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.” 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.”
There’s a remarkable thing about this scene that’s easy to miss. The risen Savior, the Lord of life, the sovereign God of the universe, actually permits himself to be thus examined. What temerity Thomas has had to demand that Jesus Christ, who died for his sin, enduring all that agony for him, would then allow this further insult. How dare he?
Well, for one, we pause and wonder at the response by the surrounding disciples. Imagine the scene. They told him, right? And now after eight days Jesus is back again and submits to Thomas’ demands. This is the way to deal with a brother or sister in Christ whose struggle has come to such a point. They stayed in fellowship with him as, from what we’re told, Thomas neither left them nor was he disruptive. His crisis was a personal one that he didn’t spread to the rest and this should be our model for dealing with those disruptions of faith, those tempestuous trials when the soul is rocked by the great gales, the furious storms, and the deep heartaches that sometimes find us.
Thomas has had eight days of this depression. He has chosen to disbelieve and this always has consequences. Pain and struggle come – they always come in this present age – and he was determined to live without that rest which comes from trusting in Christ. This, no doubt, shattered his peace of mind, hurt him and tossed him to and fro. Did he have many a sleepless night? Did he struggle to smile in the face of what looked like a hopeless world while the others rejoiced in the reality of the risen Lord? Has that happened to you? Have you gone to church half-heartedly, your troubles apparently higher and greater than the Lord, and your reality not one of grace but of frustration? And when in such a state did you hear the hymns and praises of others rising up to heaven? Did all the assurance and joy you saw around you leave you cold? Has God seemed distant? Has history and the events of the time appeared greater than the Lord’s sovereignty? Have evil men appeared to go rewarded for their evil in your midst? That was certainly true for Thomas and his error was, sadly, often ours too: he dismissed the power and certainty of the resurrection. The truth of it is that no evil will go unpunished on the last day and God will not be mocked.
The cross was real and the tomb was empty, which means that no pain will endure for believers, no defeat will survive eternity and, be sure, no evil will escape judgment either.
What an eight day period for Thomas. What a dark night of the soul. We could say, with Paine, these are the times that try men’s souls. But Christ comes this day. Where was He for the week while Thomas agonized in his unbelief? We aren’t told. But He comes and that’s all that matters. The risen Christ is there and He’s there for His people. This is what we need to remember. This is what steadies the ship of the soul on that night of tempest and despair. He is risen and He will come to you. Does He seem to tarry? Does He appear delayed. Have no worries, Christian, because He is risen and if you call on Him then He will be there. The wait isn’t thing thing; Jesus Christ is and He’s always right on time!
The thing to remember is that this is all written for our benefit. What test of evidence does Christ submit to today? Surely, He doesn’t come and stand in our room and let us touch His side. These were the disciples to whom the initial gospel message was given and upon them was given the great task of laying the first floor of the church upon the foundation of Christ. Today, unlike then, we have the holy Scripture and His ambassadors in various places. Those blessed men and women, who bring the gospel to the crestfallen heart, to the questioning church member, to great and small, one and all, they are the Lord going to Thomas. Yes, it’s the Word of God that’s sharper than any edged weapon of war, cutting through years and seasons of spiritual decay, apathy, and depressions. He doesn’t come and put His holy hands forth, or expose His side. No, He sends His preachers, His teachers, and His army of Christian soldiers to help, to rebuke, to shore up and to serve. So, don’t be deceived. He hasn’t left any believer alone in this day. We are all the body of Christ and if there’s a Thomas in your life, go to him in His name. Patience, love and the Word are the keys to the restoration of belief for those Christians who have grown hard through a trial.
Lastly, we remember that Thomas had his long week of pain precisely because he refused to believe the testimony given to him. To stay in the Word and trust it completely is the great and high wall of protection against the invasion of such periods of unbelief that attack the assurance of faith. When you’re alone and the Tempter whispers in your ear, in that sweetness of voice, in all its seductive power, remember that his whispers are lies. Remember the empty tomb, which is the triumph over sin and death and have faith. The cross is there, so your sin is gone; the grave is absent its occupant, so we know, unfailingly, that eternal life is ours through faith. To live in despair is to focus on the blackness of Friday night rather than the resplendent dawn of Sunday morning. Thomas teaches us that we can be saved and yet live for days outside of the peace that’s ours now in Christ. What Jesus did here was show him the reality of it all, so, like Thomas, don’t disbelieve, but believe.
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