Jesus was exposing his wounds

JESUS WAS EXPOSING HIS WOUNDS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 20:27 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."
The Evidence Of Our Lord’s Wounds
BY SPURGEON
“Then saidHe to Thomas, Reachhere your finger and behold My
hands. And reachhere your hand and thrust it into My side: and be not
faithless but believing.”
John 20:27
AMONG US in this day we have many persons who are like Thomas–dubious,
demanding signs and tokens, suspicious andoftentimes sad. I am not sure that
there is not a slight touch of Thomas in most of us. There are times and
seasonswhenthe strong man fails and when the firm Believerhas to pause a
while and say, “Is it so?” It may be that our meditation upon the text before
us may be of service to those who are touched with the malady which afflicted
Thomas.
Notice, before we proceedto our subject in full–that Thomas askedof our
Lord what he ought not to have asked. He wanted to put our risen Lord to
tests which were scarcelyreverentto His sacredPerson. Admire his Master’s
patience with him. He does not say, “If he does not choose to believe he may
continue to suffer for his unbelief.” But no. He fixes His eye upon the doubter
and addresses Himselfspeciallyto him. Yet not in words of reproachor anger.
Jesus couldbear with Thomas, though Thomas had been a long time with

Him and had not known Him. To put his finger into the print of the nails and
thrust his hand into His side was much more than any disciple had a right to
ask of his Divine Master.
And yet see the condescensionof Jesus!Rather than Thomas should suffer
from unbelief, Christ will let him take greatliberties. Our Lord does not
always acttowards us according to His own dignity but according to our
necessity–andif we are really so weak that nothing will do but thrusting a
hand into His side, He will let us do it. Nor do I wonder at this–if, for our
sakes,He suffered a spear to be thrust there–He may well permit a hand to
follow.
Observe that Thomas was at once convinced. He said–“MyLord and my
God.” This shows our Master’s wisdom–thatThomas indulged Him with such
familiarity, because He knew that, though the demand was presumptuous, yet
the actwould work for Thomas'good. Our Lord sometimes wiselyrefuses–
saying, “TouchMe not. For I am not yet ascended.” Butat other times, He
wiselygrants, because, thoughit is too much for us to ask, yet He thinks it
wise to give.
The subject for our present meditation is just this–the cure of doubts. Thomas
was permitted to put his finger into the print of the nails for the curing of his
doubts. Perhaps you and I wish that we could do something like it. Oh, if our
Lord Jesus would appear to me for once and I might thrust my hand into His
side! Or, if I might for once see Him, or speak with Him–how confirmed
should I be! No doubt that thought has arisen in the minds of many. We shall
not have such proofs, my Brethren, but we shall have something near akin to
them, which will answerthe same purpose.
1. The first head of my discourse shallbe this–CRAVE NO SIGNS. If such
signs are possible, crave them not. If there are dreams, visions, voices,
ask not for them.
Crave not wonders, first, because it is dishonoring to the sacredWord to ask
for them. You believe this Bible to be an inspired volume–the Book ofGod.
The Apostle Petercalls it, “A more sure Word of prophecy; whereunto you do
well that you take heed.” Are you not satisfiedwith that? When a person, in
whose veracityyou have the utmost confidence, bears testimony to this or
that, if you straightwayreply, “I would be glad of further evidence,” you are
slighting your friend and casting unjust suspicionupon him.
Will you castsuspicionupon the Holy Spirit, who, by this Word bears witness
unto Christ? Oh, no, let us be content with His witness. Let us not wish to see
but remain satisfiedto believe. If there are difficulties in believing, is this not

natural, when he that believes is finite and the things to be believed are, in
themselves infinite? Let us acceptthe difficulties as being in themselves, in
some measure, proofs of the correctnessofour position, as inevitable
attendants of heavenly mysteries, when they are lookedat by such poor minds
as ours. Let us believe the Word and crave no signs.
Crave no signs, because it is unreasonable that we should desire more than we
already have. The testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, contained in the Word,
should alone suffice us. Beside that, we have the testimony of saints and
martyrs who have gone before us, dying triumphant in the faith. We have the
testimony of many still among us who tell us that these things are so. In part,
we have the testimony of our own conscience, ofour ownconversion, of our
own experience–andthis is convincing testimony. Let us be satisfiedwith it.
Thomas ought to have been contentwith the testimony of Mary Magdalene
and the other disciples but he was not. We ought to trust our Brethren’s word.
Let us not be unreasonable in craving after proofs when already proofs are
afforded us without stint.
Crave no signs because it may be you will be presumptuous in doing so. Who
are you to demand a signfrom God? What is it He is to do before you will
believe in Him? Suppose He does not choose to do it, are you therefore
arrogantly to say, “I refuse to believe unless the Lord will do my bidding”? Do
you imagine that any angelwould demean himself to pay attention to you,
who setyourself up to make demands of the MostHigh? Assuredly not. It is
presumption which dares to ask of God anything more than the testimony of
Himself which He choosesto grant us in His Word.
It is, moreover, damaging to ourselves to crave signs. Jesus says,“Blessedare
they that have not seenand yet have believed.” Thomas had his sign and he
believed. So far, so good–buthe missed a blessing peculiar to those who have
not seenand yet have believed. Do not, therefore, rob yourselves of the special
favor which lights on those who, with no evidence but the witness of the Spirit
of God, are prepared at once to believe in the Lord Jesus unto eternal life.
Again, crave no signs, for this craving is highly perilous. Translatedaccording
to many and I think translated correctly, our Saviorsaid, “Reachhere your
finger and put it into the print of the nails. And become not faithless but
believing”–intending to indicate that Thomas, by degrees, wouldbecome
faithless. His faith had grown to be so little that if he continued insisting upon
this and that, as a sign or evidence, that faith of his would get down to the very
lowest. Yes, he would have no faith left. “Become notfaithless but believing.”

DearFriends, if you began to seek signs and if you were to see them, do you
know what would happen? Why, you would want more. And when you had
these, you would demand still more. Those who live by their feelings judge of
the Truth of God by their owncondition. When they have happy feelings, then
they believe. But if their spirits sink, if the weatherhappens to be a little
damp, or if their constitution happens to be a little disordered–downgo their
spirits and straightway, down goes their faith.
He that lives by a faith which does not reston feeling but is built upon the
Word of the Lord, will remain fixed and steadfastas the mount of God. But he
that craves for this thing and that thing as a tokenfor goodat the hand of the
Lord, stands in dangerof perishing from want of faith. He shall not perish if
he has even a grain of living faith–for God will deliver him from the
temptation. But the temptation is a very trying one to faith.
Crave, therefore, no sign. If you read a story of a person who saw a vision, or
if you hear another declare that a voice spoke to him–believe those things, or
not, as you like. But do not desire them for yourself. These wonders may, or
may not, be freaks ofthe imagination–I will not judge. But we must not rely
upon them, for we are not to walk by sight but by faith. Rely not upon
anything that can be seenof the eyes or heard of the ears. But simply trust
Him whom we know to be the Christ of God, the Rock of our salvation.
II. Secondly, when you want comfort, crave no sign but TURN TO THE
WOUNDS OF YOUR LORD. You see what Thomas did. He wantedfaith and
he lookedfor it in Jesus wounded. He says nothing about Christ’s head
crownedwith glory. He does not say that he must see Him “girt about the
paps with a golden girdle.” Thomas, even in his unbelief, is wise. He turns to
his Lord’s wounds for comfort. Whenever your unbelief prevails, follow in
this respectthe conduct of Thomas and turn your eyes straightwayto the
wounds of Jesus. These are the never-failing consolation, from which, if a man
does once drink, he shall forget his misery and remember his sorrow no more.
Turn to the Lord’s wounds. And if you do, what will you see?
First, you will see the tokens of your Master’s love. O Lord Jesus, whatare
these wounds in Your side and in Your hands? He answers, “TheseI endured
when suffering for you. How can I forgetyou? I have engraved you upon the
palms of My hands. How can I ever fail to remember you? On My very heart
the spearhas written your name.” Look at Jesus, dead, buried, risen and then
say, “He loved me and gave Himself for me”! There is no restorative for a
sinking faith like a sight of the wounded Savior. Look, Soul, and live by the
proofs of His death! Come and put your finger, by faith, into the print of the

nails and these wounds shall heal you of unbelief. The wounds of our Lord are
the tokens ofHis love.
They are, again, the seals ofHis death–especiallythat wound in His side. He
must have died, for “one of the soldiers, with a spear, piercedHis side and
forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare witness.”
The Son of God did assuredly die. God, who made the heavens and the earth,
took to Himself our nature and in one wondrous PersonHe was both God and
Man. And lo! This wondrous Sonof Godbore sufferings unutterable and
consummated all by His death. This is our comfort–forif He died in our
place–thenwe shall not die for our sins. Our transgressionis put awayand
our iniquity is pardoned. If the Sacrifice had never been slain, we might
despair. But since the spearwound proves that the greatSacrifice reallydied–
despair is slain, hope revives and confidence rejoices.
The wounds of Jesus, next, are the marks of identity. By these we identify His
blessedPersonafterHis resurrection. The very Christ that died has risen
again. There is no illusion–there could be no mistake. It is not somebodyelse
foisted upon us in His place–butJesus who died has left the dead, for there are
the marks of the crucifixion in His hands and in His feetand there is the
spear-thrust still. It is Jesus–this same Jesus. This is a matter of great comfort
to a Christian–this indisputably proven doctrine of the resurrectionof our
Lord. It is the keystone ofthe Gospelarch. Take that away, or doubt it and
there remains nothing to console you. But because Jesus diedand the same
Personrose againand everlives, therefore does our heart sweetlyrest
believing that “them also which sleepin Jesus will God bring with Him.” And
also that the whole of the work of Jesus is true, is completedand is acceptedof
God.
Again, those wounds, those scars ofour Lord, were the memorials of His love
to His people. They set forth His love so that His chosencansee the tokens.
But they are also memorials to Himself. He condescendinglybears these as His
reminders. In Heaven, at this moment, upon the Personof our blessedLord
there are the scars of His crucifixion. Centuries have gone by and yet He looks
like a Lamb that has been slain. Our first glance will assure us that this is He
of whom they said, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
Steadily look with the eyes of your faith into Glory and see your Master’s
wounds and saywithin yourself, “He has compassionupon us still–He bears
the marks of His passion.” Look up, poor Sufferer! Jesus knows whatphysical
pain means. Look up, poor depressedone! He knows what a broken heart
means. Can you not perceive this? Those prints upon His hands, these sacred

