Thomas

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By Laura Ackley

Verse of the Week: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)!
Extended Reading: John 20

The very evening of Resurrection Sunday, the disciples were hunkered down for “fear of the Jews” behind locked doors. At this point, Mary Magdalene had witnessed the risen Jesus, and she had announced
“I have seen the Lord” to the disciples (John 20:18).
Other women had been to the tomb and claimed to have seen angels that told them, “He is not here; He has risen” (Matt. 28:6). Even Peter and John ran to the tomb and found it empty except for Jesus’ burial clothes. Surely at this point the disciples could have connected the dots. Jesus had spoken plainly to them on multiple accounts regarding the plan of God that
“he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matt. 16:21).
And yet, that evening they were not rejoicing. Instead, they were confused, scared, and unbelieving. They knew Jesus had been crucified on the cross, and they considered themselves the next likely targets for such treatment as His closest followers. So, they hid in fear.

We’d expect Jesus to respond to their unbelieving hearts with a firm rebuke; instead, He drew near and met them where they were hiding.

It is written:

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (John 20:19-20).

Finally, the disciples believed that Jesus had indeed conquered the grave as they made their own confessions of faith,
“we have seen the Lord” (John 20:25).
It is hard to ignore that Jesus’ first words to them were a proclamation of peace since they were living in such distress and fear. All they needed was to see Jesus, and their fearfulness was turned into joy! But poor Thomas, he was not with the disciples whenever Jesus appeared to them. After hearing their report, He still couldn’t bear to believe that Jesus was truly alive again. Thomas argued,
“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” (John 20:25).
For Thomas, seeing was believing. He had heard roughly a dozen eyewitness accounts, but Thomas needed to see Jesus for Himself.

A week later, the disciples were still in the house behind locked doors. Just like last time, Jesus didn’t politely knock on the door. Instead, He made a grand entrance by remarkably appearing before them all. This time, Thomas was in attendance, and Jesus planned to address Thomas directly. For an entire week, Thomas had sat in his unbelief and hurt as questions swirled in his mind. Jesus knew everything going on within Thomas.
Again, Jesus does not meet unbelief with harsh rebukes, but with a powerful display that He was in fact, alive.

Jesus spoke directly to Thomas,
“put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27).
Jesus’ remarks proved that Jesus had heard the conversation between the disciples and Thomas that took place a week prior. Thomas had expressed what he needed in order to believe that Jesus was alive, and Jesus chose to respond accordingly. Thomas wanted to touch the wounds of Jesus, and the Lord offered Him the opportunity.

While Thomas gets a bad reputation as being a doubter, Thomas made one of the most profound statements of faith recorded in Scripture. He declared of Jesus in heartfelt, raw worship:
“My Lord and my God” (John 20:28)!
Thomas’ declaration is so important! First, Thomas declared that Jesus was more than a man, He was actually God in the flesh—fully Divine. Second, Thomas’ confession made it clear that Jesus was his personal Lord which indicated that all the control of Thomas’ life was placed at the feet of Jesus. As Thomas’ Lord and God, Jesus was supremely in charge of his life. This is the moment that everything changed for Thomas.
Thomas’ declaration of faith wasn’t the end of his story. Thomas was listed in John 21 as one of the disciples that shared breakfast with Jesus after His resurrection on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Thomas continued with the disciples as they awaited the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13), and he would have been among them when the Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
After that, all that we know of the Apostle Thomas we learn from church history. Thomas carried the message of Jesus to India, and it is largely agreed upon that Thomas was killed by spearing in India as a direct result of his mission work in the name of His Lord and God, Jesus Christ!
Truly, His faith was set upon the solid rock so that not even fear of death could stop him from proclaiming the truth—Jesus is God, and the grave couldn’t contain Him! Jesus is alive forevermore!
Thankfully, the Apostle John recorded Thomas’ struggle with doubt in his Gospel. As we behold Thomas’ faith journey, we remember that we are on our own faith journeys.
Just like Jesus met Thomas to strengthen his faith, Jesus will strengthen our faith as we fix our eyes on Him. John explicitly outlined his purpose in writing down all the accounts contained within his Gospel:
“that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 30:31).

John’s entire point in writing was to convince us that Jesus was God in the flesh. Once we arrive at Thomas’ statement of faith, it packs a punch of the entire point of John’s Gospel message—Jesus is identified as Lord and God. Thomas concluded that Jesus is God; therefore, deserving to be the Lord of his life. A conclusion in which we too must find landing.
If Jesus could address Thomas’ doubts and turn him into a bold apostle even unto death, what can He do with your faith? Jesus told Thomas,
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

Today, do you believe without seeing? Jesus calls you blessed. Do you find yourself like Thomas—having doubts?
Come to Jesus. He came and conquered death. Surely, if Jesus can make a believer and effective missionary out of “doubting Thomas,” He can strengthen your faith as you come to Him and pray,
“Lord, I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:25).

Jesus is truly alive. Come to Jesus.

Eusebius of Caesarea. Ecclesiastical History. Translated by Kirsopp Lake. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1926.
Acts of Thomas. In The Apocryphal New Testament, edited and translated by J. K. Elliott. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Parker, Grant. Saint Thomas, Missionary Apostle to India. Oakland: University of California Press, 2024.