Don’t Doubt Thomas! - John 20:24-31

Intro
Story: In College, I remember clearly one night when I was distraught over something stupid I said to one of my good friends, and I just could not get over it. I felt that my friend could never forgive me.
James told me something that hit me hard. He said, “Don’t worry, She knows your character.”
What James was saying was that people know us for the character that’s displayed through our lives. And even though sometimes we make mistakes or do and say things that are out of character, it’s our true character that will shine through. Not individual instances.
The Disciple Thomas often gets a bad rap for being a “doubter”. The disciple Thomas is where we get the term “doubting Thomas”, why? Because we read of a story when he was caught in doubt. After Jesus had died, he wouldn’t believe that Christ had risen until he saw it with his own eyes.
Yet, I don’t think it’s fair to characterize him by that. All the disciples found it hard to believe until they saw Jesus face to face in the flesh after he had risen. We don’t call them the Doubting Disciples
But if we look at the character of Thomas throughout his life, I think we see admirable things that we can take after Thomas.
So If I could, I’d like to suggest another possible name for Thomas.
How about instead of Doubting Thomas, how about “Fearless Thomas”?

Fearless Thomas
Let me show you that Thomas was probably more Fearless than he was doubtful. Perhaps one of the most fearless of the Disciples.
The first story we learn about him comes in John 11. Turn there with me.
Jesus has a call to go to Judea where his friend, Lazarus, is lying sick and on the verge of death.
Here, Jesus plans to actually wait for Lazarus to die. Why? So that he could display God’s mighty power by raising a man who had been rotting in a grave for four days.
His purpose was to Glorify the Father, and instead of healing a man who is sick, he’s going to raising a man who is dead. Not just dead, but rotting. This would be the ultimate demonstration of God’s power.
Read John 11:7-16 with me.
So here are these disciples who think Jesus is out of his mind, for they’ve already experienced their lives threatened when the Jews chased after them to stone them because of Jesus.
“You want to go back there? They’ll KILL you!”
But Jesus had a mission to accomplish, and Jesus will accomplish his purposes.
Out of all the disciples who feared for Jesus’ life, probably driven more so by a fear for their own lives, Thomas the lone ranger speaks up.
“Let’s also go, so that we may die with him.” THAT’s Fearless Thomas.
I don’t know why, but all the commentaries I’ve read like to look at Thomas in this story and call him a Pessimist. Why? I guess cuz he’s sees no good that can come out, no hope of coming out alive.
Pessimistic?! What shouts out to me is the fact that Thomas is incredibly fearless.
He says, “Where Christ goes, I will go too. And I’m ready to die with him.”
Maybe he was pessimistic. Maybe Thomas didn’t see any hope in going with Jesus and coming out alive.
But that only highlights to me his fearless devotion to the Lord. I will die with him.

How many of us here are willing to die for Christ? I’m sure most of us would say we would.
Now it’s one thing to talk the talk. But when it comes to walking the walk into the face danger for the sake of Christ, how many of us would you make that walk?
Many of us STILL would probably say Yes, I would, but it’s still only talk until we’re actually making that walk. You just don’t know until you get there.
My prayer is that we would have the fearlessness of Thomas the Apostle.
Would you go to a place for the sake God’s glory and purposes, knowing that you’re probably going to die?
EX: John Piper said in a sermon that he’s sick and tired of people coming to look for a staff position at his church, which is in the inner city of Minneapolis. He’s sick of the ones who always ask, “Will my Children be safe here?”
He thinks to himself, “Would you please make that question your tenth, and not the first?” American Christian priorities have it all twisted. Whoever said that your children will be safe in the call of God?”
Whoever said you’ll be safe in the call of God?
How are we going to go to the ends of the earth for Jesus’ sake, if we aren’t willing to go into our own land?
God does not command us to go where it is safe. Nor does he guarantee each of us that we will be unharmed.
He does promise that those who will be persecuted for his name will be blessed, and that their reward in heaven is great.
Are we willing to accept the reality that God wants us to speak for him, and that suffering is a very likely path that many of us will take?
EX: These past three years, I’ve been able to go to Taiwan with my church to share the gospel. Over the years, I’ve grown to love Taiwan and the task of sharing the Gospel to those in need. This past year, I was ready to go. Had my tickets purchased, plans made. And I get a phone call from Daniel.
“Greg are you ok?! I had a crazy dream last night. I dreamt that you went to Taiwan, and you were murdered for sharing the gospel.”
I was like, “OMG. I’m going to Taiwan in a couple weeks… to share the gospel!”
He had no idea.
I went, and people prayed for me, and I’m back safely.
But I realize, that if that dream is from God, there’s no time limit to when those events might occur.
I’m going back to Taiwan this summer, and this time it’s probably for good. God knows when we’ll return, if we’ll return.
But in light of Daniel’s dream, I want to have a spirit of fearlessness, and say, “Let’s go, even if it means dying with Him.”
Fearless Thomas. He didn’t just talk the talk, we learn from History that when it came down to it, he walked the walk. He really was fearless Thomas.
According to strong historical testimony, Fearless Thomas lived in light of Jesus’ commission to bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.
After Jesus has ascended, Thomas travels to Ancient Babylon, which is present day Iraq, and preaches the Gospel. From there, he continues to the ends of the earth and brings it to Persia, which is present day Iran.
After preaching there, he hops on a ship and sails to the West coast of India, preaches and sets up churches there, converting High Caste Brahmins to the faith among many.
Til this day, there are churches in India that are traced back to the ministry under Thomas’ preaching.
Finally, when Thomas refused to be quiet and stop preaching the gospel, history tell us that he was thrown into a pit and speared to death. Thomas was fearless for the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, Ask the Lord for fearlessness.
For fearless courage to share the gospel, even if it means death, just like our Lord.
Even Paul, while persecuted in Chains, writes in Eph. 6:19, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel… Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.”