stigmata, declare that He has not forgottenwhat He underwent for us but still
feels for us.
Once again–these wounds may comfort us because in Heaven they are, before
God and the holy angels, the perpetual ensigns of His finished work. That
passionof His cannever be repeatedand never needs to be–“AfterHe had
offered one sacrifice for sins forever, He satdown on the right hand of God.”
But the memorials are always being presented before the infinite mind of God.
Those memorials are, in part, the wounds in our Lord’s blessedPerson.
Glorified spirits cannever ceaseto sing, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.”
For every time they gaze upon Him they perceive His scars. How resplendent
shine the nail-prints! No jewels that ever gemmed a king can look one-half so
lustrous as these. Though He is God overall blessedforever, yet to us, at least,
His brightest splendor comes from His death.
My Hearer, wheneveryour soul is clouded, turn to these wounds which shine
like a constellationoffive bright stars. Look not to your own wounds, nor to
your own pains, or sins, or prayers, or tears–butremember that “with His
stripes we are healed.” Gaze, then, gaze intently upon your Redeemer’s
wounds if you would find comfort.
III. This brings me to my third point. Whenever faith is staggeredatall SEEK
SUCH HELPS FOR YOUR FAITH AS YOU MAY. Though we cannot
literally put our finger into the print of the nails and may not wish to do so,
yet let us use such modes of recognitionas we do possess.Let us put these to
their utmost use. And we shall no longerdesire to put our hand into the
Savior’s side. We shall be perfectly satisfiedwithout that. You that are
troubled with doubts and fears, I give you these recommendations–
First, if you would have your faith made vivid and strong, study much the
story of your Savior’s death. Read it–readit–read it–read it. “Tolle–lege,”
said the voice to Augustine, “Take it–readit.” So sayI. Take the four
Evangelists–takethe fifty-third chapterof Isaiah–takethe twenty-second
Psalm. Take all other parts of Scripture that relate to our suffering Substitute
and read them by day and by night till you familiarize yourself with the whole
story of His griefs and sin-bearing. Keep your mind intently fixed upon it. Not
sometimes but continually.
Crux lux–the Cross is light. You shall see it by its own light. The study of the
narrative–if you pray the Holy Spirit to enlighten you–will beget faith in you.
And you will, by its means, be very greatly helped, till, at last, you will say, “I
cannot doubt. The Truth of the atonementis impressed upon my memory, my
heart, my understanding. The recordhas convinced me.”

Next, if this suffices not, frequently contemplate the sufferings of Jesus. I
mean by that when you have read the story, sit down and try and picture it.
Let your mind conceive it as passing before you. Put yourself into the position
of the Apostles who saw Him die. No employment will so greatly strengthen
faith and certainly none will be more enjoyable!–
“Sweetthe moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the Cross I spend,
Life and health and peace possessing
From the sinner’s dying Friend.”
An hour would be grandly spent if occupiedin turning over eachlittle detail,
item and incident in the marvelous death by which you are redeemedfrom
death and Hell. You will be surprised to find how this familiarizing of yourself
with it–by the help of the Holy Spirit–will make it as vivid to you as if you saw
it. And it will have a better effectupon your mind than the sight of it would
have done. Forprobably the actual sight would have passedawayfrom your
mind and have been forgotten–while the contemplation of the sorrowful scene
will sink deep into your soul and leave eternal lines!
You will do well, first, to read and know the narrative and then to
contemplate it carefully and earnestly–Imean not to think of it for a minute
or two at chance times but to take an hour or two that you can speciallyset
apart on purpose to considerthe story of your Savior’s death. I am persuaded,
if you do this, it will be more helpful to you than putting his finger into the
print of the nails was to Thomas.
What next? Why, dear Friends, the Lord has a way of giving His people
wonderful realizations. I hope I shall not say anything incorrectwith this
remark. There are times with us when the Lord is present with us and we are
strongly impressed with that fact. Therefore we actunder a sense ofthat
Presence as if the Divine Glory were actually visible. Do you know what it is to
write a letter to a friend feeling as if the Lord Jesus were looking overyour
shoulder? I know what it is at times to stand here and preachand feel my
Lord so near me that if I had literally seenHim it would not have surprised
me.
Have you ever, in the watches ofthe night, lain quietly when there was no
sound but the ticking of the watch and thought of your Lord till, though you
knew there was no form before you, you were just as certain that He was
there as if you could see His sorrowfulcountenance? In quiet places all alone–
you scarcelylike to tell the story–in the lone woodand in the upper chamber–

you have said, “If He spoke I should not be more certain of His Presence. And
if He smiled upon me I should not be surer of His love.”
These realizations have sometimes been so joyfully overwhelming that for
years you have been lifted by them beyond all powerof doubt. These holy
summer days banish the frosts of the soul. Whenevera doubt is suggestedto
me about the existence of my Lord and Master, I feelthat I can laugh the
tempter to scornfor I have seenHim and spokenwith Him–not with these
eyes but with the eyes of my inner life I have beheld my Lord and communed
with Him!
Nor is it merely in seasons ofenjoyment that we getthese helps but in times of
deep distress. Prostrate with pain, unable to enjoy any comfort, unable evento
sleep–Ihave seenthe soul of the Believeras happy as if all sounds were
marriage peals. Some of us know what it is to be right gleesome,gladand
joyous in hours of fierce trial because Christ has been so near. In times of
losses andbereavements–whenthe sorrow stung you to the quick and you
thought, before it came, that you never could bear it–you have been so
sustainedby a sight of the sacredHeadonce wounded and by fellowshipwith
Him in His sufferings, that you have said, “What are my griefs compared with
His?”
You have forgottenyour sorrows and sung for joy of heart, as those that make
merry. If you have been helped in this way, it will have all the effectupon you
that ever could have come of putting your finger into the print of the nails. If,
perhaps, you have been given up to die and have, mentally, gone through the
whole process ofdying–expecting soonto stand before the bar of God and
have been happy and even exultant–then you could not doubt the reality of a
religion that bore you up above the surging billows. Now that you are again
restoredto life for a little longer the remembrance of your buoyant spirits–in
what you thought to be your dying hours–willanswerall the purpose to you, I
think, of putting your finger into the nail-prints.
Sometimes the strengthening influence may be afforded under the stress of
temptation. If ever, young man, you have had a strong temptation hurling
itself againstyou and your feet have almost gone–wait, letme not say “young
man”–if ever a man or a woman of any age has had to cry out, “God, help
me–how shall I escape outof this?” And you have then turned your eyes and
seenyour Lord and beheld His wounds. If you have felt at that moment the
temptation had lostall power, you have had a sealfrom the Lord and your
faith has been confirmed.

If at the sight of your Lord you have exclaimed, in presence ofthe temptation,
“How can I do this greatwickednessand sin againstGod?” Then my Beloved,
by the Grace of God, you have had the best proof of your Redeemer’s power
to save. What better or more practicalproof could you desire?
In these times, when the foundations of our faith are constantlybeing
undermined, one is sometimes driven to say to himself, “Suppose it is not
true.” As I stood, the other night, beneath the sky and watchedthe stars, I felt
my heart going up to the greatMakerwith all the love that I was capable of. I
said to myself, “What made me love God as I know I do? What made me feel
an anxiety to be like Him in purity? Whatever made me long to obey my God
cannot be a lie.” I know that it was the love of Jesus for me that changedmy
heart and made me, though once carelessand indifferent to Him, now to pant
with strong desires to honor Him.
What has done this? Not a lie, surely. A Truth, then, has done it. I know it by
its fruits. If this Bible were to turn out untrue and if I died and went before
my Maker, couldI not sayto Him, “I believed great things of You, greatGod.
If it is not so, yet did I not honor You by the faith I had concerning Your
wondrous goodnessand Your powerto forgive?” And I would castmyself
upon His mercy without fear. But we do not entertain such doubts. For those
dear wounds continually prove the Truth of the Gospeland the Truth of our
salvationby it. Incarnate Deity is a thought that was never invented by a
poet’s mind, nor reasonedout by philosopher’s skill. Incarnate Deity, the
notion of the God that lived and bled and died in human form, instead of
guilty man–it is itself its ownbest witness. The wounds are the infallible
witness of the GospelofChrist.
Have you not felt those wounds very powerful to you in the form of assistance
in times of duty? You said, “I cannotdo it, it is too hard for me.” You looked
to Jesus wounded and you could do anything. A sight of the bleeding Christ
has often filled us with enthusiasm and so with power–ithas rendered us
mighty with the omnipotence of God. Look at the Church of Christ in all ages.
Kings and princes did not know what to do with her. They vowedthat they
would destroy her. Their persecuting edicts went forth and they put to death
thousands upon thousands of the followers of Christ. But what happened?
The death of Jesus made men willing to die for Him. No pain, no torture could
keepback the believing host. They loved Jesus so that though their leaders fell
by bloody deaths, another rank came on and yet another and another, till
despots saw that neither dungeon, nor rack, nor fire could stop the march of
the army of Christ. It is so now. Christ’s wounds pour life into the Church by
transfusion–the lifeblood of the Church of God is from Jesus'wounds. Let us

know its powerand feel it working within us to will and to do of His good
pleasure.
And as for those who do not trust Him, what shall I say? The Lord help you to
do so at once. Foras long as you do not trust Him, you are under an awful
curse–forit is written, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus, let him be
Anathema Maranatha”–cursedatthe coming of the Lord. May it not be so
with you! Amen. LETTER FROM MR. SPURGEON.
BELOVED READERS–Thanksbe unto God for thirty-four volumes of
sermons thus completed. May they continue to be blessedof God long after
the preacherand his present readers have entered into rest. The speakeris
still laid aside by weakness,but the Word of the Lord never loses its power.
His voice canonly be heard of a few thousands but the printed page will talk
to multitudes. Let us pray that the still small voice of the Holy Spirit may
sound in the heart of readers for many generations to come.
A book may enclose the spikenard of a Truth of God, which, when forgotten,
it shall give back to men with all its first perfume. The generationwhich now
is may treat the Doctrines ofGrace as if they were worthless but these
priceless gems will yet be prized by a more enlightened age and judged to be
of infinitely more value than all the tinsel which amuses our contemporaries. I
am contentto preachtoday to a comparatively small circle since I believe that
the Truths I deliver are revealedof God for the salvationof multitudes
innumerable. In some future day the Lord whom I serve will vindicate every
faithful testifier of them from the reproachof men. At the same time, I praise
God that even so many have been found faithful to the ancient faith of our
fathers. Grace be with them all.
At the close ofthe year I salute my Brethren and entreata place in their daily
prayers. I ask that I may be allowedto return to my pulpit in health and may
see the cause of our Lord prospering everywhere.
Yours in Christ,
C.H. SpurgeonEnd of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit–Volume 34
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics

