One Wednesday, more than two thousand years ago, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified. In His death, the work of our salvation was accomplish – completely finished. The blood of the Lamb had been shed for the redemption of many. There was nothing left for sinners to do except to repent and to trust the Saviour’s finished work. There are no religious ceremonies, or moral reforms, or rectified regrets necessary to finish the work which Christ has already finished. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
Shortly after His death, Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and prepared for burial. It was temporarily placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. As prophesied, Jesus’ body lay hidden away for 72 hours – from Wednesday evening until Saturday. That evening, God the Father declared Jesus to be His Son by His resurrection from the dead – Romans 1:4. “He was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.” He was made alive once again.
At that point there began a new ministry of Christ on earth, lasting just under five weeks. Between His resurrection and His ascension into Heaven, the Lord Jesus showed Himself alive before several hundred people. Mary and several other ladies saw Him. Peter and John met Him. He spoke with two other disciples who were on their way home to Emmaus. Over the next few days, He appeared before individuals, small groups and large crowds. For example, He met the disciples at the Sea of Galilee while they were attempting to fish. And He was with them again when “he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.” Among His many other appearances, I’d like you to consider the Lord Jesus’ meeting with Thomas.
Not knowing what to do, the disciples began meeting behind closed doors out of fear of the Jews. In the evening of the first Sunday after His resurrection, the Lord, out of nowhere, appeared in their midst. He immediately calmed their frayed nerves and then gave them some new instructions and encouragement. Apparently all of the remaining eleven disciples were present, except Thomas. When they later found him, they joyfully announced that Christ was alive. “We have seen the Lord !” “But he (replied), except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will NOT believe.”
Our scripture tells us that eight days later, which could have been on Sunday a week after the resurrection, depending on how you count the days, Thomas was with the others when Christ appeared once again. That second meeting was a necessary step in the growth of Thomas’ faith. It is upon that development of faith that I’d like to focus this morning. I think this scripture reveals that THIS is important. For what reason did the Lord make His appearance that second Sunday? For example, what instruction did He leave with the disciples? There was none as far as we know. What heavenly blessing did He bring from the Father on that visit? How had Christ changed, giving the disciples more to consider? Why is this scripture even shared with us? Judging from these four verses, this second appearance was entirely for Thomas’ benefit. And in the lessons given to him are lessons for us. Thomas famously declared, “My Lord and my God.”
Let’s start with Thomas himself. An article in my Bible encyclopedia declares that Thomas is the most fascinating of all the disciples. And thinking about him this week, I can see why the man wrote that. Thomas was a man with conflicting emotions, growing out of a somewhat pessimistic nature. In what little we are told about him, we see that he was always either hot or cold, never lukewarm. He possessed a really deep love for Christ, and yet he isn’t called “Doubting Thomas” for nothing. It is Thomas’ faith, or lack of faith, that I’d like you to consider during today’s resurrection celebrations.
When we first meet him, Thomas’ faith was that of a disciple. That is good.
The name “Thomas” originates in the Aramaic language and means “a twin.” Thomas is mentioned twelve times in the Bible, and three times John calls him “Thomas, Didymus.” “Didymus” also means “twin” but in the Greek language. So it is pretty clear that Thomas had either a fraternal or identical twin. But for some reason or other, it appears that was only one with the faith of a disciple. Was his sibling not a Christian, or was this second person simply not mentioned? Either way, we are reminded that human relationships do not guarantee spiritual relationships. Just because your parents are Christians, does not mean that you are a Christian.
Thomas is mentioned in each of the lists of Jesus’ twelve disciples. That means that very likely he had been with John the Baptist and followed his words toward the Lord Jesus. It also means that very likely he had been with Christ Jesus from early in His ministry. Thomas heard all the lessons, saw all the miracles, witnessed Jesus’ heavenly demeanor – everything. He was a true disciple of Christ as I wish that all of us were.
In Thomas’ case, he had heard the Lord Jesus talk about His upcoming death – His sacrifice at Jerusalem. He heard from Jesus’ lips, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and the priests and scribes, and be slain and be raised the third day” – Luke 9:22. He heard what Jesus said in Luke 18 – “Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he hall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on; And they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again.” Thomas heard the Lord say, “For as Jonas (Jonah) was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Thomas knew that Jesus was saying all this about Himself.
And as a disciple, Thomas grew to love the Lord Jesus. He truly loved Him with all his heart. And after a couple of years with Christ, there was nothing that he wouldn’t have done for Him. He risked his life to preach the message of Christ. He hiked hundreds of miles beside the Lord. He suffered hunger for the Lord, and he exposed himself to storms on the sea for Christ. He probably put himself between Jesus and the Pharisees when they meant to hurt Him. Thomas’ love led him even to a willingness to die for Jesus. When Peter, John and the others tried to dissuade Christ from risking His life in Judea, Thomas said, “Let us go that we may die with him” – John 11:16. Thomas proved his love for the Lord with all the characteristics we might use to describe any true love.
