Chapter 5.

“Doubting Thomas”

Meets the Risen Lord

 

As mentioned in Chapter 3, on the evening of the first Easter, most of the Apostles and some of their believing friends were gathered together.  Roman soldiers, the Temple guards, and many servants of the chief priests were still searching for the missing body of Jesus.  So, for fear of the authorities, the doors to the meeting room were locked.  As daylight faded, the Jewish Monday of the week-long “Feast of Unleavened Bread” commenced.  Judas wasn’t there.  He had already hung himself in a remote quarter of Potter’s Field.  And, the Apostle Thomas was missing.  We know not why.

 

Wondrously, Jesus materialized in the midst of the assembly.  His Resurrection Body was so glorious, He had to prove to the gathering that He was Jesus.  He showed them the nail-prints in His hands and His feet.  And, He ate a piece of fish and a chunk of honeycomb. 

 

Having convinced each member of the fellowship that He was, indeed, the Risen Lord, He emphasized how valuable each of them would be in forming the New Testament Church and taking the Gospel to the world.

 

But, Thomas heard none of what He said, and Thomas was the Apostle who would be taking the Gospel Eastward, especially into India.  John says ...

... Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 

(John 20:24-25)

Thomas was a twin.  His nickname was “Didymus”, meaning “the twin”.  The 10 Apostles who had seen Jesus insisted, “We have seen the glorious, Risen Lord!”  But, Thomas was in an obstinate, skeptical mood.  His negativity earned him another nickname, “Doubting Thomas”.

 

It seems odd that Thomas was so recalcitrant.  Recently, he had seen the dramatic resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany.  Earlier he had been on hand when Jesus had revived the deceased daughter of Jairus and when Jesus had brought the dead son of the widow of Nain back to life.  Perhaps, in his mind, the difference was this: those other deaths seemed to have been caused by illnesses, but Jesus’ death was a brutal murder.  Having seen the mauled body of Jesus nailed to His Cross, perhaps, Thomas could not believe He had come back to life.  Prophetically, Isaiah had seen the savaged body of Christ.  Seemingly, it had shaken him.  As we study Isaiah’s words, we can empathize with Thomas.

... many were amazed when they saw him [Jesus].  His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. 

(Isaiah 52:14 NLT)

 

Yet, on that Easter Sunday, Jerusalem wss filled with talk of resurrections.  Many recently deceased saints had come out of their tombs when Jesus was Crucified, and we are told, on that day,  these resurrected believers had re-entered Jerusalem to resume their former lives.  Surely, Thomas had heard the buzz about that.

 

Nevertheless, Thomas was tormented by his doubts for one full week.  John says for “eight days”.  But often, the Jews counted the beginning and ending days when specifying an interval of time.  Meanwhile, Thomas’ closest friends kept telling him about the marvelous nature of Jesus’ Resurrection Body.

 

Where was Jesus during that week?  Was He in Heaven with all the deceased believers?  Was He with the Father?  Was He on Earth making appearances not mentioned in the Gospels?  Did He meet with Mary, Martha and Lazarus? with Bartimaeus in Jericho? with the woman He had met at the well in Samaria? with His brothers and sisters?  We won’t know until we join the saints in Heaven.  During the 40 days following His Crucifixion, Jesus appeared and disappeared frequently.  In His Resurrection Body, He could materialize anywhere He wished to be.  And, of course, even today, He still can.

 

Thomas’ turn to meet with Jesus came on the next Sunday evening.

... after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.  (John 20:26-28)

It didn’t take much to convince Thomas that he was in the presence of the Risen Lord.  We doubt he even reached out and traced Jesus’ wounds.  He had been “almost persuaded” by the testimony of the other Apostles.  One glimpse of Christ and he believed.

 

Again, Jesus spoke to the assembly of the work of the New Testament Church.  He used Thomas’ spiritual struggle to emphasize a fundamental factor in the coming effort to take the Gospel worldwide.  Looking at Thomas ...

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 

(John 20:29)

Since that Sunday evening, millions of us have come to saving faith through the witness of the Apostles and other believers.  Jesus made this point: “You Christians spread the Word, and souls will be saved.”

 

We can only imagine how many other believers Jesus inspired with His presence during the remaining days before He ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father.  John says ...

... many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.  (John 20:30-31)