“One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.””
John 20:24-29 NLT
Why wouldn’t Thomas believe what the other disciples had told him? He wasn’t with them when Jesus first appeared in the locked room – I wonder where he was? – and he totally rejected the disciples’ testimony. He knew these men. He had been with them for over three years at least. He had seen Jesus’ miracles and even the dead raised. And yet he was unable to accept the account of how Jesus had appeared in their midst. He wanted to see the risen Jesus at first hand, with his own eyes, although even that wasn’t enough for Thomas. He wanted to supplement the visual with other senses, by touching Jesus’ wounds.
John’s account continues by fast-forwarding to another meeting, again behind locked doors. This time there was a full contingent of disciples including Thomas. Again, Jesus said “Peace be with you” and then He turned to Thomas, telling him to do what he had previously asked by fingering the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side. Incidentally, had these terrible after effects of crucifixion started to heal, or were they still red and raw, seeping blood as they had on that fateful Friday? Jesus had a new body that was able to pass through locked doors, but a body that still bore the scars. It was a resurrected body, recognisable by all who knew Him, but a body without human limitations.
Jesus’ response to Thomas has resonated with many believers over the years since. Thomas, faced with the evidence, could only utter “My Lord and my God”. But Jesus rebuked him for his lack of faith, telling him to “Believe”, and then said, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Thomas missed out on Jesus’ first post-resurrection encounter with the disciples because he wasn’t present with the rest of them. Isn’t it the case, when we look out of the window on a cold and wet Sunday morning and decide to have a duvet day, that we are in danger of missing out on an encounter with the risen Jesus. In the church I attend there was a wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit last Sunday. There was a time when the worship just seemed to attain new heights. There was a holy pause and a Presence joined with us. A time of silence where we almost had to hold our breaths in case we destroyed the moment. But after the service I looked around and there were several people absent. They had become like Thomas, missing out on a precious God-encounter.
Today there are no people, believers or otherwise, who have had a physical encounter with the risen Jesus. But we believe anyway, that Jesus died and rose from the dead on the third day. We believe and will never stop believing, until we see Him again, welcoming us through the gates of Heaven.
Dear Lord Jesus. You graciously appeared to the disciples all those years ago, in a body resurrected from the grave. They believed and never stopped believing for the rest of their lives and neither shall we. We praise You today. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 