Doubting Thomas

TO READ: John 20:24-31

They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

John 20:25

When most of the disciples first saw Jesus alive after his crucifixion, Thomas had not been with them. When the other disciples told him about the fact of the Resurrection, Thomas replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see” (John 20:25). Some of us are skeptical like Thomas was. We find it very easy to doubt what we cannot see or touch. The word doubt implies uncertainty, not knowing which way to take. Doubt itself is a choice, a matter of the will.

Perhaps we too are suspicious by nature, wanting hard evidence before we’ll go out on a limb about anything. We choose to believe what we believe; we choose to doubt what we want to doubt. The enemies of Jesus chose to deny his resurrection; they chose to believe that choosing to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ leads to joy, peace, and the experience of his risen life in us. The living Christ is the biggest reason we tell others about our faith. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said, “If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless” (1 Corinthians 15:17). No other religion in the world boasts that its founder was actually God who became a man, was killed, yet rose again from the dead. Such claims should certainly be investigated! Even if you are skeptical by nature, like Thomas was, it is safe to investigate your doubts by taking them directly to Christ. Let him help you choose to believe!