As I write this Saturday night, the semi-finals of the Final Four are over. Butler beat out Michigan State (my dad's favorite) in a game that came down to the final seconds; currently, Duke is on top of West Virginia by 15 with about 5 minutes left. My guess is that (if Duke stays ahead) the celebrating will start up on the bench with somewhere around 3 minutes remaining. That didn't describe the Butler victory... everyone was tense, focused, nervous. The celebration couldn't be enjoyed until the clock ticked down and the outcome was certain.
For the disciples, there was no rest after Good Friday. Jesus' cry "It is finished!" was lost on them... and especially on Thomas. There was no finality to the Cross except in the defeat of his Master- the end had come for Jesus. So when we meet him locked in a room one week later, it's not surprising to hear that he doubts the reports that Jesus is alive. Let the ten disciples spout on, let Mary talk about her visit with Jesus, let the 2 on the road to Emmaus make their claims- Thomas wouldn't believe. But what a privilege to see ourselves in Thomas- to read about Thomas' transition in John 20.
Thomas was a skeptic: John 20:25 "The other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the 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.'" Thomas had seen Jesus betrayed and arrested; Thomas later received news that he had been killed. Thomas had hoped for nothing and Thomas would never be taken for the fool again.
- It's easy for us to have the same attitude sometimes. We had hopes and dreams for what God would do in us and through us. We were passionate about God, but something happened... or maybe it's what didn't happen. Have you ever felt this way about God and His plans for you? What tempts you to think that God isn't going to be faithful to His promises?
Thomas was a believer: John 20:27, "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.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'" Can you imagine what the eight days between verse 25 and 27 must have been like? Thomas might have been remembering Jesus' statements about the Cross: buried for 3 days like Jonah, raising up the "Temple" in 3 days. Perhaps these prepared him for Jesus' arrival. But it seems like it would have to be more... because Thomas does more than acknowledge Jesus' life, he acknowledges Jesus' identity: "My Lord and my God!" But how can we follow THAT example?
Thomas was our example: John 20:29, "Jesus said to him... 'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" It's not just that Thomas doubts that unites us to him... it's how Thomas comes to faith- Thomas remembered Jesus' words. He remembered that Jesus had claimed to be God, that Jesus had done work like God, that Jesus had forgiven sins like only God can. And when he claimed hold of God's word, suddenly Thomas "saw" as well. Thomas saw Jesus rightly. Others saw Jesus' body; he saw Jesus' deity. Everything Jesus said to be true was true- and the Resurrection proved it. It proved Jesus was right about the Cross, right about forgiven sin, right about who He said He was. John started his book by saying, "The Word was God", but Thomas got to close the book saying, "Jesus is MY God."
- When money runs out, when relationships get rocky, when sickness arrives... it's easy to shake our fist and claim "I will never believe." But although life brings trouble and doubt, Thomas reminds us that our only hope (our only blessing) is in believing in God's word... And it's God's word that reminds us that Jesus is our justification (Rom 4), that Jesus is our redemption from sin (Rom 6), that Jesus is our sympathetic high priest (Rom 8). And everyone of those promises is linked directly to the Resurrection.
In fact, because Jesus is alive, our best days are truly ahead of us: God's Son is ours, God's grace is ours, God's smile is ours- because when God raised His Son, God guaranteed His promises. Have a great day- the Lord is Risen!
