A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:26-28 NIV
Disappointment and doubt are close companions. It’s not inevitable, but very often when you see one you see the other. Thomas’ story shows us that perfectly, and it may be your story too.
Thomas followed Jesus as one of the men He chose, from the many who followed Him, to be in the Twelve, the core of the group. Thomas was so close to Jesus that he was courageous enough to ask questions. When Jesus told them He was going to be leaving (John 14) but was preparing a place for them and they would be able to be with Him forever. Thomas was the only one bold enough to ask the question on everyone’s mind, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going? How can we know the way?” Jesus’ answer to Thomas that He Himself was the way has guided followers for centuries since then. Thomas believed Jesus could do anything. Well, almost anything.
It was beyond his imagination that the powerful Jesus he had seen do many miracles, including raising the dead, would willingly allow Himself to be led away by soldiers, be beaten, tried, and crucified. No one else believed it either. Jesus had told them, and had said He would return, but their disappointment was so deep that their doubts became huge, and they no longer believed. Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus showed up. He wasn’t with Mary Magdalene, either. When they told him with amazement that they had seen the living Jesus, his doubt was so overwhelming, he said with bitter honesty, “Unless I can put my finger in the nail wounds and my hand in the sword wound, I will never believe again” (John 20:25).
But Jesus believed in Thomas when Thomas didn’t believe in Him. When Thomas was with the disciples again, Jesus showed up and gave Thomas just the opportunity for which he had asked. He responded with wholehearted belief, “You are my Lord and my God!”
This encounter shaped the rest of his life. He traveled outside of the Roman Empire to share Jesus and establish the church in India. He gave his life in full faith to the One who always believed in him, no matter how much he doubted.
- My deep disappointment and even my doubt can lead me to see who Jesus is with clarity. He never stops believing in me even when I have doubts about Him.