Why then, after all these things, didn’t Thomas believe that Jesus had arisen from the dead? I think there are two primary answers. First, there is a difference between serving Christ and trusting Christ. Thomas’ obedience to the Lord was not a suitable substitute for faith in the Lord. Judas served Christ. And it is just the same as those people who attend church, tithe and minister to the needs of others, thinking that such things create an eternal relationship with God. They don’t. Furthermore Thomas’ love for the Lord was not the same as faith in Him. In fact, in this case we see that his love actually interfered with his ability to believe all that Jesus had said. His love, somewhat blind love, felt betrayed when his Messiah forsook him, when he willingly died. Thomas, out of love, was angry with the Lord for deserting him. This is a common reaction to death even on a more earthly or family level. But when it comes to Christ Jesus, it is not enough to love His image, His memory, or His precepts. We must trust Him. Our faith must actually and explicitly reside upon the crucified, but resurrected Christ.
The second reason Thomas didn’t initially believe in Jesus’ resurrection was his absenteeism. For whatever reason, this disciple was not with other disciples on the Lord’s Day (verse 19). It doesn’t matter if his wife was sick, or there was a hole in his shoe, or if he was depressed or angry. He was a disciple of Christ, but he was an absentee disciple, and in missing that church service he missed seeing the risen Saviour. If he had been with the others that first Sunday, he never would have gone into history known inaccurately as “Doubting Thomas.” You may never know what you miss by missing the worship services of the Lord’s church.
Thomas’ faith was one of sight and touch.
“He said unto (the other disciples), Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Paul describes faith in Hebrews 11. In verse 6 he says, “Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.” Love for Christ is not enough. Religious obedience to the Lord is not enough. Thomas was not in a God-pleasing place at this point, despite being a Christian and a disciple. Yes, you can be a true child of God and still not be pleasing to your Saviour. That may be you this morning. This was not a case of lost salvation. There is no such thing. Thomas had not been a Christian earlier when he confessed his willingness to die with Christ, but then he lost his salvation and had yet to be restored. No, he was still a child of God, but he was out of fellowship with the Lord, because he was out of faith.
In Hebrews 11:1 Paul said, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Earlier Thomas may have had a faith based on love. But now he wanted a faith based on sight and touch. He was testing the things of God through his physical senses. He trusted his flesh and mind more than he did the words of Christ or the testimonies of his friends. Paraphrasing him, Thomas said, “I will NOT believe that Christ is alive, because I know that he died.” I will not believe him to be living again, UNLESS I see the nail wounds in his hands. NO, not even THAT – I will not believe until I actually push my finger into one of those wounds. I will not believe what you are saying until I violently throw my fist into the gaping hole in Jesus’ side.” If I might put it this way, this comes close to refusing to believe no matter what.
You’ve heard the old proverb, “Seeing is believing.” No my friend, that is an unbiblical thought. That is heretical. It is not one of Solomon’s proverbs. Faith is not in seeing, rather “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT seen.” It is impossible to please God, unless we can trust Him for things our eyes cannot see. Sometimes those things are not seen because they are unseeable, and sometimes we just need to be patient, waiting for the Lord to reveal them to us. Sadly, Thomas went beyond believing by sight. He declared a resolve not even to believe his eyes. “I must feel with my own hands before I believe.”
Does Thomas illustrate the sort of faith that you have? For a couple weeks now I have referred to the Trinity. Are you someone who refuses to believe in the triune God until you see all three of the divine Persons standing together? Do you deny the reality of Hell, because you haven’t seen it? Do you reject the reality of Heaven, because NASA hasn’t yet brought you pictures of that place. Are you one of those people who will be willing to cling to Christ only when you begin to smell brimstone? Will you refuse to consider repenting of your sin until you begin to hear the screams of souls in Hell? Do you say, “The stories of Jesus’ death on the cross are interesting, but I will not believe until I see the wounds in His hands?” If that is your attitude then you will awaken to eternal realities only after your judgment will have begun. You are going to see those scars with your physical eyes, but only as they emerge from under the sleeves of Christ’s judicial robe. “For by grace are sinners saved through FAITH.” Faith is the gift of God whereby we see Christ Jesus bleeding to death while hanging there on the cross.
The Lord Jesus uses Thomas to show us the shallow nature of many people’s faith.
But we also see Thomas’ faith grow into something with true substance.
