Thomas was not the only one who doubted. The events that John records in chapter 20 of his gospel which take place on Easter Sunday and the following Sunday are the events that give him the nickname “Doubting Thomas.” That nickname that is so well-known that most people would make the connection if you use it to chide someone, “Oh, don’t be such a doubting Thomas!” But really, it could have been “Doubting Peter” or “Doubting Philip” or “Doubting Bartholomew.”
They all seemingly forgot Jesus’ prophesy that he would die and rise on the third day. Or maybe they remembered, but they just couldn’t see it actually happening. Can we say that we would have done so much better?
But then the women came to the disciples saying that they had been to the tomb and that Jesus had risen and that they had seen angels and the disciples still didn’t believe it. Peter and John went to check out the tomb and found it empty, and not in a mess like it might look had grave robbers been there, but even the burial cloths were neatly folded, as if they weren’t needed anymore, because there was no dead body for them to cover. And still they didn’t believe it.
When did they believe? They believed when Jesus appeared to them. To those who were afraid, hiding with windows and doors shut and locked, Jesus appeared, and Jesus brought peace. “Peace be with you” he said. He said it twice. “Peace be with you!”
With those words Jesus was taking away their fears and doubts, and not just their doubts that he would rise from the dead as he had promised, but also any doubts that they might have about his view of them. Jesus’ love for his disciples had always been evident. Even when they did things that were very foolish like arguing over who was the greatest, Jesus was still gentle and patient with them. Just a few days earlier that humble love of Jesus was evident when he, the master, got down to wash the feet of them, who were his disciples and servants.
But then they had all abandoned him. They all ran away even though they promised they never would, and so the fears and doubts they had were not just about Jesus, “What about him?”, but about themselves, “What about me? What have I done? Can there be any forgiveness for such weakness and treachery?”
And so Jesus’ words, “Peace be with you” answered all their fears. Yes, he was alive, just as he had promised. And yes, in spite of what they had done, he still loved them. This was no ghost coming to haunt them. It was the same Jesus who had died, now risen from the dead, bringing them forgiveness.
Thomas missed out on all of this. He wasn’t there when Jesus appeared to them, and by the time Thomas came back Jesus was gone again. They told Thomas about what had happened, and Thomas’ answer is really kind of shocking in its boldness and stubbornness. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
It’s quite a statement, enough to earn him the name “Doubting Thomas” but but hadn’t they all doubted? Was Thomas really all that different from the others? The only difference was that they had seen Jesus, and Thomas had not.
The following Sunday they were gathered together in the same place, again with all the windows and doors closed and locked, and once again Jesus appeared there among them and said, “Peace be with you.” And this time Thomas was there. Jesus spoke to him directly, “Thomas, see my hands and my side. Put your finger here. Stop doubting and believe!” And then, just like the others a week before, Thomas believed wholeheartedly, “My Lord and my God!” he exclaimed.
So what really is the story here? It’s not about how Thomas was different from the others. It’s a great account because it teaches us about the nature of faith. It’s about the stubbornness of unbelief.
Sometimes the things we see and the experiences we know do seem to contradict the things God tells us to believe. I’ve never, as far as I know, seen an angel. Yet God tells me that they exist, and not only that, but that they are serving and protecting me. God tells me that he can heal any disease and that he’ll hear all my prayers, but I’ve suffered from ailments and I’ve known others suffering from sickness and my prayers have seemed to go on and on with no response. And what about the resurrection of the dead? Is that not the hardest to believe of all? To think that a corpse, one that has decomposed and turned to dust, could be reconstituted into the person I loved? Who has ever seen such a thing? Truly, I can be a doubting Thomas too.
And just like with Thomas and the other disciples, those doubts have a way of robbing us of any peace. How can we have peace when there are so many worries in this life? How can we have peace when we see problems with no end and no solution? How can we have peace when we our prayers seem to go unheard? How can we have peace when death is always there waiting for us at our end? How can we have peace if we don’t know what our relationship is with God?
You can look at Thomas and say, “Thomas, you certainly were a fool. You should have believed!” You could say the same to the other disciples before they saw Jesus. We could say the same to ourselves. “Oh my soul, what a fool you are! Why do you doubt? Doubting robs you of your peace! Stop doubting and believe!” But unbelief is too stubborn for that. You can’t just tell it to go away. It feeds on itself and only grows bigger and stronger and more ravenous, like a parasite consuming its host.
What can you do? The solution for unbelief isn’t “believe harder.” The solution for unbelief and doubt and restlessness and fearfulness without peace is Jesus.
On that first Easter Sunday, and for a whole extra week with Thomas, the disciples saw no peace in the cross. “Jesus is gone,” was all they thought. But now, when they gathered together on that day, there he was, right in their midst, their same Lord Jesus, risen from the dead. And what did he say to them? What did he say to Thomas? “Peace be with you.” “Look at me. Touch me. Stop doubting and believe!” Jesus came to them, his doubting and fearful disciples, and he showed them himself and he pointed them to his word and he comforted their anxious hearts with the peace that only he can bring.
And he does the very same thing with us today. We don’t see him suddenly appearing in our midst the way that he did those two Sundays with them. But he promises to be here where we are gathered in his name no less than with them. You gotta be here! You don’t wanna miss it! And what rich gifts he bestows on us for the sake of removing our doubts and strengthening our faith and giving us his peace. As with the disciples, he points us to his word. What glorious promises he has made! And just as he invited his doubting disciples to joyfully receive him by touching his hands and side, so he makes himself present in a way that is touched and felt. The body of Jesus. The blood of Jesus. For you, for your forgiveness.
In some ways our situation is not so different from that of the disciples, from that of Doubting Thomas. We’re called to believe in things we don’t always see. I can’t see the forgiveness of sins. I can’t see that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father. I have not seen the Day of Judgment, the resurrection of the dead, or the heavenly kingdom prepared for us. Do we doubt these things? We all do at times.
But Jesus comes to us with his Word and Sacrament, to our stubbornly doubtful hearts. Thomas’ doubt was overcome by the patient mercy of Jesus, and so is ours. He calls us to himself. He opens our minds and hearts to know his promises. He takes our doubts away and he gives us his peace. When he says, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed,” that is no law or command. That is him bestowing his blessing on us to believe him and have life in his name.
When you are facing temptation, when you are burdened by guilt, when you are beset by doubt, go to Jesus. Hear him in his word. Find assurance in his promises, promises that never fail, and be at peace.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
— Pastor Seth Georgson