Read: John 20:19–29
But Thomas said to them, “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 20:25b & c
We understand Thomas’s doubt. He needed proof like we need proof. For us, “seeing is believing,” and that was all Thomas was asking for—a little evidence. Resurrection is a wildly outlandish claim, and it strains even the most robust imaginations. This incident, however, branded Thomas forever as the doubter, an unflattering title we all could be shouldered with. Doubter can sound a little harsh, so we refer to ourselves instead as critical or practical or rational thinkers. But Jesus wants us to be called believers, so He returns. Jesus didn’t desert Thomas because of his lack of faith, and He won’t desert us in the midst of our skepticism either. And Jesus doesn’t rest until we come to believe and exclaim as Thomas did, “My Lord and my God!”
What kind of proof do you need to believe?
Lord, if I demand proof, then what I am really looking for is knowledge, not belief. You desire us to have faith in You. You want us to trust, even when every fiber of our being is prepared to doubt. My Lord and my God, return to me, until I fully believe in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. AMEN.