The Unbelief Of Thomas
John 20:24-29
D. Young
I. THOMAS AND HIS FELLOW-APOSTLES. Whenthey told Thomas they
had seenJesus, andhe refusedto believe, they must have been rather
staggeredat first. They would insist on how they had seenJesus with their
own eyes, and heard him with their own ears;not one of them, but all. They
would point out how the sepulcherwas empty, and how Jesus had said that it
behoovedhim to be raisedfrom the dead. They might ask whether Thomas
imagined that they were all in a conspiracyto play an unseemly practical joke
upon him. Yet there was really nothing to complain about in the incredulity of
Thomas. Who of them had believed Jesus as he deservedto be believed? Their
thoughts had never been really directed towards resurrection. They had been
dreaming of individual glory and sell: advancement, and all that tended in a
different direction had been unnoticed. We must do them the justice to say
that no tone of complaint againstThomas appears. Theywould be too
conscious thatwith the beam so recently taken out of their own eye, they had
no right to declaim againstthe mote in their brother's eye.
II. THOMAS AND JESUS. Whatis Jesus to do with Thomas? Is he to remain
in this state of emphatic unbelief, with no means takento help him into faith?
Will Jesus make a specialappearance, allfor Thomas's satisfaction? Surely
that can hardly be, but time will tell. A week elapses, andthe disciples are
gatheredagain, Thomas being with them. Jesus reappears, justafter the
former fashion. What, then, will Thomas do? Will he rush to Jesus, confessing
and bewailing the wickednessofhis unbelief? Jesus removes alldifficulty by
taking the first step himself. All the apostles needto be taught a lesson. Jesus
knows wellthat faith can never originate in things that can be seenand felt
and handled. Such things may help faith, but cannot produce it. The
confessionofThomas, prompt and ardent as it seems, counts for little with
Jesus. He does not say, "Blessedart thou, Thomas;for flesh and blood hath
not revealedthis unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Thomas had
to be both lovingly helped and delicatelyrebuked.
III. PROBABLE AFTER-EXPERIENCESOF THOMAS. Thomas would
meet many of an unbelieving spirit, who could not, just upon his word, accept
the resurrectionof Jesus. And then Thomas would have to reply, "I once
thought as you do; I insisted on seeing the marks of the wounds; and my
Master, in his boundless condescensionto the infirmities of his servants, let
me see whatI wanted to see. But, at the same time, he taught me a lesson, in

the strength of which I have gone ever since." All the apostles had soonto
believe in One whom they could not see. Where he had gone, they knew not;
and how he was to communicate with them and they with him, they could not
explain; but most assuredlya real and fruitful communication was
established. Jesus was notspeaking of an impossible blessedness, ordangling
the attractions of a dream before the eyes of his disciples. The unseen, and not
the seen, is what strengthens faith. What men see is the very thing that makes
them unbelievers, confusing them, perplexing them, utterly disabling them
from laying hold on anything solid and comforting. If the seenhides the
unseen, so that Jesus himself becomes the merest of tames, then there is
dreadful misery. - Y.
Biblical Illustrator
Then said He to Thomas, Reachhither thy finger.
John 20:27
Signs and evidences
C. H. Spurgeon.
: —
1. How struck must Thomas have been when his Lord addressedto him the
very words which he had himself used (ver. 25)! Jesus knows how to send the
word home to us.
2. In the church of to-day we have many a Thomas, — slow, suspicious,
critical, full of doubts, yet true-hearted.
3. Thomas sethis Lord a test, and thus tried His patience.
4. The Lord acceptedthe test, and so proved His condescension.
5. The proof sufficed for Thomas, and thus showedthe Lord's wisdom.
6. Peradventure, certain among us would desire tests of some such sort. To
those we would earnestlysay —
I. CRAVE NO SIGNS. After the full proofs Which Christ gave to His apostles,
we need no more, and to look for further signs and evidences would be wrong.
Yet some are demanding miracles, faith-healings, visions, voices, impressions,
transports, depressions, &c.
1. It is dishonouring to your Lord.

2. It is unreasonable, whenthe truth bears its own evidence.
3. It is presumptuous. How dare we stipulate for proof more than sufficient,
or demand evidence of a sortwhich pleases ourprejudices!
4. It is damaging to ourselves. Faithmust be weak while we demand for it
such proofs; and in this weaknesslies incalculable mischief.
5. It is dangerous. We may readily be driven either into infidelity or
superstition, if we give way to this craving for signs. Picture what Thomas
could and would have become under the influence of his unbelief, had not his
Lord interposed.
II. YET TURN TO CHRIST'S WOUNDS. Let these stand to you instead of
signs and wonders. Beholdin these wounds —
1. The seals of His death. He did actually and truly die. How could He outlive
that wound in His side?
2. The identification of His personas actually risen.
3. The tokens of His love. He has gravenus upon the palms of His hands.
4. The ensigns of His conflict, of which He is not ashamed, for He displays
them.
5. The memorials of His passion, by which He is manifested in glory as the
Lamb that was slain (Revelation5:6). This should more than suffice you; but
should doubt still linger —
III. USE SUCH EVIDENCES AS YOU POSSESS.
1. The sacrednarrative of our Lord's life and death, if carefully studied,
exhibits a singular self-evidencing power.
2. The regenerating and purifying result of faith in the greatLord is a further
piece of evidence. "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).
3. The solace whichfaith yields in sorrow is goodproof.
4. The strength it gives in the hour of temptation is further help.
5. The ardour of mind and elevation of aim, which faith in Jesus creates, are
other experimental arguments.
6. The visitations of the Holy Spirit, in quickening the heart, reviving the
spirit, and guiding the mind, are additional proofs. Thus the Holy Ghost bears
witness to our Lord.

7. The actual enjoyment of fellowshipwith the Lord Jesus Himself is the
master-keyof the whole controversy. "We have knownand believed" (1 John
4:17). Conclusion:
1. Does this seem an idle tale to you?
2. Should you not see cause forfear, if it be so?
3. Seek now to view those wounds believingly, that you may live.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Christ knownby the nail prints
H. O. Mackey.
In an old legend it is said that Satanonce appearedto an old saint and said, "I
am Christ," when the saint confounded him, and exposedhis pretensions, as
he said, "Thenwhere are the nail-prints?"
(H. O. Mackey.)
Be not faithless but believing
A gentleman who assistedthe Countess of Huntingdon in the managementof
Spa-fields Chapel, calledupon her one day, to expostulate with her on the
impropriety of entering into engagements withouthaving the means of
honourably fulfilling them. Before he left the house her letters arrived. As she
opened one her countenance brightened, and her tears began to flow; the
letter was to this effect, "An individual, who has heard of Lady Huntingdon's
exertions to spreadthe gospel, requests her acceptance ofthe encloseddraft to
assisther in the laudable undertaking." The draft was for five hundred
pounds — the exactsum for which she stood engaged. "Here," saidshe, "take
it, and pay for the chapel, and be no longer faithless, but believing."
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(27) Then saith. he to Thomas . . .—This implies a knowledge ofthe words of
John 20:25, which in itself would carry conviction to the mind of Thomas.

This repetition must have carriedwith this conviction a sense ofshame at his
unbelief.
And be not faithless, but believing.—Better, and become not unbelieving, but
believing. The words do not apply to the fact of the Resurrectiononly, but to
the generalspiritual condition of the Apostle. He was in dangerof passing
from the state of a believer in Christ to that of an unbeliever. His demand for
the evidence of the senses was a step backward, a resting on the less, not on
the more, certain. His Masterwould have him retrace that step, and become
one who rests upon the intuition of the Spirit.
BensonCommentary
John 20:27-29. Thensaid he to Thomas, Reachhither thy finger, &c. — Thus
our Lord lets them see, that he was not unacquainted with what had lately
passedamong them in his absence, andat the same time takes an effectual
way to convince and satisfy his over-scrupulous disciple. Referring to what
Thomas had said, he answers it word for word: for he had heard it, though
unseen: and one would suppose that his telling him of it so particularly must
surely have put him to the blush. Observe well, reader, there is not an
unbelieving word in our tongues, no, nor thought in our minds at any time,
but it is known to the Lord Jesus. And be not faithless, but believing —
Believe on this evidence at least, which addresses itselfto so many of thy
senses.And Thomas — Overwhelmed at once with such abundant
demonstration of the factin question, and such condescending kindness of his
Master, fell under the conviction in a moment, and, instead of entering on any
further scrutiny, answered — In the utmost transport of astonishment and
joy; My Lord and my God! — As if he had said, I now not only acknowledge
thee to be Jesus my Lord, as I have formerly done, and to be infallibly risen
from the dead, as my fellow- disciples have affirmed, but I confess thy divine
knowledge and power, and prostrate myself before thee as the great incarnate
Deity, the glorious Immanuel. And this glorious confessionhe makes without
putting his finger into the print of the nails, &c. The irrefragable argument
arising from these words, in proof of the Deity of our blessedLord, (which so
many goodwriters have statedat large,)cannotbe evadedby saying, that
these words are only an exclamation of surprise, as if he had said, GoodGod!
is it indeed thus? for it is expresslydeclared, he spoke these words to him: and
no doubt Christ would severelyhave reproved him, if there had not been just
reasonto address him thus. It is worthy of observationhere, that this slowness
and backwardnessin Thomas to believe, ought to strengthen and confirm our
faith. Forhereby it appears, that the witnesses ofChrist’s resurrection, who

attestedit to the world, and pledged their lives upon it, were not easy,
credulous men, but very cautious persons, that suspended their belief till they
saw the utmost evidence of it which they could desire. Jesus saithunto him,
Becausethou hast seenme, thou hast believed — Thou hast believed my
resurrection, because thou hast had it confirmed to thee by the united
testimony of severalof thy senses. Blessedare they who have not seenme
themselves, and yet have believed — On the credible testimony of others. For
they have manifested a greaterdegree ofcandour and humility, which renders
the faith it produces so much the more acceptable:in other words, they are
persons of a more pious and virtuous disposition, who, without the evidence of
sense, are so candid as to yield to the proofs which the divine wisdom has
thought sufficient for convincing the world. If it be queried why a greater
blessednessis pronounced on those who believe on more slender evidence, it
may be answered, that our Lord by no means intended to assert, that every
one who believes without seeing, is happier than any one believing on sight;
for then the meanestChristian now would be more happy than the greatestof
the apostles:but only that, where the effects ofthat faith were equal, it argued
greatersimplicity, candour, and wisdom to yield to reasonable evidence
without seeing, than could be arguedmerely from having believed on sight,
after sufficient evidence of another kind had been proposed. It was therefore,
in effect, telling Thomas, his faith would have been more acceptable, if he had
not stoodout so long: and it was doing it in such a manner as would be most
calculatedfor the comfort and encouragementof believers in future ages,to
whom, in many of his speeches to the apostles themselves, ourLord expresses
a most obliging and affectionate regard. Let us then maturely considerthis
declarationof our greatInstructer and Saviour. And though we have not
those sensible manifestations which were granted to Thomas, let it suffice us,
that the apostles were the appointed witnessesofall these things; and what
they saw with their eyes, and their hands handled, of the word of life, that
have they declaredunto us, 1 John 1:1; 1 John 1:3. Let us thankfully receive
so convincing a testimony. Let us show an upright and candid mind in
accepting suchevidence as the wisdom of God has seenfit to give us;
remembering, that a truly rational faith is the more acceptable to God, in
proportion to the difficulties which it is able to surmount; and that there are
peculiar blessings in store for them who have not seen, and yet believed.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
20:26-29 Thatone day in sevenshould be religiously observed, was an
appointment from the beginning. And that, in the kingdom of the Messiah, the
first day of the week should be that solemn day, was pointed out, in that

