Good morning. On Thursdays I typically share information about a Bible character for us to think about. Today, I would like to have us consider one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, Thomas.
For all his fame as the one who doubted Jesus’ resurrection, the apostle Thomas was also a man of extraordinary deeds of faith. When first we hear him speak in the New Testament, it is as Jesus is saying that it was time to answer the message sent by Martha and Mary and to see to Jesus’ friend Lazarus. The problem was that Lazarus lived near Jerusalem, and it was well known by His disciples that the Jews in Jerusalem had determined to murder Jesus. When the other disciples are terrified of returning to Judea and are speaking up with a variety of arguments against going, we read these words: Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:16
In the 14th chapter of John’s gospel, as Jesus shares His truth of Himself: I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 it was Thomas who asked the question that brings that response from the Lord. Jesus said to them that they know the way to the place where He is going, and we read: Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” John 14:5
After Jesus is raised from the dead, Thomas is not among them when Jesus first comes to them. Therefore, he refuses to believe, at least not without proof. This is the account: 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.”
The Lord satisfies the need of Thomas for such proof, and then we read that Thomas is the first of the disciples to declare Christ’s singular divinity, as he says to Jesus “my Lord and my God!”
Receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Thomas boldly proclaimed the Gospel in Jerusalem with the other apostles. Tradition holds that Thomas planted seven churches in India. These Christian communities still exist today, and the people are known as the churches of Saint Thomas Christians. It was there that Thomas died, killed by a lance or spear by the leaders of local religions.
You may have noticed the parenthesis used to indicate that Thomas was also called “Didymus,” which is the word we translate as “twin.” It seems almost certain that Thomas had a twin brother. Were they identical? We have no way of knowing, but what we do know is that there is never any mention of his brother in scripture. How hard it must have been for Thomas to be such a follower of Jesus while having a twin brother who would not share his faith.
The reason I shared these scriptures about Thomas today is that I have always admired the full quality of this individual whom we typically know only as “doubting Thomas.” Clearly, there was a lot more to the man than a stubborn need for hands on proof. He was courageous. He was not shy about speaking his mind. He became a powerful missionary/preacher, sharing the gospel in a difficult area. There is far more to him than being the one “who doubted.”
As I mentioned in last Sunday’s sermon message as we read in Matthew 28:17 that when the eleven disciples saw Jesus “They worshipped, but some doubted” doubting is not the opposite of faith. In truth, every Christian who is serving the Lord is under attack, and because of those attacks it is absolutely expected that there will be doubts from time to time. However, we should look to the example of Thomas the twin and understand that having a doubt doesn’t mean that we are any less faithful or effective. Thomas was a man of powerful conviction and faith who served the Lord to his last breath.
God bless you today as you serve the Lord. If a doubt or a fear should find its way into your heart and mind today, that is OK, give it to Jesus. He has the answer and will give us the power to overcome.
Vern