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John 20:24-28

John 20:24 But Thomas (called “Twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

John 20:25 So the other disciples were telling him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in his hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never trust that.”

John 20:26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

John 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Present your finger here and look at my hands. Present your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but trust.”

John 20:28 Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!”

week of doubt and darkness

J. Vernon McGee writes “Thomas needlessly spent a miserable week of doubt and darkness (vv. 24, 25), but then he gives the highest testimony to the Lord Jesus (v. 28).”¹

Our congregations are made up of all kinds of disciple, and each of us is somewhere on the doubt to faith continuum. If we stay with our friends who have doubts, and trust Christ to reveal himself to them farther along, their faith will grow. What would have happened if the other disciples had excluded Thomas on the basis of his doubt declaration? They would have missed out on the testimony he gave.

Lord, we believe and trust in you. Strengthen that faith and trust in all of us. Help us to be considerate of those among us who struggle with doubt.