March 27, 2023 – Monday
John 20:24-25 NIV
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Comments
Thomas (Aramic) was also known as Didymus (Greek) and both names mean twin. It is from Thomas we have our phrase, Oh he’s a doubting Thomas. All the disciples were telling him they had seen the risen Christ, Jesus. But he was having none of it.
Thomas, in my opinion, unfairly gets a bad rap as if he should automatically believe. After all he was most likely a fisherman who had fished with Peter and Andrew. He knew about life and death and the idea of some returning to life after a crucifixion was beyond him. I get that and if you have ever seen someone or some animal die a horrendous death, think what it would take for you to believe that person or animal had returned to life.
Movies like to make horror stories of such happenings and they are never positive. They are never like Jesus who said, Peace be with you and kindly showed the holes in His hands and where the spear had pierced His side. This was not the movies (they obviously didn’t have movies) or even some campfire story. Still, it was a story and his friends and companions over the past three years believed it and wanted him to believe as well.
His reply to them, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe makes the story of Jesus’ resurrection all the more real to me. That’s because I have been like him in the past and have known men like him all of my adult life. I have worked on teams developing products where we needed at least one doubting Thomas who would ask hard and difficult questions to keep us out of trouble and on track.
Tomorrow we will find out how his doubts were resolved and what that means to us.
Bottom Line: We should never condemn someone because they have doubts, but instead pray God will show them proof in their own life so they may be led to believe.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for Thomas and his very real doubts as many of us have doubted in the past. We are glad You showed us enough proof that we could believe. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek