Now one of the Twelve, Thomas (also called Didymus), was not with the disciples when Jesus arrived. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.
John 20:24-25
When doubt demands proof
Thomas was not there. We were not told why this was so. But in his absence, he missed the peace that the risen Jesus gave to his disciples with his appearance. When others told him, “We have seen the Lord,” Thomas refused to believe without solid evidence. “Until I see… until I touch… I won’t believe.”
We often judge Thomas harshly. Yet their demand is deeply human. Disappointment makes us alert. Grief makes us alert. We hesitate to trust again. Thomas wasn’t asking for some mystical experience; He wanted reality.
But notice this: Even in his doubt, Thomas remained among the disciples. He did not leave the Fellowship altogether. And that matters.
There will be seasons when you struggle. You may struggle with pain, seemingly unanswered prayers, or intellectual questions. Jesus is not shocked by doubt. He knows the wounds that cause it.
Yet the answer to doubt is not isolation. When doubt or sadness casts a long shadow over your soul, the worst thing you can do is walk away alone with your sad thoughts.
The best thing you can do is go where people who believe in Jesus gather around the promises of God and encourage each other with those promises. Go and be where Jesus meets us – “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). Go and be where His sweet “Peace be with you” is spoken, where praying with and for others and singing praises to God in many voices can lift you up and out of yourself. The answer to doubt is not isolation.
Thomas again stayed close enough to hear.
And Jesus did not rebuke him from a distance. He came closer. He lives not to embarrass the doubters, but to give them proof and peace. The risen Jesus is patient with you too. Even if your grip is weak, his grip remains strong.
Prayer:
Lord, when I struggle with doubt, keep me close to Your Word and Your People. Strengthen my faith with the certainty of your resurrection. Amen.
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used with permission from Zondervan. All rights reserved world wide.