Christ on that day once and againmet his disciples in a religious assembly.
The religious observance ofthat day has come down to us through every age
of the church. There is not an unbelieving word in our tongues, nor thought in
our minds, but it is knownto the Lord Jesus;and he was pleasedto
accommodate himselfeven to Thomas, rather than leave him in his unbelief.
We ought thus to bear with the weak, Ro 15:1,2. This warning is given to all.
If we are faithless, we are Christless and graceless,hopeless andjoyless.
Thomas was ashamedof his unbelief, and cried out, My Lord and my God. He
spoke with affection, as one that took hold of Christ with all his might; My
Lord and my God. Sound and sincere believers, though slow and weak, shall
be graciouslyacceptedofthe Lord Jesus. It is the duty of those who read and
hear the gospel, to believe, to embrace the doctrine of Christ, and that record
concerning him, 1Jo 5:11.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
And after eight days again - That is, on the return of the first day of the week.
From this it appears that they thus early setapart this day for assembling
together, and Jesus countenancedit by appearing twice with them. It was
natural that the apostles should observe this day, but not probable that they
would do it without the sanctionof the Lord Jesus. His repeatedpresence gave
such a sanction, and the historicalfact is indisputable that from this time this
day was observedas the Christian Sabbath. See Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2;
Revelation1:10.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
27. Then saith he to Thomas, Reachhither … behold … put it into my side,
and be not faithless, but believing—"There is something rhythmical in these
words, and they are purposely couchedin the words of Thomas himself, to put
him to shame" [Luthardt]. But wish what condescensionand gentleness is this
done!
Matthew Poole's Commentary
We had need take heed what we speak whereverwe are. Christ had not after
his resurrectionso ordinary and frequent a converse with his disciples as
before. This is the fifth time that we read of Christ’s appearing to them since
his resurrection. He knew what words of unbelief Thomas had uttered, and
accordinglyapplies himself to him, in a wonderful condescensionto his
weakness;he bids him reachhis finger, and his hands, and behold his hands,
and thrust his hands into his side. So pitiful is our Lord, and compassionate
towards the infirmities of his people.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then saith he to Thomas,.... Forwhose sake he chiefly came, and whom he at
once singled out from the rest, and calledby name in the most friendly
manner, without upbraiding or reproaching him for not believing the
testimony that had been given him:
reachhither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reachhither thine hand
and thrust it into my side; that is, make use of every wayby seeing, feeling,
and examining the scars in my hands, and the hole in my side, and satisfy
thyself in the manner thou hast desired; which shows the omniscience of
Christ, who knew what had passedbetweenhim and the other disciples, and
the very words Thomas had expressedhimself in; also his greathumility and
condescensionin submitting himself to be examined in the very manner he
had fixed; and likewise the reality of his resurrection:
and be not faithless, but believing; in which words Christ dissuades him from
unbelief, which is very evil in its own nature, and in its effects;it is the root of
all evil; it unfits for duty, and renders the word unprofitable, and leads men
off from Christ; and is the more aggravatedin the people of God, by the
instances, declarations, and promises of grace, and discoveries oflove made
unto them: and he also encourageshim to believe. The exercise ofthe grace of
faith is well pleasing to Christ; it gives glory to him, and makes for the soul's
comfort; and a word from Christ, his powergoing along with it, will enable
men to believe, as it did Thomas; which appears by what follows.
Geneva Study Bible
Then saith he to Thomas, Reachhither thy finger, and behold my hands; and
reachhither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but
believing.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
John 20:27. Εἶτα λέγει … πιστός. He does not need to be informed of Thomas’
incredulity; although it is quite possible that, as Lücke supposes, the others
had mentioned it to Him. Still, this is not in the text. Cf. Weiss, who also
quotes Bengel’s characteristic note:“Si Pharisaeus ita dixisset Nisi videro,
etc., nil impetrasset;sed discipulo pridem probato nil non datur,”. Weiss
supposes the hands were seen(ἴδε), the side only touched under the clothes.
Some suppose that as the feet are not mentioned in this passage,they had not
been nailed but only bound to the cross. See Lücke’s interesting note. καὶ μὴ
γίνου ἄπιστος ἀλλὰ πιστός, “Incredulitas aliquid habet de voluntario”.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges

27. saith, &c.]He at once shews to S. Thomas that He knows the testthat he
had demanded.
behold] Better, see;it is the same word as S. Thomas used in John 20:25.
be not] Rather, become not. The demand for this proof did not make S.
Thomas faithless, but it placed him in peril of becoming so. ‘Faithless’and
‘believing’ are verbal as well as actual contradictories in the Greek.
‘Faithless’and ‘faithful,’ ‘unbelieving and ‘believing’ would in this respectbe
better; but it is best to leave it as in the A. V.
Bengel's Gnomen
John 20:27. Τῶ Θωμᾷ, to Thomas)He had previously believed: on this
accounthe is not even now castaway.—φέρε, reach)apply to.—τὶν δάκτυλόν
σου, thy finger) Thomas’own words are retorted upon him: how must he
have been astonished, we may suppose, at the omniscience and goodness ofthe
Saviour! If a Pharisee had spokenthus, unless I shall see, etc., he would have
obtained nothing; but to a disciple that has been formerly approved of, there
is nothing that is not given.—ὧδε, hither) The Demonstrative.—ἴδε)touchand
see. Thomas had said, ἐὰν μὴ ἴδω, unless I shall see.—πιστὸς, believing)He
had said, I will not believe.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 27. - Then (εϊτα, not οϋν; delude, Vulgate; darnach, Luther) saith he to
Thomas, as though he had read his heart and sounded the depth of his
complicatedconflict betweenhope and fear, despair and love, and moreover
intimating the fact that he had heard his disciple's protestations, as wellas
mercifully appreciatedhis genuine difficulties, and not unnatural hesitation,
Reachhither thy finger, that organ with which thou wouldesttest the reality
of my being. Do what thou wilt. See!my hands; and as the word was spoken
he spread before his doubting, loving disciple those hands which were nailed
to the cursedtree, with all the signs of his greatagonyupon them still.
Thomas had said that he must "see,"and that he must touch - "lay his finger
in the print of the nails." Here was the Divine opportunity for him, with more
than one sense, to assure himself of the reality. And reachhither thy hand
(againthe Lord quoted the very words in which the incredulousness of
Thomas had been expressed), and put it into my side. He says nothing of the
print of the nails, but offers the sacredprivilege to the doubtful disciple.
Thomas shall have the precise evidence he craved. The most hesitating of the

entire group shall have the aid to his faith which he fancied indispensable in
his particular case. How often has the unbeliever said, "If such or such
evidence be not granted to me, I cannot, I will not, I by no means will
believe"!Thus Gideon proved the Lord's willingness to utilize his feeble
strength in delivering Israelfrom the Midianites; and even Ahaz was
summoned by Isaiah to choose anysign whatsoeverin heaven above or in the
earth to prove the indestructible vitality of the true seedof Israel and real
house of David. Consequently, we cannot say with Bengel, "SiPharisseus its
dixisset, 'nisi videro, etc.,'nil impetrassetsed discipulo pridem probato nil non
datur." The Lord does sometimes offer exactly what we ask by way of proof;
but we cannot know the precise effectit will produce, even when it is bestowed
or when something still more explicit is actually provided for our weakness.
Just as the cruel taunts which malice heaped or hurled on the name and work
of our Divine Lord became wreaths of glory for his brow, so the cruel wounds
which unbelief and bigoted hatred of goodnesshad inflicted on Immanuel
became from that very hour the high, main, indelible evidence of his supreme
victory. And become not (μὴ γίνου) what thou art in danger of becoming - the
Lord does not saythat Thomas's - faithless, but that he runs the risk of
ultimately becoming so through the dependence of his spirit upon the outward
(so Meyer, Lange, Westcott, etc.);but be believing, faithful. It is impossible
fully to express the play upon these two words. Ἄπιστος is not so much a
worthless, untrustworthy person, as one who has settleddown into an abiding
condition of unbelief; and πίστος is not simply" believing," but"
trustworthy," "trusty," and "trustful."
Vincent's Word Studies
Be not (μὴ γίνου)
Literally, become not. Thomas was in a fair wayto become unbelieving,
through his doubt of the resurrection.
Faithless - believing (ἄπιστος - πιστός)
There is a correspondenceofthe words here, to which, perhaps, the nearest
approachin English is unbelieving, believing.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES

BRIAN BELL
John 20:19-31 2-28-09 “Trusting Is Believing!”
I. INTRO:A. Teaching Schedule next 2 weeks:[Wed 3/3 Worship Night; Sun
3/7 JeffT + Comm; Wed 3/10 PastrTony Sch; Sun 3/14 Greg Opean]B. 3rd
Service:MasterSergeantJoe Maldonado (w.Sylvia;Joe Jr; Jasmine)
deployed to Afghanistan early March. [Already served 2 tours in Iraq] -
Usher.
C. C.S. Lewis in, A Grief Observed - You never know how much you really
believe anything until its truth or falsehoodbecomes a matter of life and
death! It is easyto say you believe a rope to be strong as long as you are
merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a
precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discoverhow much you really trusted it? 1.
Do you believe? Do you have faith in Jesus? Do youreally trust in Him?
D. Outline: In ch.20 we have 4 reactions to the resurrection: 1. Hearing is
Believing! (Mary Mag hearing Jesus say, “Mary”) - Seeing is Believing! (10
apostles)- Proving is Believing!(Thomas) - Trusting is Believing!(us)
II. TRUSTING IS BELIEVING! A. SEEING IS BELIEVING!(19-23)B. The
room is dark. Only a flickering oil lamp dancing shadows upon the walls. The
windows shuttered & door barred, the disciples cowerin the shadows. Nails
bitten to the nub. Jaws clenchedin anxiety. Heads aching. Throats parched.
Tongues clinging to their mouth. (Chuck Swindoll John; pg.95)C. But locked
doors will not give you peace...norkeepyour Savior out! 1. Matterof fact He
shows up & gives these frightened disciples what they need most...Himself! D.
Peace be with you - 1. This peace is based on His sacrifice onthe cross. 2.
Rom.5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,

