The Apostle Thomas
Thomas
Greetings in the name of Him Who was, Who is, and Who is to come, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is risen! He is risen indeed! We continue this week with the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection and focus on what it means for us. Each time we encounter a church holiday our attention is directed to the Glory of our God and the blessings He gives to us as His people.
As we look to the Apostles of our Lord, we see that at times they stood alone and made confession of their faith. Let us take time to examine the life of one man. A man who has been falsely accused and ridiculed because of the statement he made, but also a man who spoke the strongest and boldest of all Christian Confessions, the Apostle Thomas.
Many years ago I sat as a young Christian in the church of a relative. I sat as a guest and listened intently to the preacher address the congregation using the life of Thomas as the lesson. The point he made, and quite dramatically I might add, was that Thomas sinned by not being in the room with the other disciples on the first Easter evening when Jesus appeared to them. Thomas was not where he should have been and thus, he had sinned. The application was made that if we were not in church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening we like Thomas would be sinning. On that day Thomas was the analogy of a sinner, but is this a correct assessment? Thomas has been called a doubter, a man of little faith, even a man of unbelief. Is it right to address Thomas this way? I am convinced that those who have looked upon Thomas in such ways have not examined the Scriptures concerning him. Thomas was a man totally dedicated to Jesus as His Lord, and he is one we should seek to imitate.
There are three episodes in Thomas’ life which reflect his true character. The first is found in John 11:16. Jesus has just learned of Lazarus’ death. He is determined to go to Bethany. The disciples do not know that upon arriving Jesus will raise Lazarus to life again. All they know is that Jesus has enemies who want to kill Him. Bethany is very close to Jerusalem and the disciples fear Jesus will be killed while there. As Jesus prepares to depart for Bethany it is Thomas who speaks to the other 11 Apostles. His words are not those of doubt or fear but words of love and devotion; “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Thomas’ words carry an import which he could not have realized at the time. Indeed, the Apostles would follow Jesus to death, even Thomas himself was martyred because of his testimony of Christ. These were not just words spoken by Thomas, but these were words backed up by deed. Thomas and the others went with Jesus across the Jordan to Bethany. Expecting to die, they went totally devoted to Jesus, their Master. This action marks Thomas has having a love both deep and strong as that of any other disciple.
The second passage of Scripture which gives insight into the life of Thomas is John 14:1-6. Jesus is in the upper room with His Apostles. It is the night of Passover, and they are keeping the feast together. Jesus speaks of His Father’s house which has many mansions to which He was going to prepare a place for them. Thomas responds, “Lord we do not know where You are going and how can we know the way?” While many have criticized Thomas for not knowing the answer to his own question, Jesus does not! Jesus responds by speaking of the way to the Father; “I Am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Was Thomas a man of little faith or was he a man who sought to understand more clearly the things of God? It has been said, “What is knowledge but ignorance with a library.” Thomas was a student of the Master. When he did not understand he sought to know more clearly. Each of us can find ourselves in the place of Thomas. Each of us at times feels the need for more understanding. May we like Thomas have the courage to ask that we might receive.
Thomas is the only person in the New Testament who personally addresses Jesus as God. The final section of Scripture we shall examine is the famed passage which many use to speak against Thomas, John 20:24-29. Jesus had appeared to the ten Apostles behind locked doors. They had seen the marks of the nails and the place where the lance had pierced His side. They rejoiced in the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. When Thomas returned and was told of the events his statement was this, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Put yourself in the place of Thomas for a moment. He has lost the most important thing in his life. Jesus was dead, His body placed in a tomb.
Thomas was mourning the death of his friend and his Lord. The words spoken by the other Apostles seemed too good to be true. All Thomas asked for is proof, and for this he has been ridiculed throughout history. What we fail to remember is that the other ten did not believe either when they were told of Jesus’ resurrection. The women returned from the tomb and told them all they had seen and heard and still the Apostles were in hiding. And when Jesus did appear to them they thought He was a ghost. They too had to see the marks of the nails in order to believe. Jesus even took time to eat with them to demonstrate He was alive. Thomas requested only what the others also needed to see in order to believe. Did Thomas doubt? The answer is yes! But it was not disbelief but an honest doubt which sought answers that it might believe. The answer came on the next Lord’s Day when the eleven were together and Jesus came. He spoke directly to Thomas and upon seeing the resurrected Jesus, Thomas’ doubts were gone. He made the greatest of all confessions, “My Lord and My God.” This may surprise and astonish you to know but Thomas is the only person in the New Testament who personally addresses Jesus as God.
Many make reference to Him as God but only Thomas addresses Him as such. Thomas’ doubts are gone and faith clings to the promise of forgiveness given in Jesus. Thomas was not a doubter. If anything, he had a strong desire to believe in spite of the circumstances. A man of great courage and conviction, he wanted to know for himself the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. Thomas spent the rest of his life testifying to Who Jesus is. Thomas did follow Jesus to the death. As an Apostle he spread the Gospel. As a disciple he never stopped learning and growing in his understanding of what God had done for us and of His love for us in Christ. Praise to you, O Christ, our Lord and God!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
Greetings in the name of Him Who was, Who is, and Who is to come, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is risen! He is risen indeed! We continue this week with the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection and focus on what it means for us. Each time we encounter a church holiday our attention is directed to the Glory of our God and the blessings He gives to us as His people.
