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Last updated on
Aug. 6, 2005
Doubting Thomas?
Delivered April 17, 2005
by Pastor Werner De Jong
Text: John 20:24-31
Main Idea: The risen Jesus does not abandon those who struggle with doubt, but comes to them, and in his grace seeks to transform them by revealing his wounds of love.
Purpose: To encourage the listeners that their honest doubts do not cause God to reject them, for God is gracious, and takes the initiative to renew the faith of those who doubt by revealing his love for them. To challenge the listeners to stop doubting and to believe the good news of God's love for them.
Introduction: On the evening of the day when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples gathered together in a clandestine meeting behind locked doors. The doors were secured because they were afraid of their fellow countrymen, who only days earlier had killed their teacher. If they had executed Jesus, what might they do to them as his disciples? Would there be a purge of everyone associated with him? But even though they were afraid, they took the risk of convening this secret meeting, because they needed to talk. For that very morning Mary Magdalene had discovered that the body of Jesus was no longer in his tomb. The huge stone had been rolled away from its entrance, and he was not in it. Upon this discovery Mary quickly ran and went to tell Peter and John, who rushed to discover the empty tomb for themselves. They went into it, and saw only Jesus' burial clothes lying there. Then they returned to their homes. But soon after Mary was back knocking on their doors with the incredible message, "I have just seen the Lord."
The word spread quickly among Jesus' followers and the secret meeting was arranged. One by one the disciples furtively made their way to the agreed upon gathering place. And much to everyone's astonishment and joy, Jesus himself showed up at that meeting, and extended to them all God's gift of peace. But one person was notably absent–Thomas–who was one of Jesus' twelve disciples. We are not told why he didn't come. Surely the other disciples went to look for him. Perhaps they couldn't find him. Perhaps he was too skeptical of their message to even bother making an appearance. Or perhaps he was so heartbroken over the death of Jesus that he preferred to be alone with his grief, and needed time to sort through his feelings. Regardless, after Jesus appeared to his disciples, they sought out Thomas and when they found him they shared the good news with him saying, "We have seen the Lord." But Thomas refused to believe it. The news that Jesus had come back from the dead seemed to him too good to be true. He was probably a pessimist by nature, and couldn't bear the thought of getting his hopes us only to have them crushed. So he said to his friends, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25).
Doubt: It is because of this incident that Thomas has become widely known as "doubting Thomas." This nickname is sometimes used in a derogatory sense. There is no doubt that Thomas' doubts were very real, but he doesn't deserve our judgment. If we are honest with ourselves, we can probably point to times in our lives when we have wrestled with doubts of our own. As we journey through the Christian life, doubt can at times be a very real travelling companion. Therefore today I want to look at the question of doubt, for it presents a very real challenge to the Christian life. The problem is as real today as it was then. Part of the problem is that we want to know things for certain. We cannot see God, we cannot see Jesus, and yet we are asked to pledge our full allegiance to him. At such times we find it very easy to echo the words of Thomas, and say, "If only I could see and touch the risen Christ."
When we talk about doubts, it is important to realize that we are not only talking about intellectual questions. Our doubts not only trouble our minds, but they also exert a considerable influence over our emotional well-being, and may give rise to feelings of despair. Alister Mc Grath puts it like this: "Doubt is not simply an academic matter. It is not just that we cannot prove that God exists. It is an emotional issue in which we experience the terror of wondering whether there really is meaning in this vast universe; of whether there really is a God who loves us and values us; of whether we are simply part of a meaningless mechanical universe that neither knows nor cares that we exist. At moments like this, we need more than intellectual answers–we need to be enfolded in God's warm embrace and know his love and care" (The Journey, p. 51). These are wise words–rather than condemning those who doubt, he points to their need to experience God's compassion.