E. (20) With the words Peacebe with you, a calm settles overtheir heart, so
they gatheraround for a closerlook. {Theywere glad when they saw the
Lord}
1
F. “Look atthe wounds of Jesus!” cried Staupitz to Martin Luther (Staupitz
supervised Martin Luther during a criticalperiod in his spiritual life). 1.
There is indeed no other sign which can give rest/peace to the penitent. a)
Have you “Look at the wounds of Jesus”?
G. Peaceto you! - The 1st messageofpeace was accompaniedby Him showing
his wounds. Now the 2nd time the messageofpeace was accompaniedby an
injunction to go forth into the world. (On the greaterrand of world
evangelism)1. See My hands...It’s Me! - See My hands...and Go! 2. The 1st
“peace”is peace with God, basedon His sacrifice on the cross. Thatis why He
showedthem His hands and side. 3. The 2nd “peace” is the peace of God that
comes from His presence with us. a) He commissionedthem to take His place
as the Father’s ambassadors in the world.
H. (21-23)Jesus Commissions his apostles:By what authority? (21) Father;
With what power?(22)H.S.;For what purpose?(23)Sin (to forgive or retain)
I. (21)He breathed on them - Fortheir new commissionthey needed spiritual
power. 1. The image and wording of breathing on them recalls God’s creative
work in making Adam. (both gave life: 1 physical, 1 spiritual) 2. This
receptionof the Spirit was in anticipation of the day of Pentecostand should
be understood as a partial limited gift of knowledge, understanding, and
empowerment until Pentecost, 50 days later. (Knowledge Bible Commentary)
3. Like an instrument is blown into, to make music. They were to sing &
sound the note of the new kingdom.
J. (23)Forgiving or Retaining sin? 1. In light of being calledto be sent to the
world, the church (not just the apostles)is now given authority to declare that
certain sins are forgiven & certain sins retained. (Morris; LKGNT; pg.261)2.
Proclaiming the forgiveness ofsins was the prominent feature of the apostolic
preaching in the Book of Acts. a) Jesus was giving the apostles (and by

extension, the church) the privilege of announcing heaven’s terms, on how a
person canreceive forgiveness. (1)If one believes in Jesus, then a Christian
has the right to announce his forgiveness.:) (2) If a personrejects Jesus’
sacrifice, then a Christian can announce that that person is not forgiven. :(
2
3. Note:There is no instance in the New Testamentofany apostle forgiving
sins.
K. Jesus put into the hands of Peterand of all believers the keys of the
Kingdom which we should use to open the door for those who wish to enter. 1.
This glorious promise applies to all believers who will tell the story of Christ’s
love for men.
L. PROVING IS BELIEVING! (24-28)M. (24) Thomas the bold skeptic, the
classic empiricist(the theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-
experience;a person who relies solelyon observationand experiment) 1. He
had the I will not believe unless...head-wag going!2. Maybe you’re at the
place where you will not believe unless Christianity passes yourbattery of
scientific tests. 3. But...you believe in things you can’t see all the time! a) Have
you ever seena germ with your nakedeye? Yet you don’t walk around licking
hand rails. b) Have you ever seenelectricity? Yet you wont touch a bare
copper wire!
N. How greatthe anguish of Thomas during that week. Tossing betweenhope
& fear. And seeing onthe other 11 faces the light which he cannot share!O.
Yet, how tenderly Jesus deals with our doubts & unbelief. 1. Jesus came &
complied with the conditions that Thomas’ poor faith laid down. 2. Jesus was
seton winning this 1-poor-starving-soulto Himself & blessedness.
P. (28) I think its unlikely that Thomas took Jesus up on His invitation to
touch. 1. Thomas hears that Jesus had knowledge ofwhat He said & His
willingness to meet it, were sufficient. 2. My Lord & my God! - all demands
for proof forgotten.

Q. So for Thomas seeing/proving was believing...but to his discredit! - The
greaterblessing is to not see & believe! 1. W/o faith it is impossible to please
God. Heb.11:6
R. TRUSTING IS BELIEVING! (29-31)S. Listen up...this is our category
today!
3
T. Blessedare those who have not seen - Blessedare those who believe, even in
the pitch black when no stars are shining; Blessedare those who believe even
when the sun hasn’t shone for days, but stays hidden behind the darkest
blanket of clouds; Blessedare those who believe when there is no friendly
voice amidst the crowd. 1. To believe then is to getvery near the heart of Him
who on the cross clung to the Father in the midnight darkness. 2. Trusting is
believing. Relying on Jesus, blessesHim.
U. Habakkuk ends his letter with a Hymn of Faith! 1. His name means
“embrace/one who embraces/orclings.”2. Habakkuk chooses to cling firmly
to God regardless ofwhat he sees before his eyes!(see 3:17-19)3. Here is one
of the greatestconfessions offaith! a) Though Babylon comes to destroy;
Though You send awayyour people; Though the bottom drops out of
everything…yet I will trust in you!!! 4. Had he lookedaheadhe would only see
the invading Babylonian army; Had he lookedwithin he would only see fear
& trembling; Had he lookedaround he would only see everything falling
apart; But by looking up by faith he saw God…& all his fears vanished! 5. To
walk by faith means to focus on the greatness & glory of God!
V. God became Habakkuk’s Strength, Song, & his Salvation! 1. “If my legs
were shaking, I probably would be looking for a place to sit down… not
bounding up the side of a mountain, like a deer!” a) The Lord gives us
bounding feet so we can overcome the obstaclesoflife. b) God doesn’t always
change the circumstances, but He canchange us to meet the circumstances!2.
Faith gives you the ability to stand sure-footedlike a deer, & to be able to run-
swiftly & go higher then ever before!3. Like the eagle & like the deer, God
made us for the heights! a) They both will go down into the valley, but that’s
not where they live! (us too!)

W. (31) That you may believe that Jesus is God; that you might have life! 1.
Have you experiencedthat abundant life?
X. Prayer: Blessedare those who do not hear...orsee...orfeel, orprove…& yet
believe.
CHRIS BENFIELD
Deliverance from Doubt
John 20: 19-29
Many considerthis passageto be the “doubting Thomas text.” Doubt is
something we all face at various times in life. It is defined as: “hesitation;to
waveror fluctuate in opinion; to be uncertain in regardto truth or fact.”
Doubt carries an attitude of apprehensionand fear.
We’re all guilty of doubt; it is within our nature. It is impossible to have faith
and doubt at the same time; one will overcome the other. When we allow
doubt to grow and remain, it will take controlof our lives. We begin to assume
the worstin every situation.
Physicaldoubt is bad enough, but spiritual doubt can destroyus. As
Christians we need to rid our lives of doubt and replace it with faith. It is
possible to overcome doubt and live a victorious life. We just have to learn to
lean on the Lord even when we can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Our text reveals how these disciples responded to a doubtful situation. Here
we find some truths that we can hold on to when seeking:Deliverance from
Doubt.

I. The Benefits of Devotion(19-23)– This was certainlya difficult time for the
disciples. The One they had followed, believed in, and trusted had died upon
the cross. Theyhad witnessed the trial, the cruel scourging, andcrucifixion.
The Lord had died and their world was torn apart. I’m sure there were more
questions than answers. Why did Jesus have to die? Why had He not restored
the kingdom? What would happen to them without Jesus?
 Even in their confusionthey remained devoted to the Lord. They likely kept
hearing the words of His promise to rise again. As they have gathered, there is
an excitement in the air. Reports are coming in that Jesus is alive! Could it be
that all hope wasn’t lost? Had Jesus risenas He said? They were about to
receive far more than they ever imagined. They were about to be rewarded
for their faith.
 We have the same opportunity to obtain these benefits if we’ll only keep
ourselves in a position to receive them. They aren’t found in the world, but at
the house of God and in our quiet time with Him. Let’s look at these benefits
of devotion the disciples enjoyed.
A. The Lord’s Presence (19) – Then the same day at evening, being the first
day of the week, whenthe doors were shut where the disciples were assembled
for fearof the Jews, came Jesus andstoodin the midst, and saith unto them,
Peace be unto you. As they were gathered behind closed doors, Jesus came
and stoodin the midst. This wasn’ta dream, it was the Lord; He was there in
their midst. There hope was revived as Jesus stoodamong them.
 I don’t know about you, but I want the Lord’s presence in my life. I like it
when He is in the midst! If there’s ever been a time that we need His presence,
it’s today. We won’t find His presence among the world, but we can find Him
here. If you desire the Lord’s presence, seekHim at the house of God. He can
dispel the doubt in our lives. Our children need to experience His presence.
There’s nothing like feeling the Lord’s presence.

B. The Lord’s Peace (19) – As Jesus enteredthe room He said, “Peacebe unto
you.” Can you imagine how they must’ve felt? If they ever needed the peace of
God, it was now. They were fearful and afraid, unsure of what the future
would hold.
 Aren’t you gladfor the peace ofthe Lord? There have been times when I
didn’t know what to do, as doubt filled my mind, but Jesus showedup and
brought peace to my soul. The problem may have still been there, but Jesus
gave real peace. Whenour lives are in turmoil, and doubt has crept in, we
need to look to Jesus to calm the storms of life.
C. The Lord’s Persuasion(20-21)– And when he had so said, he shewedunto
them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the
Lord. [21] Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father
hath sent me, even so send I you. If any of them hadn’t yet got the message,
any doubt that remained was removed as Jesus steppedforth and revealed
His hands and side. It was really Jesus;He was alive just as He said! All that
they had heard and believed was real. Whatever doubt they had was replaced
with confidence and complete assurance.Theywere now settledin their faith
and ready to move forward with the Lord.
 There’s nothing any better for a fearful heart than a fresh glimpse of Jesus.
I’ve never seenHim with my physical eye, but He has revealedHimself to me!
The world may be dark, hell may rage, but I serve a risen Lord. He lives
today! He has alreadyconquered all that Satan could muster.
 There is no reasonto live in fear and doubt; we are more than conquerors in
Christ. When times of doubt come, considerthe cross, the empty tomb, and
remember His promise to come again. We have no reasonto walk around
with our heads down; we belong to the Lord!

