Evidence and Faith: What Thomas Discovered about Miracles & Belief (pt. 3)

This is the third post in a 4 part series entitled Evidence and Faith: What Thomas Discovered About Miracles & Belief. The whole series is available here:

Second: God Provides Evidence for Faith - John 20:26-28

“After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ 27 Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ 28 Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God’”

The setting is after eight days. This actually means 7 days the way we count. The Jews started counting with the very day they were on. So this means the next Sunday. This time the disciples were assembled with Thomas. Thomas had been drawn back to the group. Again the doors were shut as before.

Just as the previous Sunday, Jesus appeared. He came in their midst, moving effortlessly in His transformed resurrection body, through closed doors. Jesus gave the same greeting as before, “Peace” Shalom — the typical Jewish greeting. Then immediately Jesus turned toward Thomas. Jesus had heard all the objections Thomas had voiced. His Words indicated He knew Thomas’ exact words. For every demand Thomas made to the disciples previously, there was an invitation from Christ now. “Bring your finger here. See my hands. And bring your hand and put it into my side.” Why did Jesus provide that evidence for Thomas? Jesus makes it clear with His next words, “No longer be unbelieving but believing.“ Jesus provided the evidence so Thomas would believe.

We know our Lord does not respond to hypocrites with evidence. Yet here he responds to Thomas. Jesus must have known that Thomas’ heart wanted to believe, but that he was weak. Thomas responded immediately and enthusiastically to the evidence. The evidence helped Thomas. Miraculous signs in themselves will not make people believe. John 12:37 points this out, “Though (Jesus) had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him.” But if someone is truly seeking God, the evidence helps.

Thomas responds next in faith. There is a disagreement about whether Thomas actually touched the Lord or not. Those who say “No,” point out that it does not say he touched the Lord. They think Thomas was so ashamed of his unbelief, that just the sight of Jesus alive along with His quoting Thomas’ exact demands, convinced Thomas he had been desperately wrong not to believe.

However, those who say, “Yes,” point out that the Lord did not ask Thomas to touch Him, but commanded him. They believe that it was important for Thomas to touch Jesus because touching Him helped to confirm, not just his faith, but the faith of others to whom Thomas would one day have to give his testimony about the bodily resurrection of Jesus. I think that makes more sense. Just like the other disciples who were given the opportunity to touch and see, so Thomas must have done the same as the others. (See 1 John 1:1.)

Upon touching and doing what the Lord told him to do, Thomas made a great confession. He called Jesus, “My Lord and My God.” This is a confession of his faith. As a confession it is a complete renunciation of his skepticism. Indeed, it is positioned here as the climax of this entire gospel presentation of the deity of Jesus Christ. John’s entire gospel has had one great confession after another as people encountered Jesus and His miracles. But here is the greatest miracle of all — the resurrection, leading to the greatest confession of all — My Lord and my God! Jesus took the man with the greatest skepticism, and turned him into the man with the highest affirmation. This confession shows, Thomas not only understood the resurrection, but its implications. He confesses Jesus’ authority and deity.

This confession is important because every skeptic thinks of his skepticism as valid and wise. However once the skeptic is found to be wrong, his lack of faith reveals his lack of judgment. Skepticism sometimes is rooted in poor judgment. When reality is not believed, the skeptic is revealed as the stubborn fool.

Jesus affirmed Thomas’ confession as true by accepting both titles Thomas offered. The term “Lord” is the term “Kurios.” In this context, it means Jesus is Master and is to be obeyed. It becomes the very confession anyone must make to be saved from their sins. Romans 10:9 promises, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” It became the heart of Christian proclamation throughout the world. 2 Corinthians 4:5 “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord.”

Thomas made this his confession personal by saying, not just Lord, but “my Lord.” Thomas was ready and willing to obey all his Lord commanded him. He became an example of others who must believe in Jesus in a personal way.

Thomas’ confession of Jesus as Lord meant he accepted the deity of Jesus too. Speaking of Jesus, John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” Thomas concluded that this man Jesus is the eternal God come down from Heaven and living among us. Thomas had reached that zenith of Christological understanding. He became the confessor of truth about Jesus everyone needs to acknowledge: Jesus is no mere man but God’s eternal Son. He was with God in eternity, and He is the God of eternity. Jesus has the same nature as God the Father.

Have you made that confession? Do you believe Jesus is the divine Son of God come down to earth, able to perform miracles, risen from the dead, and the One you should obey? If you have, it means you no longer follow yourself but Jesus as your Lord and God. You have repented (turned away from) — your sin and are following Christ as Lord. His word has become your instruction book for life.

We must join Thomas in exclaiming in worshipful reverence Jesus of Nazareth is “My Lord and My God.” He is our Maker — the Creator himself in a human body. Belief in Jesus necessarily is a belief in His divinity. Anyone who believes Jesus was less than God is not a true believer, for they deny His true person. Anyone who believes that someone else is equal to Jesus, like another prophet or Mary, is not saved and not a true Christian. Jesus is unique. Jesus is God walking around in a human body. He is the one and only Son of God.