Jesus and Thomas: This is the very spirit in which the risen Jesus approached his doubting disciple. One week after Jesus visited the disciples behind locked doors, he appeared to them again in the same house. Only this time Thomas was with them. And Jesus knew Thomas' heart. "Peace be with you," he said to all who were gathered. And then he immediately turned to Thomas. He didn't say to him, "How foolish was your doubt-riddled request to see me and to touch my wounds." Rather, he said to him: "Put your fingers here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" This is a beautiful picture of Jesus' grace, for he met Thomas where he was at. He took the initiative and deliberately drew alongside skeptical Thomas in order to help transform his doubt to faith. In no way did Jesus write off his struggling disciple. He did not dismiss him and say, "I no longer want you as my follower." Rather, he restored him. In fact it seems that the only reason Jesus appeared this second time was to alleviate Thomas' doubt. This should be a strong source of encouragement to any here who know what it is to struggle like Thomas. It is certainly more desirable to have a strong faith than one plagued by doubts, but our doubts do not separate us from God. To the contrary, it seems that our honest doubts touch the heart of God, and draw out his compassion, similar to the way in which God's heart goes out to the poor, to the sick, to the prisoners, and to the oppressed.
Even Jesus' command to Thomas, "Do not doubt but believe," is an act of grace. Jesus did not speak these words in order to shame Thomas, but to challenge him to restore his faith in him. Faith in Jesus leads to ultimate well-being. When Thomas was confused by doubts and overwhelmed with grief, Jesus came to him and loved him, and through his care all things with Thomas did end up well. Extra-biblical writings indicate that Thomas became a missionary to the lands which lay to the east of Israel. Legend has it that he even made it as far as India, where centuries later missionaries were surprised to discover a group of Christians who called themselves "Thomas Christians." Through Jesus' patient love and care doubting Thomas became faith-filled Thomas, great missionary to the East. That's not bad for someone whom a lot of people are quick to judge! As Christians we can learn a lot from Jesus' approach. Rather than judge those who doubt, we ought to approach them with love and compassion, and only in this spirit challenge them to greater faith.
Confession of Faith: The immediate result of Jesus' grace on Thomas was for him to speak a remarkable confession of faith: "My Lord and my God." Did you know that this is the earliest recorded example of anyone explicitly confessing Jesus as God? On another occasion Peter had confessed Jesus as the Messiah who came from God, but now Thomas directly confesses that Jesus is God–"My Lord and my God." Once again it seems a little strange to label the first disciple to clearly acknowledge the divinity of Jesus as "doubting Thomas." He certainly had a season of doubt, but we too easily overlook the fact that his honest doubts were transformed into a pioneer's faith, for he blazed the pathway of faith for others to follow. When we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and our God, we are following in Thomas' footsteps. Therefore we must not be quick to judge those who doubt, nor should we be too hasty to be down on ourselves when we struggle with doubt. For this story clearly demonstrates that there is great potential in those who are willing to be honest with their struggles. They can be led to a strong faith, and they can become great leaders in the cause of Christ.
It is far better for a person to acknowledge that they are not sure about their faith than it is to blindly repeat any of the great creeds of the church. The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson put it like this: "There lives more faith in honest doubt, believe me, than in half the creeds." It is very possible, and I am sure it often happens, that people glibly repeat a statement of faith, but never really believe it. But it is far better to be like Thomas, who insisted on being sure, and admitted when he was not. His position was much more honest than those who pretend that their doubts do not exist. As William Barclay writes, "Thomas doubted in order to become sure; and when he did, his surrender to certainty was complete." The worst thing a person with doubts can do is to try to suppress them; the best thing to do is to give voice to them and to confront them in the context of a loving faith community.
There is a great lesson in this for the church today. As churches we need to be places where people are free to voice their questions and their doubts. If churches attempt to silence those with honest questions, strong faith can hardly grow. For wrestling with questions like the resurrection is the way many people come to faith or increase their faith. God honours that process. Churches should encourage it, rather than discourage it. The main reason why some believers try to silence the questions of others is because their own faith is not strong. They feel threatened by those who are more honest than they are. But when we consider the story of Thomas, it is obvious that Jesus was not threatened by his doubts. Neither should we be. For if we are willing to be honest, and to listen to the questions of others, and to wrestle with these things together with them, then in the end we will find our own faith strengthened.