As we look to the Apostles of our Lord, we see that at times they stood alone and made confession of their faith. Let us take time to examine the life of one man. A man who has been falsely accused and ridiculed because of the statement he made, but also a man who spoke the strongest and boldest of all Christian Confessions, the Apostle Thomas.
Many years ago I sat as a young Christian in the church of a relative. I sat as a guest and listened intently to the preacher address the congregation using the life of Thomas as the lesson. The point he made, and quite dramatically I might add, was that Thomas sinned by not being in the room with the other disciples on the first Easter evening when Jesus appeared to them. Thomas was not where he should have been and thus, he had sinned. The application was made that if we were not in church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening we like Thomas would be sinning. On that day Thomas was the analogy of a sinner, but is this a correct assessment? Thomas has been called a doubter, a man of little faith, even a man of unbelief. Is it right to address Thomas this way? I am convinced that those who have looked upon Thomas in such ways have not examined the Scriptures concerning him. Thomas was a man totally dedicated to Jesus as His Lord, and he is one we should seek to imitate.
There are three episodes in Thomas’ life which reflect his true character. The first is found in John 11:16. Jesus has just learned of Lazarus’ death. He is determined to go to Bethany. The disciples do not know that upon arriving Jesus will raise Lazarus to life again. All they know is that Jesus has enemies who want to kill Him. Bethany is very close to Jerusalem and the disciples fear Jesus will be killed while there. As Jesus prepares to depart for Bethany it is Thomas who speaks to the other 11 Apostles. His words are not those of doubt or fear but words of love and devotion; “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Thomas’ words carry an import which he could not have realized at the time. Indeed, the Apostles would follow Jesus to death, even Thomas himself was martyred because of his testimony of Christ. These were not just words spoken by Thomas, but these were words backed up by deed. Thomas and the others went with Jesus across the Jordan to Bethany. Expecting to die, they went totally devoted to Jesus, their Master. This action marks Thomas has having a love both deep and strong as that of any other disciple.
The second passage of Scripture which gives insight into the life of Thomas is John 14:1-6. Jesus is in the upper room with His Apostles. It is the night of Passover, and they are keeping the feast together. Jesus speaks of His Father’s house which has many mansions to which He was going to prepare a place for them. Thomas responds, “Lord we do not know where You are going and how can we know the way?” While many have criticized Thomas for not knowing the answer to his own question, Jesus does not! Jesus responds by speaking of the way to the Father; “I Am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Was Thomas a man of little faith or was he a man who sought to understand more clearly the things of God? It has been said, “What is knowledge but ignorance with a library.” Thomas was a student of the Master. When he did not understand he sought to know more clearly. Each of us can find ourselves in the place of Thomas. Each of us at times feels the need for more understanding. May we like Thomas have the courage to ask that we might receive.
Thomas is the only person in the New Testament who personally addresses Jesus as God. The final section of Scripture we shall examine is the famed passage which many use to speak against Thomas, John 20:24-29. Jesus had appeared to the ten Apostles behind locked doors. They had seen the marks of the nails and the place where the lance had pierced His side. They rejoiced in the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. When Thomas returned and was told of the events his statement was this, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Put yourself in the place of Thomas for a moment. He has lost the most important thing in his life. Jesus was dead, His body placed in a tomb.
Thomas was mourning the death of his friend and his Lord. The words spoken by the other Apostles seemed too good to be true. All Thomas asked for is proof, and for this he has been ridiculed throughout history. What we fail to remember is that the other ten did not believe either when they were told of Jesus’ resurrection. The women returned from the tomb and told them all they had seen and heard and still the Apostles were in hiding. And when Jesus did appear to them they thought He was a ghost. They too had to see the marks of the nails in order to believe. Jesus even took time to eat with them to demonstrate He was alive. Thomas requested only what the others also needed to see in order to believe. Did Thomas doubt? The answer is yes! But it was not disbelief but an honest doubt which sought answers that it might believe. The answer came on the next Lord’s Day when the eleven were together and Jesus came. He spoke directly to Thomas and upon seeing the resurrected Jesus, Thomas’ doubts were gone. He made the greatest of all confessions, “My Lord and My God.” This may surprise and astonish you to know but Thomas is the only person in the New Testament who personally addresses Jesus as God.
Many make reference to Him as God but only Thomas addresses Him as such. Thomas’ doubts are gone and faith clings to the promise of forgiveness given in Jesus. Thomas was not a doubter. If anything, he had a strong desire to believe in spite of the circumstances. A man of great courage and conviction, he wanted to know for himself the truth of the resurrection of Jesus. Thomas spent the rest of his life testifying to Who Jesus is. Thomas did follow Jesus to the death. As an Apostle he spread the Gospel. As a disciple he never stopped learning and growing in his understanding of what God had done for us and of His love for us in Christ. Praise to you, O Christ, our Lord and God!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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