John 20:24–29 (WEL) Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, wasn’t with them when Jesus came. 25 Therefore, the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 Eight days later the disciples along with Thomas were inside with the doors shut. Then Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach your hand here and thrust it into my side. Do not be unbelieving but believing.” 28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God.” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, you have believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe.”
V24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, wasn’t with them when Jesus came.
John, the eyewitness, is stating a fact. This is the lead-in for what follows. Why he was not there is unknown. Thomas is the practical, no-nonsense man. He is a skeptic. As we see, skeptics can believe.
Principle: If you are talking with a skeptic, don’t lose hope. The Holy Spirit can open his/her eyes to reality.
V25 Therefore, the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
The other disciples kept telling this to Thomas over and over again, but Thomas would not believe. He is so averse to their witness that he lays down the gauntlet of what would convince him.
He sure will believe in a short time.
Principle: Some people will not believe the words, but will believe some action. For instance, a wife might believe in Jesus and her life is changed. Her husband refuses, but he sees the great changes in attitude, stability, actions, etc., so that he knows (just like Thomas) the truth and believes in Jesus, too.
V26 Eight days later the disciples along with Thomas were inside with the doors shut. Then Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace to you.”
Thomas shows up. Jesus knows Thomas is there. The place where they are meeting has the door shut and secured. Suddenly, Jesus is there. Jesus, knowing they would be startled, declares, “Peace to you.”
Jesus has a physical body but it is not made of molecules. Compare 1 Corinthians 15:35–49.
V27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach your hand here and thrust it into my side. Do not be unbelieving but believing.”
How did Jesus know what Thomas had said 8 days earlier? He is God! Thomas laid down that gauntlet, and Jesus offers those facts to Thomas.
V28 Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God.”
What a statement of faith.
Thomas declares two things:
My Lord—I, Thomas, am your servant.
My God—I, Thomas, worship you alone.
When Thomas states, “My God,” he is not stating what many say today when surprised, “O my god.” Thomas is stating a fact of faith, in essence, “Jesus, you are my God.”
Thomas speaks to Jesus directly, and Jesus did not correct Thomas.
Compare Acts 14:13–15 and Revelation 22:8–9, where people were rebuked for erroneous worship and giving honor and glory to something other than the one true God. Also, compare what happened to Herod in Acts 12:20–23 and Revelation 16:9.
V29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, you have believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe.”
Whether one sees Jesus or not, it is faith that saves. This is an example of two different expressions of faith.
(Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary) “…words of measured commendation, but of indirect and doubtless painfully—felt rebuke: that is, ‘Thou hast indeed believed; it is well: it is only on the evidence of thy senses, and after peremptorily refusing all evidence short of that.’ Blessed they that have not seen, and yet have believed—‘Wonderful indeed and rich in blessing for us who have not seen Him, is this closing word of the Gospel’ [ALFORD].”
We learn:
- About some skeptics.
- About expressions of faith in Jesus.
- About Jesus’s resurrection body.
Questions:
- Are you a skeptic?
- How did the Holy Spirit convict you and you believed?
- Are you looking forward to your resurrection body?