The Risen Jesus is the Grounds of Faith: Let's move on. We've seen that Thomas was honest about his doubts, and how that actually helped him. But more than that was needed. Thomas ultimately came to faith because the risen Jesus came to him. Our faith is always the result of God's grace, and in particular, God's grace in revealing his risen Son to us. That is always the case. The ground of all Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins....But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead" (15:17, 20).
The risen Christ came to Thomas, and Thomas had his doubts removed. The key incident in this appearance was when Jesus showed Thomas his wounds. These wounds were wounds of love. The loving wounds of Jesus drove out Thomas' doubt. In this we see again that doubt is just as much an emotional concern as it is an intellectual one. The one who appeared before Thomas, in the midst of the disciples, was none other than the one who was crucified and who continued to bear the scars. This is the same Jesus who comes to us. Jesus is not a condemning figure who stands over us with a stick and can't wait to judge us for our doubts. Rather, Jesus comes to us in love and says, "Look at my wounds. They are wounds of love. I was wounded for you because I love you. And I conquered death that you too might truly live, both now and forever."
But at this point we may say, "This sounds too good to be true. If only I could literally see those wounds, then I would give myself completely to Jesus. If only Jesus would come to me like he came to Thomas, and reveal his wounds, then I would know I was loved, and precious to God. And not only that, then I would know that death has been defeated, then I would know that the future is glorious and that all things will ultimately be well for those who dare to believe."
Faith and the Word: The reply to such a question, and it is a fair question, is that Jesus has come to you. "How has Jesus come to me?" you may ask. And the answer is that Jesus has come to you through his Word. Jesus is no longer physically present on the earth, but he has not left us without witness to himself. Immediately following the account of Jesus and Thomas, these words are recorded in John's gospel: "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name" (20:30-31). Whenever we hear the good news proclaimed, whenever we hear how Jesus died for us, and rose again, the risen Jesus comes to us. The apostle Paul wrote that he was not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God. The reason the gospel is the power of God is because God himself comes to us and reveals himself to us whenever his Word is faithfully spoken. Jesus comes to us on the wings of his Word. Even now, Jesus is in our midst, as we consider his crucifixion and resurrection. Even now Jesus has come to us. Even now he stretches out his hands to us, and says, "Consider my wounds, and consider how much I love you. Consider my resurrection, and consider the great possibilities of new life." And ultimately Jesus says to us, as he did to Thomas, "Do not doubt but believe."
We cannot see Jesus with our physical eyes, but he is perfectly visible to the eyes of faith. Those who dare to exercise their faith will never regret it. As Jesus said to Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (20:29). With these words Jesus is not depreciating Thomas' experience of seeing and believing; rather, he is pronouncing a blessing on those of us who believe without the confirming experience Thomas had (Charles Cousar, Texts for Preaching: Year A, p. 272). The apostle Peter confirmed this blessing in his first letter when he wrote, "Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:8-9). These are fascinating words, which corroborate the blessing of Jesus upon those who have come to believe without seeing. Peter speaks of the great joy experienced by those who "only" see Jesus through faith. Ever since Jesus departed from the earth, that is the only way any of us can come to know him. But this experience is no less real or powerful than the experience Thomas had. When Thomas saw Jesus' wounds he believed and knew Jesus loved him; when our eyes of faith see our risen Lord in our midst, still bearing his scars, we too will know the wonderful truth that we are loved. Hundreds of years ago Martin Luther provided a wonderful antidote to those who doubt God's love. He gave the simple suggestion that they meditate on the wounds of Christ. Each of those wounds is a sign of the loving care of our compassionate God.
Conclusion: It is time now to conclude. There is surely more we could say about the question of doubt, but in the very first place we need to hear the reassuring truth that Jesus does not abandon us when we struggle with doubt. To the contrary, his heart goes out to us, and he comes to us, full of love and grace, and reminds us of his wounds, and only then does he gently challenge us saying, "do not doubt but believe." We will never have all of the answers to all of our questions, but we trust in a loving, caring, totally trustworthy God. When in faith we look to Jesus, and consider his wounds of love, he will provide strength and comfort to our fainting hearts. Do not doubt but believe, for Jesus died and rose again. Hallelujah! Amen.