Evidence and Faith: What Thomas Discovered about Miracles & Belief (pt. 4)

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

Third: God Commends the Faith of Those with Less Evidence - John 20:29

“Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’”

Translators are divided over whether this is a statement or a question spoken by Jesus. Those who take it as a statement read it this way, “Because you have seen me, you have believed.” If that translation is accurate, it is not so much a correction of Thomas, but a statement of fact followed by a blessing for those who have not seen. Indeed, Jesus wanted the 12 disciples to see Him resurrected, and He planned for them to be His witnesses. So Thomas was supposed to see and touch, and then preach to the people. However, most take it as a question. “Do you believe because you saw?” In that case it is a mild rebuke to Thomas. “Why did you not believe before seeing? is the implication.

I believe Jesus’ words reveal a weakness in Thomas’ faith. The Lord expected His word and the Old Testament Scriptures to be believed without seeing. Earlier to the other disciples Jesus said in Luke 24:25 “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” The word of God is to be believed on its own merits. Yet we are often weak in faith. So God provides signs and evidence because of our weakness. But He provides only so much evidence because He also demands His word to be trusted. God is honored when we trust Him while still lacking some evidence. It shows we know God’s character is true, and that the Bible is God’s own testimony of reality.

That is why next Jesus states, “Blessed are those who believe and have not seen.” These words are crucial for understanding where faith should really lie. The greater blessing is for those who need less evidence. “Not seeing” means they had less evidence. That means they had greater faith, for faith is believing without seeing.

The evidence most of us are provided is the testimony of the Apostles like Thomas in the Bible. We have not actually seen Jesus raised from the dead. 2 Cor 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 1 Peter 1:8-9 “though we have not seen (Jesus) we believe in him.” We believe without seeing. That’s far better. That glorifies God more. Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing” (the Scriptures) not by seeing.

Thomas himself would have to take the message of Christ to those who never got to see the resurrected Christ. Church tradition says he traveled to Syria and possibly as far as India. There he called on people to believe without seeing. Faith based on trusting the Word of God is better than a faith that has to be buttressed by seeing, for it honors the character of God and His words.

Fourth: Evidence Aids Faith ONLY When the Heart is Receptive - John 20:30-31 

“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”

This statement explains the purpose of this entire gospel. The Greek term “oun” ”therefore” is the transition word, and it indicates a purpose, a concluding statement for the Gospel of John.

The Gospel of John is arranged around a selection of certain signs Jesus gave to lead people to faith. Verse 30 says “many other signs” Jesus did. These miracles were only a few prominent ones selected by John. Signs “seimion” is a miracle pointing to meaning in the event. A sign is not a bare miraculous action. Each sign pointed to an important meaning. For example, John 2:23 “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.” In John 6:2 it says a large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. The greatest sign Jesus every performed was His own resurrection.

However, signs only help those whose hearts are made ready by God. Many see miracles but do not care to change their lives. So they choose not to believe. Signs do not lead everyone to faith, because not everyone wants to be led to faith.

There is a variant in the manuscript tradition which presents two different readings for the verb “believe” pisteuō (the present subjunctive and the aorist, past tense, subjunctive.) The aorist suggests that the gospel was written so that unbelievers might come to faith. The present tense suggests that John’s aim was to strengthen the faith of those who had already believed. The manuscript evidence is finely divided.

I don’t think this presents any real problem in our understanding. There is no reason to believe John had an “either/or” purpose when writing his gospel. Both purposes were in his mind. In the ancient church, the Gospel of John was used, not only as an evangelistic book to lead people to faith, but as a book to strengthen the faith of believers. Throughout church history it has had that effect on people. Some use it to lead others to faith in Jesus; others to strengthen the faith of the church.

The faith we all should desire is belief in Jesus as the Christ the Son of God. We need to possess that faith to get saved. We also need to be strengthened in that faith as we walk with Christ.

We need to come to the realization Jesus actually was God in the flesh. No lesser designation for Jesus will save you. Jesus was not a good moral teacher. To believe Jesus was a great prophet or Rabbi dishonors the Son of the living God who shares the same nature as God Almighty. There is only one conclusion your mind is allowed to reach. It is the only accurate view of the signs. Jesus is God’s very own Son - the unique Son — the One-of-a-kind Son. John 5:18 “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”

Jesus is the Son of God by nature, not adoption. He is the Only Begotten Son of God, John 3:16. “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.” This is the terminology of the Nicene Creed. He is the everlasting Creator of the ends of the earth. In Hebrews 1:8 it says of the Son (not the Father), “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM. The Son had no beginning and no end, is living in a human body, and is to be worshipped above all and adored by angels. Hebrews 1:6 “And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, ‘AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM.’”

Only by this confession do you get eternal life and forgiveness of sins.

John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 6:40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”