21 Day Challenge – Day 21
Doubting Thomas | Joel McNelly
Scripture: John 20:24-29
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 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.” 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!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Observation
Thomas gets a bad reputation in the Bible for being the guy who is always doubting. Most people start out more like him than those who believe without seeing. Despite the fact that Thomas’ friends had seen the Lord, he had to see him with his own eyes to believe that he had been raised from the dead. The Bible records that a little over 500 people saw Jesus after he had been raised from the dead, but millions and millions of others have believed in him anyway. If you doubt like Thomas, you may be wondering how to overcome this.
Romans 10:9 says that “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” When they first followed Jesus, the original disciples did not have the basis to do this yet, because the resurrection had not yet happened. They decided to follow him anyway. And through that time Jesus showed them through his example, many miracles, and healings that he was indeed who he said he was. For Jesus to be able to show them who he was, they had to agree to at least go on the journey.
If you have never believed this, or you are one who still has doubts, Jesus is just asking you to follow him. He is saying “walk with me and I will show you who I am.” Be willing to read the credible accounts of who Jesus was and then look into lives of all the people around you who have been radically transformed by Jesus. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you that Jesus is who he said he was, and that he did rise from the dead just like he said he would. If you ask God to reveal himself to you he will do just that through his Holy Spirit. The Bible is an inspired factual historical record that testifies to who he was, what he said, and what he did. The testimony of others who believe in him also serves as proof in this day in age that he still works in us and he still transforms lives.
Application
When we decide to follow Christ as the Lord (the supreme ruler of our lives, who welcomes us into His perfect kingdom and has only our best interest in mind), the Holy Spirit, God himself, lives inside of us and continues to reveal truth to us.
Prayer
Father, I want to believe, but sometimes I doubt. Please reveal your truth to me as I walk beside you and learn from you. I ask you to remove the hardness of my heart so that I can be fully yours and come to a place of fully trusting in you.
Amen.