D. The Lord’s Power(22) – And when he had said this, he breathed on them,
and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Jesus knew He would soon
ascend, but He wasn’t about to leave them alone without hope. They would
soonhave the power of God dwelling in them through the Holy Ghost.
 Are you a child of God this morning? If so you have the Holy Spirit within
you as well. We have the powerof God dwelling within us constantly. We
don’t have the Lord in person, but thank Godwe have Him in power! The
more that we love Him, serve Him, and walk with Him, the more powerwe
can enjoy.
 His powerdoesn’t rest on those who are unfaithful, but if we’ll remain true
to God, we can have the fullness of His power. I think you would agree that
there are benefits associatedwith being devoted to Christ. Look to Him in
times of doubt and claim His promises.
I. The Benefits of Devotion(19-23)
II. The Burden of Doubt (24-25)– Just as there are benefits associatedwith
devotion, doubt brings a heavy burden. It robs us of our peace, joy, and
confidence in the Lord. Notice the burden of doubt in Thomas’life.
A. Doubt Brought Deception(25) – The other disciples therefore said unto
him, We have seenthe Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his
hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and
thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. The others told Thomas about

seeing the Lord, but he wouldn’t believe without seeing Jesus himself. Thomas
likely wondered if all he had heard was true. Was Jesus reallythe Messiah?
Could he really believe all that Christ had said? In his doubt, Thomas allowed
Satanto deceive him.
 A seedof doubt questioned the authority of the Lord. Have we not all been
there? Have there not been times when we doubted our faith? Has Satan ever
told you that what you believe couldn’t possibly be true? If Satancan deceive
us and cause us to doubt, he has defeatedus spiritually. When he brings
accusations, remind him of the truth!
B. Doubt Brought Dissention(25) – ExceptI shall see in his hands the print of
the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand
into his side, I will not believe. Thomas made a demand to see the nail prints
and thrust his hand in Jesus’side to believe. He was no longerwalking by
faith, but by sight. It appears that he was almostready to abandon his faith.
 Satan likes to use that tactic today. People demand physical proof to believe.
I can’t explain the virgin birth. I can’t explain how a man can die and live
again. I can’t explain how Jesus takesa heart of sin and changes it forever.
There’s a lot I can’t explain, but I believe it all! If we aren’t careful, doubt will
breed dissention, causing us to question the deity of Christ. Just praise God
for what you know and trust Him for what you don’t!
C. Doubt Brought Despair(24) – But Thomas, one of the twelve, called
Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. Do you remember the benefits
of devotion when dealing with doubt? Well, Thomas wasn’tthere and he
missed out on the blessings the others received.
 Now Thomas has gottena bad rap down through the years. I’m not sure
why he wasn’t there, but often we are no better. It takes far less to create
doubt in our hearts than it did for Thomas. Many times when trouble comes,
we get out of church. I’ve never understood that. If we ever need God, we
need Him in times of trouble.

 Thomas’doubt hindered him from being in the Lord’s presence. He missed
what Jesus had for Him. You will never regain what you miss when you aren’t
in church. God may have sent exactly what you needed, but you weren’tthere
to receive it. It is important to be faithful to the house of God! Don’t blame
others if you aren’t faithful unto the Lord. Doubt will rob you and defeat you,
but there is hope. Notice:
I. The Benefits of Devotion(19-23)II. The Burden of Doubt (24-25)
III. The Beauty of Discovery(27-28)– I’m glad we serve a merciful God. Jesus
came againwhen Thomas was there. It was then that Thomas made a
discoverythat forever changedhis life. When we learn to look to Jesus rather
than wallow in doubt, we can find greatjoy.
A. It RestoresOur Fellowship(27) – Then saith he to Thomas, reachhither
thy finger, and behold my hands; and reachhither thy hand, and thrust it into
my side: and be not faithless, but believing. The Lord came and called for
Thomas. He got to see and touch the Lord. Doubt will hinder our fellowship,
but when it is removed, we can come nigh to the Lord. The Lord desires us to
walk and talk with Him.
B. It Renews our Faith (28) – Upon seeing Jesus,Thomas identified Him as
my Lord and my God. The name Lord means Master. Thomas was identifying
himself as a servant of the Lord. He was declaring his faith in Jesus as the
Christ. He was no longerdoubtful, but confident of the Lord he served.
 You can’t focus on Jesus in faith and continue in doubt. We all will have
those seasonsofdoubt, but if we can be reminded of Jesus, our faith canbe

renewed!Have you lookedat the Lord lately? He has not changed. He is still
all that we need and more.
How is it with you today? Has doubt clouded your view of the Lord? Has
life brought a trial that you fear you can’t overcome? Jesus said, “Blessedare
they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” Trust in Him today!
ALAN CARR
John 20:19-29 THE TRANSFORMATION OF THOMAS
Intro: Severalof our Lord’s disciples are well known. Books couldbe, and
have been, written about Peter, John, and Judas. But, of some of the rest, we
seemto know very little. I want to look at what the Bible has to say about one
of the lesserknownof the Master’s Men. I want to look at the life of the
disciple named Thomas.
We know next to nothing of this man’s early life or of his call to follow
Jesus. Fromthe fact that he went fishing with Peterand the others in John
21, it might be that he was a fisherman before he became a disciple. The
name Thomas is Aramaic for “Twin”. The other name he has in the Bible is
“Didymus”. This word means “twin” in Greek. Apparently, Thomas had
either a twin brother or sister, but that personis not identified in the Bible.
Some people think that Thomas and Matthew were twin brothers, because
they are always mentioned togetherin the lists of the disciples, but we simply
do not know for sure.
Thomas only appears in twelve verses in the Gospelrecord. In Matthew,
Mark and Luke, Thomas is only mentioned three times. Eachtime he is
mentioned, his name appears when he is listed with the other disciples of

Jesus, Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15. He is also mentioned in Acts 1:3 as
one of the disciples presentin the upper room on the day of Pentecost.
Eight of the verses that mention Thomas are here in the Gospelof John.
He is mentioned in John 11:16 and John 14:5. In both of those verses, the
words of Thomas are quoted by John. We will look at these verses in a
moment. In John 21:2, Thomas is listed as one of the seven disciples that went
fishing after the resurrectionof Jesus from the dead. The other five verses
that mention Thomas are in the passagewe have read today.
For nearly 2,000 years, Thomas has receiveda lot of bad press. He was
given the name of “Doubting Thomas”. He has been portrayed as a man filled
with doubt and fear. I would like to attempt to setthe recordstraight today.
I think that the Bible reveals anotherside of Thomas. His primary problem
was not his doubting; Thomas was a pessimist! He was a “glasshalf-empty”
kind of person. He seemedto look for the negative side of every situation first.
He was the kind of person who was always onthe lookoutfor the “dark side”
of things.
As we look at what the Bible has to sayabout Thomas, I want you to see
that he possessedsome admirable qualities. Among them are these: He was
loyal to the Lord. He loved Jesus. He possessedaninquiring spirit. He was
skeptical, but his skepticismwas the right kind. It was a skepticismthat was
open to belief. Let’s look at Thomas as He is revealedin the Bible. I want to
preach on The TransformationOf Thomas. I want you to see how the Lord
workedin this man’s life to move him from doubt to a shout. Notice the ways
Thomas is revealedin these verses.
I. v. 24 THOMAS THE POUTER
A. Ill. The Context – Why the disciples were where they were, v. 19, and what
they were doing there.
B. We are told that Thomas is not with them, v. 24. We do not know where
he was that day, but a look at what we do know about him may hold the

answers. There are two examples given in the Bible that revealthe heart of
Thomas.
1. John11:16 – Ill. The Context. Jesus is going to raise Lazarus and Thomas
knows that Jesus’enemies are after Him and that Jesus might just die. He is
willing to go with Jesus and die with him if necessary. Thomas challengedthe
rest to go along with Jesus.
2. John14:5 – Ill. The Context – Jesus has told His disciples that He is going
away. He also tells the disciples that they know where He is going and they
know how to get there themselves. Thomas responds by saying that he needs
more information. He wasn’t afraid to ask questions. His questions were not
motivated by doubt, but by a desire to know more!
C. These two passagesreveala man who is not fearful at all. Thomas seems
to me to be exceedinglybrave. He is loyal to Jesus evenunto death. He loves
his Lord more than his own life. He would rather die than have to live here
without his Lord.
When Jesus died on the cross, Thomas’worldwas shattered! Surely
he thought the worst! He no doubt became despondent, depressedand
discouraged. He was not with the other disciples by choice. He was not there
because he was broken-heartedand felt that their dream had reachedan end.
Surely a flood of competing emotions battled for control of the heart and life
of Thomas. Thomas was somewhere elsepouting that first Resurrection
Sunday.
D. But, whateverhis reasons were formissing that assemblythat day,
Thomas missed much because he was not there. Notice what he missed that
day:
1. v. 19 – He missedthe Presence ofthe Lord.
2. v. 19 – He missedthe Powerof the Lord.
3. v. 19 – He missedthe Peace ofthe Lord.
4. v. 20 – He missedthe Praises ofthe Lord.

5. v. 21 – He missedthe Promotions of the Lord.
6. v. 22-23 – He missedthe Provisions of the Lord.
Thomas missed a lot when he missedthat assembly. Regardlessofhis
excuse for not being there, he missed some things that could never be
duplicated. Others told him about it, v. 25, but Thomas learned the hard way
that there are some things you just have to see for yourself.
E. Thomas is a goodpicture of why being faithful to church is so vitally
important. You never know what you will miss when you fail to come to
church.
People have all kinds of reasons andexcuses forthe services they miss.
We live in days when people are busy, their lives are hectic, their children are
busy with sports and other activities, and sometimes God fails to getfirst
place in our priorities. Sometimes Goddoesn’t even rate second, third or
fourth place. He might not even be in the top ten. His worship must come
first! Others are just mad about something, or they are mad at someone.
Some don’t like the preacher, the deacons, orsome decisionthat has been
made. People have all kinds of things excuses thatthey offer as to why they
missed church.
(Ill. The Pastor’s three reasons for wanting to miss church - A husband and
his wife arose one Sunday morning and the wife dressedfor church. It was
just about time for the service when she noticedher husband hadn't moved a
finger toward getting dressed. Perplexed, she asked, "Why aren't you getting
dressedfor church?" He said, "Cause I don't want to go." She asked, "Do you
have any reason?"He said, "Yes, I have three goodreasons. First, the
congregationis cold. Second, no one likes me. And third, I just don't want to
go." The wife replied, wisely, "Well, honey, I have three reasons whyyou
should go. First, the congregationis warm. Second, there are a few people
there who like you. And third, you're the pastor! So get dressed!" [1]

