Some Thoughts About Doubt and Easter

I don't know about you, but I find myself often skeptical - seeing is believing as they say (whoever they are). When a car repairman tells me I have a transmission leak, I want to see it with my own eyes before I authorize the repair! But when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus, God calls us to live by faith and not by sight. Or perhaps more specifically, God wants us to live by faith in the eyewitness testimony recorded in His Word.

Since Good Friday and Easter are almost upon us, let's think for a moment about one of the most fascinating and relevant stories in all the Gospel accounts of the resurrection – the story of Thomas. For some reason only the Gospel of John records this account, and really we don’t know much about this man. He is numbered among the 12 apostles in all the Gospel records, and the only place we see Thomas speak is two other times in John besides the well known account in John 20. But let's pick out a few important themes found there and make a few comments.

Thomas' Doubt

John 20:24–25 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.

One of the most interesting things is that Thomas was NOT present there on that Sunday evening when the disciples had all gathered together. They were probably gathered in part for fear, and possibly also for comfort after having endured all that had happened in those last few days. They had watched all their hopes go down the drain. They had witnessed the horrible death of Jesus as He agonized on the cross, an event that would have made the most stouthearted melt. All their thoughts of a king and a kingdom and a Messiah were dashed that Friday. Then the women come saying He’s risen, and indeed the tomb is empty, but there is real skepticism among them. It is important to remember that Thomas was not the only doubter! We call him doubting Thomas, but there is plenty of doubt to share among this band of followers:

Luke 24:10-11 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

Matthew 28:16–17 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

Yet Thomas' expression of skepticism is stark:

John 20:24–25 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

The Bible is an honest book, and here you see someone struggling with real doubt, fear, unbelief, even despair. Doesn't that help us to know that the Bible doesn't put fake people up for us to see? This is a nitty-gritty real life example of a broken person who needs grace. He is filled with doubt and unbelief – he’s acting like an unbeliever right now, and perhaps he is!

Jesus' Compassion

You might expect that Jesus would scold Thomas in this moment for his unbelief. But look at His compassion:

John 20:26-27 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

Where did Jesus get this information? He doesn’t miss a beat; He’s omniscient and knows Thomas’ struggle to believe, and knows exactly what Thomas said eight days before: "Unless I can touch His hand and side I won't believe."

Jesus isn’t harsh. He doesn’t criticize his desire for empirical evidence. He’s gentle and loving and compassionate with this man’s struggle and He seems to be saying "Come now Thomas, see the marks, put your hands on me – I’m flesh and blood. I have the marks from the cross on me." And don't miss the gentle call – "Be not disbelieving, but believing." As though Jesus is telling Thomas, "Put the doubt and the fear away my friend. Don’t reject reality any longer, for I am here and I will demonstrate to you that this is not a dream or a fantasy; I am not a ghost."

Do you need to hear this heart of Jesus today in your trouble, in your despondency about your own life and your doubts? Do you need to hear Jesus bearing gently with you in your skepticism about Himself? Do you recognize how gentle and patient Jesus is with our struggles, fears and unbelief? Jesus knows us; He knows our sin and weakness and knows our need. He bears with us in our stubbornness and slowness of heart to believe and our folly and rebellion. This account shows us how much Jesus loves Thomas in this moment.

Thomas' Worship

Thomas' response is stunning: "Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'” (John 20:28). What a confession! What a moment of pure unrestrained worship! Faith has come spilling out of Thomas at this moment. What is amazing is that Jesus does not refuse these titles! He doesn't say "Thomas don't do that!" NO - he receives his worship because it is proper! Thomas gets it finally and confesses with ultimate clarity that this is God in the flesh.

Jesus' Call to Faith

But you might say, "Yes, that’s easy for Thomas and the others to have said. They were there! They saw him face to face and felt and touched him – But that was 2000 years ago! How do you expect me to do the same thing when I am so far removed and I cannot have the same experience of seeing the risen Christ face to face?" That's a good question, and it is one that Jesus answers right here in the text:

John 20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

In this moment Jesus looks beyond this interaction with Thomas and focuses on all those of us who will not have the ability in this life to see what Thomas saw (the risen Christ in the flesh). Jesus commends non-seeing faith, and thus calls us to believe the witness of the Bible. Many search for empirical proof today and are like Thomas, saying that they would believe if they could see the evidence with their own eyes. But Jesus lays out the pattern for the rest of history but putting primacy on "those who have not seen and yet have believed."

We believe things on faith all the time. For example, I believe that there is actually someone in another part of the country who will send me a new battery for my cordless screwdriver if I just click a little button on my computer screen on Amazon. Why? Because of the testimony of others. When I buy something online I find myself drawn to buyer feedback in order to see if the person is a trustworthy seller. And if the feedback looks good, I believe the evidence and click agree to purchase.

We act on faith on the basis of testimony every day. So the problem with faith in Christ is not a lack of evidence, but a refusal to come of the cold and hand our lives over to Jesus. Is that you today? Then make today the day you lay down your doubts and come to Christ in faith and worship, repenting of unbelief and trusting Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin.

Or perhaps you know someone who is living with doubt and unbelief? This year, invite those friends to our Good Friday service (7:30pm April 6 at new Life PCA in Escondido) and our Easter service (Sunday April 8 at 10am) where they can hear the call to come to Christ and "Be not unbelieving, but be believing."

Praise God for the risen Savior!

Pastor David