God’s Gift is Faith - John 19-21

John 20:24-29 (ESV)

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see 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.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 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!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The theme of John’s Gospel is stated right after this above story. It reads:

John 20:30-31 (ESV)

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

What makes this startling is that John wrote the book so people would believe, yet, Thomas is the picture of unbelief.    John is trying to show that the things Jesus said and did while on the earth are worthy to believe. He further tells the readers that when we do believe these things we can have life in His name.   Yet, he writes this message after this story of doubting Thomas.    Thomas made a bold statement to the disciples after they told him that Jesus had visited them after His resurrection.   Thomas boldly states:

“Unless I see 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.”   

God uses Thomas’ doubting to allow Jesus to teach a further and more powerful truth that impacts all those who would later believe:

“Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

It is much easier to believe when you have seen something first.  You would think that seeing is always believing.  But that is not always true.  After many saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, they still did not believe:

John 11:45-46 (ESV)

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

This is the story of the Gospel.  The message is so compelling but it is God who must give us the faith to believe.   We are all doubting Thomas’.   We need to ask God to open our eyes and give us the free gift of faith:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.