In the Easter message on Sunday, I talked a bit about the disciple Thomas. He had not been with the rest of the
disciples that Easter night when Jesus joined the rest of his inner circle. When Thomas next met with them,
they excitedly told him that they had seen the Lord…alive! I can imagine him shaking his head and with a wry
smile tells them that unless he could see the nail holes in his hands and actually put his fingers in them and then
put his hand in his side where the Roman soldier had thrust his spear…he wouldn’t believe. And Thomas got
renamed as “Doubting Thomas”. His doubts only lasted for 8 days though. Jesus met with his disciples 8 days
after Easter and Thomas was there. He held out his hands to Thomas and invited him to look at the nail holes
and press his fingers through them. And then he showed him his side and told him to go ahead and place his
hand in the hole that was created by the Roman’s spear. Thomas did neither. He simply looked at Jesus and
said, “My Lord and my God!” What Thomas says there is the only time in the gospels that Jesus is declared to
be God without any kind of qualification. And Thomas wasn’t making a judgement or a theological statement.
As one person said, “It was as though he was asked “What is two plus two? Four of course!” or watching the
dawn break and see the ball of light and declare “The sun just rose.” It was a statement of observable fact. He
saw it, believed it and declared it. And even though Thomas’s name is still associated with “doubt” he brings to
the human experience the first clear observation of who Jesus is. And the promise is that this same Jesus will
return and then every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father. The confession will be the same from all of us…for those who have loved him before he will say
“Enter into the joy of your Master” and for those who ignored or spurned him in this life will be the words
“Depart from Me…I never knew you.” Get to know him while you can…it is a matter of life and death!
Here’s our Bible verse for today…
John 20:28 NLT “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Remember I’m praying for you…
Pastor Joe
Here’s our Bible verse for today…
John 20:28 NLT “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Remember I’m praying for you…
Pastor Joe