Doubting Thomas Gets A Bad Rap
This is the third sermon in this series. We’ve been looking at what’s happened since Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection and how Jesus greeted the disciples afterward. Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus first visited them, so he returns to help Thomas overcome his doubts.
26…“Peace be with you!” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:26-28
They all had their doubts until they saw Jesus’ scars, but somehow Thomas was the one dubbed as “doubting”. I think we can understand that his faith was wrecked. How on earth would God allow the death of the King of Israel?
But, that’s the problem when we place our reasoning on God. He had a plan that they couldn’t grasp. It’s still like that. So much we still can’t comprehend.
Doubts are okay, but we can’t stay there. We have to own our doubts and face them. It’s okay to talk it out with God. He knows our limited capability to understand his thought process.
But knowing that Jesus overcame death and has risen changes everything! And this is Thomas’ response to touching Jesus’ scars. He finally gets it — “My Lord and my God!”. Jesus is his Lord and also his God! The trinity is a difficult thing for many to understand, but God doesn’t live in the box we try so often to put him in.
If you believe all this — it must change your life!
Sometimes we have to ask the hard questions, and that’s okay. Even Jesus asked them in the garden as he prayed for another way. Things won’t always be easy. Believing will set us up to have hard conversations with people about why we believe the way we do.
Thomas didn’t fake belief in Jesus. People do that to save face.
An ornamental faith is useless.
For some reason, that’s the message that stands out to me from this sermon. If we act like we believe and go through the motions, it’s useless. Faith needs to go deep.
We live differently when we believe. We see Jesus through others, in the Word, in a sunrise. Our thoughts of him are all day long.
It’s natural to want to hide behind a locked door out of fear, but we’re called to be blessed and carry the hope to others.
In our doubts and confusion, Jesus comes in and breathes the power of the Holy Spirit into us. He’ll keep coming back and will push us out the door into a world that needs what he’s given us.
Take always from this message:
- Don’t suppress doubt. Be bold enough to ask the tough questions in his presence.
- Be willing to pursue the truth. Don’t seek answers — seek truth. Do something, love, serve.
- Psalm 110:1 brings it all together The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” That’s Jesus, God, Savior, and Holy Spirit rolled into one!
We’ve got to hear the tough messages sometimes. Thankful for the leaders who are willing to bring them!
In Faith,
Pam
Where God Leads 