We all have our excuses, but none of them are worth the effort it takes
to say them. An excuse is nothing more than the skin of a reasonstuffed with
a lie anyway.
Why not just tell the truth? You don’t come because you don’t want
to. You don’t come because Jesusisn’t first in your life. You don’t come
because you don’t like church. You don’t come because your heart isn’t
where it ought to be.)
Let me just touch on this matter for a moment.
1. Church attendance is not an optional matter; it is a command from the
Lord, Heb. 10:25-26. (Ill. An absence from church is a vote to close the doors!
It is a testimony to the world that your life is more important then His
worship.)
2. When you miss a service, you miss an opportunity that will never present
itself again. (Ill. Ever notice the goodservice is the one you miss?) That
problem you have; that need in your life; that question that has been plaguing
you; might just be dealt with in one of the services you choose to miss. You
never know what you will miss when you don’t come to church.
3. Godhas something specialfor eachof us when we meet here. If we will
come with a clean, open heart, we will receive a blessing from Him, Matt.
18:20.
(Ill. The missing Lamps – In a certain mountain village in Europe several
centuries ago, a nobleman wondered what legacyhe should leave to his
townspeople. At last he decided to build them a church. No one saw the
complete plans for the church until it was finished. When the people gathered,
they marveled at its beauty and completeness. Thensomeone asked, "But
where are the lamps? How will it be lighted?" The nobleman pointed to some
brackets in the walls. Then he gave to eachfamily a lamp which they were to
bring with them eachtime they came to worship. "Eachtime you are here the
area where you are seatedwill be lighted," the nobleman said. "Eachtime you

are not here, that area will be dark. This is to remind you that wheneveryou
fail to come to church, some part of God's house will be dark." [2]
Something is missing in the fellowshipwhen you are not here.)
4. You need the church and what it offers – When you go to church to
worship, you are proclaiming your faith in a risen Lord. You are teaching
your children the importance of God’s house. You are building a wallof
protection around your heart and life. You are strengthening your faith and
growing in the Lord.
II. v. 25 THOMAS THE DOUBTER
A. Ill. The Context – Thomas was not there when Jesus appeared. The other
disciples were and they tell him about all that they had seenwhen Jesus
appearedto them. The little verb “said” is in the “active voice”. In other
words, they kept on telling him about seeing Jesus andtrying to convince him
that the Lord was really risen from the dead.
Despite their assurancesandtestimonies, Thomas cannot bring himself
to believe. He goes so faras to say, “I will not believe!” This is a powerful
statement. It is a “double negative”. Thomas is saying, “I positively will not
believe!”
Now, before we come down too hard on Thomas, we need to think
about the other disciples. When they first heard the news that Jesus was alive,
they didn’t believe either, Luke 24:11; Mark 16:11. The whole group was so
overcome with grief and disappointment that they could not bring themselves
to believe. The only reasonthe ten believed was because they had seenJesus
for themselves. Thomas was only asking for the same proof they had already
received.
Here was Thomas’problem: he was a negative person. He was always
looking for the cloud behind the silver lining. He had hoped againsthope that
Jesus was the Messiahandthe Savior. Now, his last memory of Jesus is of a

dead man hanging on a cross. His world has fallen down around him and he
cannot bring himself to believe anymore. So, he rejects the words of his
friends and spends a whole week in self-imposedloneliness and
discouragement.
B. There are people in this room who can identify with Thomas. You have a
hard time believing what you cannot see with your eyes. Forthat reasonyou
have put off trusting in Jesus. His claims are amazing! What the Bible says
about Him is hard for the human mind to grasp. Still, let me encourage you
to delay no longer! Look to Jesus and believe the testimony of His Word and
of those who have seenHim for themselves. Look to Him and be saved; He is
the only hope you have, John 14:6; Acts 4:12; John 8:24.
C. Others here have lived lives shakenby one disappointment after another.
You are disillusioned and think the claims of Jesus are too good to be true.
But, the thing that makes them so goodis the factthat they are true! Jesus
can do for you what He has promised He can do. He can do for you what He
has done for others. He cansave your soul; forgive your sins; make you a
child of God; free you from spiritual death and from the bondage of your sins.
He can do it for you, and He will do it for you if only you will believe in Him,
Rom. 10:9, 13; Acts 16:31.
D. There was a time when we were all doubters. But, the Spirit of God
convinced us of the truth. We, like the ten disciples, believed and were saved
and filled with peace, joyand spiritual life. Those same blessings canbe
yours, if you will believe. And, you cando that today!
III. v. 26-29 THOMAS THE SHOUTER
A. Ill. The Context – Perhaps the disciples beggedand pleaded with Thomas
to the point where he decided to meet with them on the next Sunday. While
they are there, Jesus againappears in their midst. This time, He focuses His
attention on Thomas. He repeats the very words of Thomas (v. 25) back to
him and invites him to touch Him and satisfy his need to know. Then Jesus
tells him to let go of his doubts and trust what he knows to be true.

There is a difference betweendoubt and unbelief. Doubt is a problem
of the intellect. The personwants to believe, but has questions. Unbelief is a
problem of the heart. Unbelief will not believe no matter what it sees.Thomas
was plagued by doubt. When his questions were answered, he did not need to
touch the risen Jesus;seeing Him was enough. Thomas utters one of the
greatestconfessionsin the Bible. He calls Jesus both “Lord and God” and he
claims the Lord as his own. All of his pouts and his doubts are now settled.
Thomas receives whatthe other disciples have been enjoying for a whole
week. He gets all the things they got back in verses 19-23.
B. Apparently, Thomas never doubted again. After Pentecost, the Bible
never mentions him again. History, however, tells us what happened to the
disciples called“Twin”. Thomas traveled east, preaching the Gospelthrough
Persia. He finally wound up in India where he had a very fruitful ministry.
There are severalchurches in India today that can trace their history back to
the time of Thomas. Eventually, the enemies of the Lord took Thomas and
killed him with a spear. He died for the Lord he once doubted.
C. Oh that those who doubt could do what Thomas did. Oh that you could
just getpast your doubts, your fears, your pride, your sins and the other
things that hinder you from coming to Jesus. Ifyou would come to Him and
“be not faithless, but believing”, you would find that Jesus canfill your life
with peace, joy, praise, and blessing. He cantake you just like you are and
transform you like he did Thomas. He will use you, bless you, keepyou, thrill
you and amaze you. All you have to do is believe!
No matter who you are; what you have done; or where you have been,
you need to know that Jesus Christ canand will save you if you will come to
Him, John 6:37. Come to Him and watch Jesus take your pouts and your
doubts and transform them into shouts.
Conc: In verses 29, Jesus tells Thomas something you need to hear today. He
tells Thomas that Thomas had believed because of what he had seenwith his
eyes. Jesus thensays something very important. He says that those who
believe without seeing are even more blessedthan Thomas. That is goodnews

today! None of us will eversee the physical PersonofJesus in this life. What
we must do is believe by faith what the Bible says about Jesus. If we can get
passedour doubts and believe Him, we will be saved by Him!
If you are lost, what keeps you from believing in Jesus? Whatwould it
take to convince you? What holds you back? Whateverit is, it is not worth
the eternalprice you will pay for not coming, Mark 8:36-37.
Maybe there are others here like Thomas. You have been allowing
yourself to be absentfrom the place where God meets with and blesses His
people.
If the Lord has spokento you and convinced you of the need to be saved,
or of the need to draw closerin your walk with Him, you need to come to Him
today and deal with those issues. LetJesus take your pouts and your doubts
and turn them into shouts for Him glory.
STEVEN COLE
The Aim of the Gospel(John 20:24-31)
RelatedMedia
Editor's Note:Due to a recording glitch the audio for this messageis not
available.
September 6, 2015
Years ago the British agnostic Thomas Huxley had to leave early one morning
to go from one speaking assignmentto another, so he gotinto a horse-drawn
taxi to go from his hotel to the train station. He assumedthat the hotel

doorman had told the driver of the carriage that they were to go to the train
station. So when he got in, he simply said to the driver, “Drive fast.”
Off they went. After a short while, Huxley, who was familiar with the area,
realized that they were actually going in the opposite direction from the train
station. He yelled to the driver, “Do you know where you’re going?” Without
looking back, the driver replied, “No, sir, but I’m driving very fast.”
Obviously, it doesn’t do much goodto go fast if you’re going in the wrong
direction! Yet, many people, even Christians, are like that. They’re going full
speed, but they haven’t stopped to evaluate where they ought to be going.
Before you know it, life has whizzed by, but you haven’t spent it aimed in the
right direction. As Christians, we all would agree that to live properly, we
must live in line with God’s purpose.
Our text brings us to John’s purpose statement for writing his gospel. First, he
illustrates his purpose with the story of Thomas having his doubts clearedup
as he sees the risen Lord Jesus Christ and exclaims (John 20:28), “My Lord
and my God!” Then John states his purpose plainly (John 20:30-31):
“Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence ofthe
disciples, which are not written in this book;but these have been written so
that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God; and that
believing you may have life in His name.” To sum up:
The aim of the gospelis that we would believe in and worship the risen Savior.
Thomas moved from doubting Jesus’resurrectionto believing in and
worshiping Him as his risen Lord and God. John wants all his readers to come
to that same point of belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and God. Or, to put it
another way, John wants us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Sonof God,
so that we may have life in His name. All who have life through believing in
Jesus’name worship Him as Lord and God. But to come to that place, we
have to join Thomas in overcoming the enemy of faith called“doubt.”
1. To believe in and worship the risen Savior, analyze and overcome your
doubts.

We all struggle at times with varying degrees ofdoubts, which cloud our faith
in the risen Savior. Thomas, though, has the distinction of being “doubter-in-
chief”—everyone knowshim as, “Doubting Thomas.” Thatmay not be
entirely fair, in that Luke 24:11 tells us that when the women first brought
reports of Jesus’resurrection, none of the apostles believedthem. But
Thomas’persistent doubts put him at the head of the pack.
There are different kinds of doubters. Some use their doubts as a cover so
they can go on sinning. They smugly saythat they’re being “intellectually
honest” or they “can’t put their brains on the shelf.” But they aren’t
interestedin getting those doubts clearedup, because they don’t want to
submit to Jesus as Lord. Doubting gives them an aura of intellectual honesty,
but when you peel away the veneer, their doubts really serve only as a cover-
up for their sins.
Others—andI would put Thomas in this category—hate their doubts. Their
doubts make them miserable. They want to believe, but they’re plagued by
honest questions. They can’t just close their minds, and take a leapof faith.
They need credible answers to clearup their doubts.
In previous messages, I’ve gone into more detail than I can here about the
reasons forThomas’ doubts (see “Dealing With Doubt,” [04/04/1999];
“Overcoming Doubt,” [04/16/2006];and, “Defeating Doubt,” [03/31/2013]).
But to summarize, I think that Thomas’ doubts stemmed from at leastfour
factors.
A. Personalfailure coupled with Thomas’ personality triggeredhis doubts.
After promising their loyalty, all of the disciples had desertedJesus on the
night He was arrested(Mark 14:31). But Thomas had been outspokenin his
loyalty. Shortly before, when Jesus wantedto go to Bethany to raise Lazarus
from the dead, the disciples objectedthat it was too dangerous. But Thomas
said (John 11:16), “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” He was a
pessimist, but at leasthe was loyal. But then he had joined the others in
running awaywhen Jesus was arrested. Thatfailure, coupled with Thomas’
rather gloomy personality, plunged him into depressionand doubt when he
failed Jesus.

