Readings
Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 118:14-29
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31
We often judge people by one mistake, and we never let them forget it. We never let the world forget it either. Sometimes people are stuck with a nickname for the rest of their lives. So it is with Thomas the disciple.
When we think of David, we think of his sins of stealing another man’s wife, and then has her husband murdered as part of the cover-up. When we think of Jacob, we think of how he stole his brother’s birthright. When we think of Peter, we remember his denial. We forget what great men they were in spite of their failures. This is what happened to Thomas. Thomas showed great faith many times, but we remember him because of his doubt. Somehow I think that Thomas has taken a bum rap all these years, for we often call him “Doubting Thomas”. In reality, Thomas was one of the most steadfast and loyal disciples among the Twelve. He was brave, and true, and faithful.
Thomas was skeptical by nature. He believed with much more difficulty. One day as Jesus was preaching far from Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River, his friend Lazarus became seriously ill. In great haste Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha, sent for Jesus to come and heal him. When word of Lazarus’s sickness reached Jesus, he deliberately lingered for two more days. The disciples, remembering the threat of mob action on their last trip to Jerusalem, presumed that was the reason. However, at the end of two days, Jesus surprised them by announcing that he was departing for Bethany. “The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas is the one who speaks up and offers support to Jesus. Thomas said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now that is loyalty!
When Jesus wanted to assure the disciples of eternal life he says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” But Thomas, true to himself, says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus replies to Thomas, ” I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Thomas could not accept things without questioning them. He was a realist who just wanted to be sure.
Thomas utterly refused to believe the resurrection. Even after the other disciples told him they had seen the Lord, Thomas said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails, and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Thomas had to see for himself. He wanted to believe. Thomas was the last of the original disciples to accept the resurrection of Christ from the dead.
Thomas found sympathy from Jesus. Jesus did not condemn Thomas for his doubts. Jesus knew that once Thomas fought his way through the wilderness of his doubts, he would be the most faithful man in Christendom. Jesus never says, “You must have no doubts,” but Jesus does say, “You must struggle with your doubts until you reach certainty.”
Jesus appeared again and said to Thomas, “Reach out your finger, and behold my hands”. Jesus spoke to him as a sincere disciple whose faith was weak, not as one with an evil heart of unbelief. Thomas’s answer was immediate. “Doubting Thomas” uttered the greatest confession of faith recorded anywhere in the Bible. He fell down prostrate at Jesus’ feet and exclaimed with a passionate cry of joy, “My Lord and my God!” His doubts vanished in the presence of the Living Christ. Thomas acknowledged Jesus as the Christ.
Thomas emerged stronger because he doubted. Thomas’s faith became strong and vibrant. He does not stay a doubter. Thomas goes on to become a great disciple. When he sees the risen Jesus, all that Jesus has taught over the years now clicks in, and to his death, Thomas is an outspoken advocate for his Lord.
What happens to Thomas? Church history tells us that Thomas preached in ancient Babylon, near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where Iraq is today. Thomas traveled to Persia, which is now Iran, and continued to win disciples to the Christian faith.
Then he sailed south to Malabar on the west coast of India. Thomas preached, established churches, and won to Christ high caste Brahmins, as well as others. When the Portugese landed in India in the early 1600’s they found a group of Christians there – the Mar Thoma Church established through Thomas’ preaching a millennium and a half before. That church still exists today. Thomas took the gospel out to the world.
Thomas emerged victorious and became faithful, just like the other disciples, right up to their deaths in witness for God. We emerge victorious as we wait on God to reveal God’s self to us.
We can know that we are still loved and not condemned when we have doubts. Jesus understood this was a natural human condition. He did not condemn Thomas, but he pointed Thomas to the truth. Just like Thomas, we are led to the truth by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ last words to Thomas are, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
Those words of Jesus are surely an encouragement to all of us and to those who came after the 11 disciples, and those who came to faith, based on the testimony of others who shared the Gospel. These words are meant for all other believers who came after the disciples, like you and me. Believers who have transformed the church from a handful to approximately 2.38 billion Christians across the world today.
Thomas can teach us a lot about the importance of faith and the gracious and compassionate love Jesus has for all of us. We can always go to God with our doubts, our anger, and our worries. And we can rest assured that God will handle it all and love us.
Do you still have doubts? Keep doing the best you know how right where you are, right where you live and right where you work. Stay faithful. Keep trusting, learning, serving, and praying. We can help you and teach you right here at Christ Church. We can help your faith as Thomas went on to help others with their faith.
The very essence of our faith is to believe in that which we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1). Today, we believe because we have faith, and because we allow the Holy Spirit to enter us, and show us the truth. That is why all of you are here today. You choose to believe.
Let me tell you the story of others who chose to believe.
About 1930, the Communist leader Nikolai Bukharin traveled from Moscow to Kiev. His mission was to address a huge assembly and his subject was atheism. How can you believe something you haven’t seen? That is what he said to the people. For a solid hour he aimed his hard words at Christianity, tearing it apart, and hurling argument and ridicule at the audience. They were believing in someone they had not even seen and this communist leader was tearing down their faith.
At last he was finished, and he looked out at the audience and viewed what seemed to be the smoldering ashes of people’s faith. There was complete silence in the room. Many people sat with their heads down. Many were stoic not saying anything. “Are there any questions?” Bukharin demanded. A solitary man stood up and politely asked permission to speak. He climbed the steps to the platform and moved close to the Communist leader and bowed to him, and then looked at the audience. The audience was completely silent.
At last the man took a breath and shouted, “CHRIST IS RISEN!” The response came crashing like the sound of an avalanche and the entire audience responded, “THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED!” ALLELUIA!
Those people chose to believe. Your faith has brought you here today. You chose to believe! Thanks be to God! AMEN.