Seeking His Heart
I know, I know, we often say “doubting Thomas” because Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared to the disciples just after Jesus was resurrected. Though the eleven witnesses reported all that they experienced, Thomas would not believe.
“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my fingers into his side, I will not believe it.” John 20:25
A week later, Jesus appeared again. This time, Thomas was with them. They all needed God’s peace, but especially Thomas. Through locked doors, Jesus came among them a second time.
“Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” John 20:26-27
Seeing Jesus’ face and hearing Jesus’ voice was all Thomas needed. Scripture doesn’t say, but I believe Thomas fell to his knees before his master when he said,
“My Lord and my God!” John 20:28
Jesus has a word for us in 2020.
“[Thomas,]Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
Whether we have personal struggles or joint struggles like this coronavirus, Jesus says, “Peace be with you” and “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We can find a previous time when Thomas questioned. Jesus drew the disciples together for a few final precious hours of last teaching—things like humility as he washed their feet and the challenge to love one another, a prime way to show that they were his disciples. He let them know one would betray him and specifically tells Peter that he will deny him.
Then we hear those encouraging words from Jesus that we can once again apply to our day.
“Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” John 14:1
The antidote for a troubled heart? Trust.
Jesus tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them (heaven) and that they know the way (belief). It is here that Thomas has another recorded question.
“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:5-6
Without Thomas’ question, we may have never had that powerful verse in Scripture. Questions can show doubt, but they can also bring understanding. Thank you for asking, Thomas. This answer has been quoted many times through out the centuries.
Stepping back a bit further, we find Jesus heading toward Bethany for what will be the raising of Lazarus. It will mean going closer to Jerusalem, dangerous territory for Jesus with the hostile Temple leaders only a breath away. Although Thomas may be somewhat pessimistic, he makes the very bold statement,
“Let us also go that we may die with him.” John 11:16
It is believed that Thomas was eventually martyred with a spear in India.
~ Joyce ~
I have struggled with the verse where Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” We have had the benefit of growing up in a Christian nation and many of us in a Christian family. How should I think about the Muslim or the Buddist, or the African who did not have that benefit. He/she is reaching out to God in the only way he/she knows or has been taught. Do I really believe that those people will be subject to eternal punishment because they did not approach God through Jesus? That is hard to accept. I have to feel that we do not understand everything, and we don’t know the answer, but we do know that God is just and fair and leave it at that.
Ernie, this is a hard one, but your concern is exactly why Jesus commanded the disciples, including us, to go into all the world teaching, baptizing, and making disciples. It is why we send and support missionaries. It is why he said, “No one comes to the Father except…” There are ones in our country who have not been raised in Christian homes either. They, too, need to hear the Good News. If we believe in Him, we must believe what he said and taught. We often read of Muslims to whom God has given dreams and then provides a believer to minister and teach them. In our country, it may be people that have endured hardships or drugs, etc. who need to hear a believing friend share the Good News. Therefore, Jesus words or as much to the believer as they are to an unbeliever. We will kind of be dealing with that in this week’s blog. Stay tuned. And thank you for thinking and questioning and writing. We all have much to learn. Asking the hard questions forces us to dig deeper.
Thanks. I will continue to read the next blog.