We’re all wired differently and so it’s important to know yourselfso that you
can be on guard againstyour weaknesses. Usuallyour areas ofgreatest
strength are also our areas of greatestweakness. A man like Thomas, who is
loyal and conscientious,who takes commitments seriously, is also more prone
to depressionand doubt when he fails. So if you’re struggling with doubts,
think about whether your doubts may stem from a recent failure.
B. A lack of understanding fueled Thomas’ doubts.
None of the disciples understood Jesus’repeateddisclosures thatHe was
going to be killed in Jerusalemand rise again the third day. They pictured a
conquering and reigning Messiah, nota suffering and dying one. So when
Jesus died, they didn’t understand what was going on. John (20:9)
acknowledgesthateven after seeing the empty tomb, they still didn’t
understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise againfrom the dead.
Some of my bouts with doubt have stemmed from not understanding the
Scripture. Maybe it’s a difficult doctrinal matter. Sometimes it’s because I
don’t understand the ways of God. In John 6:60, we saw that many of Jesus’
wider company of disciples turned awayfrom Him when He taught some hard
things about eating His flesh and drinking His blood and about the doctrine of
election. On that occasion, Jesusaskedthe twelve if they would turn away
also. Petergave the greatanswer(John 6:68-69), “Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have words of eternallife. And we have believed and have come to know
that You are the Holy One of God.” I’ve come back to that answermany
times when I’ve struggled with doubt due to a lack of understanding. Jesus is
the truth. Where else canI go?
C. Deepdisappointment and shock overJesus’suffering nurtured Thomas’
doubts.
Thomas especiallyseems to have been shockedaboutthe grisly details of
Jesus’suffering and death. His fixation on Jesus’wounds (John 20:25) shows
how deeply it affectedhim. He couldn’t get those gory details out of his mind.
He probably was thinking, “I knew that this would happen!” And yet at the
same time, he was disappointed and shockedwhenit did happen.

When God doesn’t work in the way that you had thought He should or answer
your prayers as you had hoped, you’re susceptible to doubt. That’s especially
true when you or a loved one goes through a time of suffering or a shocking
experience. Your confusionand shock canplunge you into a sea of doubts.
D. Isolationfrom other believers deepened Thomas’doubts.
We don’t know why Thomas was absentthat first Sunday night when Jesus
appearedto the other disciples. But a likely reasonwas his depressionover the
crucifixion. The last thing he wanted at a time like that was to be around
other people. So he wandered off by himself to brood over the horrible events
of the previous few days.
Thomas’doubts probably grew even deeper when he heard the other disciples
tell him that they had seenthe risen Lord (John 20:25). Think how you would
feel if you missed church because youwere depressedand doubting and we all
told you, “Hey, you misseda blessing last Sunday! We all felt that Jesus was
right there in our midst!” Great! That really encouragesyou, doesn’t it!
Thomas may have thought, “Why would the Lord appear to them when I
wasn’t there? Doesn’tHe know that I’m wrestling with doubts? Why didn’t
He appear to me?” That line of thinking could have led to thoughts like, “It
just isn’t fair! He must not love me!” Those thoughts would have led to deeper
doubts.
But even though you’re depressedand other believers may bug you, you still
need to hang out with the saints. While our faith must be personal, it should
never be isolationist. Your hand only functions when it’s connectedwith the
rest of your body. It’s the same spiritually: you won’t overcome your doubts
brooding by yourself. You need to gather with the church for worship and
teaching. In that context, the Lord often manifests Himself in a way that will
alleviate your doubts. Jesus didn’t appear to Thomas while he was off
brooding by himself. He only revealedHimself when Thomas was gathered
againwith fellow believers. So the first step toward believing in and
worshiping the risen Savioris to analyze and overcome your doubts.
2. To believe in and worship the risen Savior, experience His abundant grace.

As we saw (John 20:19, 21), Jesus’first words to the fearful disciples was,
“Peacebe with you,” which He repeatedso that they would get it. He could
have reamed them out for their fear and slownessto believe, but He spoke
graciouslyto them.
If Jesus rightly could have chewedout the ten, Thomas really deserveda
scolding!He had adamantly rejectedthe testimony of the other disciples.
Then he put the Lord to the testby demanding to touch Jesus and feel His
wounds. And yet when Jesus appearedagainto the disciples on the following
Sunday evening, Jesus graciouslysaidthe same thing (John 20:26): “Peacebe
with you.” As I said last week, itwas the usual Jewishgreeting, but in these
circumstances, itwas far more than just a greeting. The risen Lord was
extending His grace to these men who had failed.
Then He piled on more grace when He invited Thomas to touch His hands and
His side. True, Jesus both rebuked and exhorted him by saying (John 20:27),
“Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” But the rebuke stemmed from love. It
didn’t negate the abundant grace that Thomas experienced. We don’t know
whether Thomas actually did it. At that point, he didn’t need to touch Jesus,
because He knew that He really was alive. I’m inclined to think that Thomas
didn’t touch Him, since Jesus replied (John 20:29), “Becauseyou have seen
Me [not touched Me], have you believed?” Although Jesus rightly could have
disownedThomas as a disciple, He lavished His grace on him.
Thomas’spontaneous confession, “MyLord and my God,” takes us back to
John 1:1, 14, & 16:“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God…. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt
among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begottenfrom the
Father, full of grace and truth…. Forof His fullness we have all received, and
grace upon grace.” Thomas knew that Jesus was Godand also that He was
full of grace towardhim in spite of his sinful doubts. And now he was awash
in the riches of Christ’s grace.
Have you experiencedGod’s abundant grace in Jesus Christ? You taste it first
when the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin and you realize that you rightly
deserve God’s judgment. But then He opens your eyes to the goodnews that

Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, including you (1 Tim. 1:15).
And you hear the greatnews that He doesn’t save sinners after they’ve
workedhard to cleanup their lives and earnit. Rather, He saves sinners by
His grace through faith in Him (Eph. 2:8-9).
I recently had a lengthy email exchange with a man who was reading my
sermons online. He took issue with my teaching that salvationis by grace
alone through faith in Christ alone. He argued that we must add baptism and
obedience to faith. He cited James 2:24, “You see that a man is justified by
works and not by faith alone.” Although I have a sermon on that text
explaining how James and Paul are not at odds, he kept insisting that we are
not savedby faith alone. I asked, but he never answered, “How many good
works do you need to pile up before you’re saved?” Doesone getyou in?
Two? Two thousand? When does the scale tip so that you will getinto heaven?
I also told him, “There is no goodnews in your ‘gospel,’which is no gospelat
all.” But there is wonderfully goodnews if any sinner can believe in Him who
justifies the ungodly and be counted righteous in God’s sight (Rom 4:5)!
But then after believing in Jesus, we’ve all failed miserably, as Thomas did
when he doubted the resurrection. We’ve all sinned repeatedly when we knew
better. What should we do then? Do we need to do penance? Do we need to
crawlon our knees on broken glass to demonstrate our contrition? Do we
need to join a monastery or convent and deny ourselves commoncomforts to
merit forgiveness? No, becausethengrace would not be grace (Rom. 11:6).
We should mourn over our sins, because they grieve our Savior. We should
confess oursins to the Lord (Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:4; 1 Cor. 5:2). But when we do,
He promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1
John 1:9). So as Paul told Timothy (2 Tim. 2:1), “Be strong in the grace that is
in Christ Jesus.”Experiencing His grace leads you to believe in Him and to
worship Him!
3. To believe in and worship the risen Savior, go back to the foundational
truth of His resurrectionand stand there.
As Paul emphasizes (1 Cor. 15:17), Jesus’bodily resurrectionis the
foundation of our faith: “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is

worthless;you are still in your sins.” As we’ve seen(my messageon John
20:1-10), there is solid historicalevidence that Jesus is risen. In fact, we canbe
thankful for Thomas’doubting the resurrection, because his entrenched
doubt never would have changedto solid belief unless he had been convinced
by the strongestproof. Tradition tells us that he later went to India and was
martyred there. He never would have given his life in service to Christ if he
had been unsure about Jesus’resurrection.
Here’s how this applies: After you trust in Christ as your Savior and Lord,
you will still face doubts over difficult problems in the Bible and in the world.
Sometimes I struggle with how a loving God can allow all of the evil that goes
on in this world. How can He allow little kids to be abused or sold into the sex
trade or murdered? I struggle with the fact that millions live and die and then
face judgment without ever hearing about the Savior. I struggle with the
doctrine of eternal punishment. The list could go on.
But if Jesus is truly risen from the dead, then His claims are true and all of
those issues become of secondaryimportance. I canwork on them over time.
Some problems I may not resolve until I meet Jesus in glory. But I cantrust in
Him because He was raised bodily from the dead and that fact is attestedto by
many faithful witnesses whoselives were dramatically changedwhen they saw
Him. So I rest my faith on the sure foundation of His resurrection.
Maybe you’re thinking, “If I could have been there with Thomas and seen
Jesus risenfrom the dead, it would be easierto overcome my doubts. But I’ve
never seenHim.” For you, Jesus speaksto Thomas the words of verse 29:
“Because youhave seenMe, have you believed? Blessedare they who did not
see, and yet believed.” That’s us! Jesus pronounces a blessing on us who
believe the apostolic witness. If you’re struggling with doubt, go back to the
foundational truth, substantiated by many eyewitnesses, thatJesus is risen. It
gives you the footing to work on the problems that cause your doubts.
So, to believe in and worship the risen Savior, analyze and overcome your
doubts; experience His abundant grace;go back to the foundational truth of
His resurrectionand stand there. Finally:

4. To believe in and worship the risen Savior, see Him for who He is and see
yourself for who you are.
Throughout the Bible, worship happens when people get a glimpse of who
God is and at that same moment, inevitably they see who they are in His holy
presence. WhenIsaiah saw Godon His throne surrounded by angels
proclaiming (Isa. 6:3), “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth
is full of His glory,” Isaiahinstantly cried out (Isa. 6:5), “Woe is me, for I am
ruined! BecauseI am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of
unclean lips; for my eyes have seenthe King, the Lord of hosts.” Thatwas a
moment of profound worship.
When Peter had fished all night and caught nothing and Jesus, who was in the
boat, provided the miraculous catch of fish, Peter’s spontaneous response was
(Luke 5:8), “Go awayfrom me Lord, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Peter
saw who Jesus was andwho he was and the result was worship. Later, when
Jesus instantly stilled the raging waves that threatened to sink their boat, the
disciples were fearful and amazed. They said to one another (Luke 8:25),
“Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they
obey Him?” They saw Jesus’mighty powerand their own weakness,and they
worshiped Him.
Here Thomas has the same experience:He sees the risen Lord Jesus, who in
His resurrectionbody could appear to them behind lockeddoors. He hears
Jesus quote what Thomas had said to the other disciples when Jesus was
absent. He instantly realized that not only was Jesus risen, He also was
omniscient! At the same moment, Thomas recognizedhis own sinful unbelief
in doubting the resurrection. He spontaneouslycried out, “My Lord and My
God!” He now was believing in and worshiping the risen Savior.
Some (such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses)claimthat Thomas was exclaiming in
shock something like the common American expression, “O my God!” But
that is to take the name of the Lord in vain and Jesus surelywould have
rebuked him. And, like Peterwhen Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped
him (Acts 10:25-26), Jesus wouldhave said, “Stand up; I too am just a man.”
But rather, Jesus commendedThomas’worship as an example of the faith

Jesus was exposing his wounds

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