He told his friends that he would not believe without seeing, and then touching, the wounds of the Saviour. When did Thomas say that? On what day was it, and where was he went he said it? It was not in a church service, when the disciples were locked away in their private meeting room. It must have been out there in Jerusalem somewhere; sometime during the middle of the week. It might have been at Thomas’ apartment after several of the brethren went looking for him. Or it might have been whispered to the others after they found him in the public market place. What he said was uttered in private conversation.
But notice what the Lord Jesus said to Thomas a few days later. Again, the doors were shut where they were gathered, and once again Jesus miraculously appeared. “Peace be unto you.” Then immediately after that benediction Christ went to Thomas and said, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”
Notice that Christ openly used the same words Thomas had privately used earlier. Look at the omniscience of the Son of God. He knew everything about Thomas, from first to last. And He knows everything about you. He knows every idle word you have ever spoken. He knows your evil thoughts, your hypocrisy, and the shallow nature of your faith, despite your boasting. Christ can quote back every word, and He can describe every deed you have ever committed.
But in the midst of what He could and should do with our unbelief, the Lord is unbelievably kind. Rather than raking Thomas over the coals for his ungodly unbelief, He quenched not the smoking flax. He simply said, Thomas, “be not faithless, but believing.” Those words were like a punch to the poor man’s gut, but it was with the fist of a feather. The Lord is so full of grace. Praise the Lord for His mercy towards us!
You may have denied him for years, or for decades. Don’t let what you have done in the past deter you from turning to Him now. “Be not faithless, but believing.”
And how did doubting Thomas reply? It was with one of the strongest statements of faith ever uttered. This is where I first intended to go, on this Resurrection morning. This is what it’s all about. Not in any of the other pages of the Bible can you find a greater declaration of profound faith. Thomas didn’t call Jesus “his friend,” or “rabbi,” and it wasn’t the very appropriate “my gracious Saviour.” He utterly bowed his heart to the ground in full and absolute surrender, saying, “My Lord and my GOD.” He didn’t refer to Christ as some sort of generic “Lord and God” over heaven and earth. No, Christ Jesus became to Thomas what He wants to be in all of us – the one true and living God and our personal Lord and Master.
In His resurrection, the Lord Jesus accomplished several things. Yes, He completed all that was necessary to save us from the penalty of our sins. But he also arose to become our Lord and our God – your Lord and God. As someone saved by His gracious sacrifice… as a disciple of Christ… your life is no longer yours. You don’t have the right to decide whether or not you to serve Him. You must. “My Lord and my God.” You have no authority to choose what sins you should omit from your life and what you might continue to commit. You do not have the privilege to pick and choose whether or not to attend the house of the Lord. Sunday is not your day, it’s the Lord’s day. He lets you freely use the other six, but this one is His. Your income is not yours to spend as you see fit. On and on we could go looking at every aspect of who you are. For example your mind is not your own. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Your throat should no longer be an open sepulchre or sewer, and your tongue must be rid of its poisons. Your feet are not yours to be swift to destruction and misery.
We see Thomas’ faith move from that of a shallow disciple to something of true substance.
And then the Lord Jesus took him back to a comment on the blessing of true faith.
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou has believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Should we make much of the verb tense Jesus used? “Blessed ARE they that have not seen, and yet HAVE believed.” Was the Lord referring to people in Jerusalem whom He had not personally visited in his resurrected body? Was He saying there were hundreds of people in the city who had put their faith in Christ simply because they heard of his death, burial and resurrection? Or was Jesus looking forward towards the people in this auditorium this morning? Was Christ speaking about you?
You are not ever going to see the wounds; you will never smell the blood or see the scars of Christ, while you are still in this life. Your only opportunity to trust Christ will come through messages and invitations like this one. And all that I can do is describe what the Bible tells us about the Servant of God, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Lamb of God. All that I can do is point you to what the Bible says about the sacrifice of the Saviour and tell you that He rose again from the grave. And from there I must confine myself to beseeching you to believe the testimony of the Bible. “Blessed are they that have NOT seen with their eyes, and their hands have NOT handled the resurrected body of Christ Jesus, but yet they have BELIEVED on Him.”
About sixty years ago, I looked by faith on Christ Jesus as He shed His blood for my redemption. Will you join me by looking at Him this morning? He lives, I know He lives, because what He promised about His abundant life, I have experienced by faith. I have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I have hope in His soon return, because He arose from the grave, and I trust His promises. I have eternal life, because my faith is in what the Son of God accomplished on the cross.
Will you join me and these others this morning? Will you repent, confessing your sin and unworthiness to the Lord. And then in faith, will you trust him to forgive you and to save your soul? Will you say with Thomas, while looking into the face of Christ Jesus, “My Lord and my God?”