Faithless Thomas
Now I want to take a look at the incident where Thomas was caught in doubt.
There was a time when Fearless Thomas was temporarily Faithless Thomas, or as many call “Doubting”
I emphasize temporarily because the Lord delivered him from his period of faithlessness, but he lived until his death in his fearlessness.
That title doubting Thomas comes from John 20:19-31.
Here in John 20, Jesus had already been taken away by the Romans and crucified on the Cross.
According to v. 19, it says that “the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.”
(v. 19) “Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.”
Once again, these disciples who were afraid to go into Judea with Jesus because of the Jews, all fled when Christ was taken away, and are now huddled together in a secret hiding place
John emphasizes the doors being locked, because of Fear.
They were all there, except one. Who wasn’t huddled with them behind locked doors in fear?
(v. 24) “Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the Disciples when Jesus came.”
But going on in the story, the disciples are overjoyed when they saw Jesus, risen from the dead. HE turned their mourning into dancing!
And they say to Thomas, “We’ve seen the Lord!”
But Thomas wouldn’t believe it. “How can you tell me that a man who was once dead, is now alive?”
He says to them (v.25) “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
He says unless I see the miracle my self, I will not put my faith in what you say.
At this difficult time in Thomas’ life, Thomas was faithless. He did not believe.
Brothers and Sisters, do you ever find yourself questioning the existence or the reality of God, and like Thomas insist, unless I see, unless He shows me something, I WILL NOT Believe?
Whether you are an unbeliever, or whether you’ve been going to Church your whole life.
We often put ourselves in the disciple’s sandals and say, “Man, if I saw Jesus walk on water, or feed the 5000, I’d believe. My faith would be so strong.”
Or if we were like the Israelites, “If I saw the Red Sea part”, then man, my faith would be so strong, how can I not believe?
Well, you might think that this is weird for a Preacher to say… but hey, why don’t you ask God?
Ask God for a sign?
Why not? Is he not able to show his wonder and his power?
It seems so Taboo in the Christian Church to straight out pray and ask God to reveal himself in some supernatural way. “It lacks faith”.
Well, sometimes we’re faithless, like Thomas, and we do lack faith.
There was a time in my life when I first graduated from College. I was working, serving at Church in many ways.
But it came to a point in my life where God just felt so distant. I was desperate to know that he was real, and that he really did exist in my life.
One night, I literally fell on my knees by my bedside and began to pray, asking the Lord to show himself to me.
Sometimes, our faith is lacking. Sometimes, we struggle with doubt. Why not ask God for help?
EX: Throw up Story.
A few years ago, I was working full time in Irvine. And as I was driving early in the morning to work when my stomach felt seriously upset. I started to barf all over the place.
I heard the words “Get up”, three times. I fell on my knees and started Praising God. I had heard his voice in such an undeniable way, there was no way in my mind that God was not speaking to me.
That day was the very next day after I had pleaded with the Lord, on my knees, to make himself known to me.
In a time where my faith was weak, and lacking, I asked the Lord, and he revealed himself to me.
IN the same way, Faithless Thomas here is so distraught, he needs a sign.
“Unless Jesus appears to me and shows me his nail marks and the wound in his side, I will not have faith.”
Does Jesus honor these kind of foolish requests?
Well, I think God knows what we need. He knows how to meet us where were at.
V. 26 says, a week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Thoughtthe doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them.” He goes straight to Thomas and says “Put your finger here, see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.”
Jesus, knows Thomas’ state of faith, knows his need, and appears to meet him where he is. Without even asking Thomas a question, he offers exactly what Thomas needed.
Thomas, seeing what he demanded, the nail marks in Christ’s hands and the wound in his side.
Christ says to Thomas, “Stop doubting, and believe.” Literally translated, “Stop being faithless, and have faith!”
And at this point Faithless Thomas cries out with faith, the most truthful and truth-filled confession from anyone in the Bible: “My Lord and My God.”
At this point, he’s not only convinced that Jesus has died, like he said, he would. That he raised, like he said he would. To Thomas, Jesus is more than just a human Master, he is GOD.
Thomas, who was faithless for a moment in his life, became faith-filled.
God knows our needs. He knows how to meet us where we are.
Is it wrong to seek God and ask him to Reveal himself, or even ask for a sign?
I don’t think so necessarily.
Thomas needed affirmation. Gideon needed affirmation. I’ve even needed affirmation.
But God knows exactly what we need. Perhaps he’ll choose to reveal Himself to you in the way that you ask.
Or maybe he won’t.
But like he told the Israelites, “ If you seek, you will find me when you seek with all your heart.”
But here’s the greatest lesson we can learn from Thomas’ interaction with Jesus.
After Faithless Thomas sees Christ for himself, and becomes faith-filled, look what Jesus says.
(v. 29) Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
If we ask God to reveal himself to you, I really am convinced that that’s a prayer that God is able to answer. It may not be exactly in the way you ask, but He’ll show you the truth of who he is.
But according to Jesus, there seems to be a greater way. A more happy and blessed way.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe, yet put their faith in me.
Sure God can assist our lack of faith. Will he hold it against us if we ask for assistance? Absolutely not.
But there is something about not insisting on “miracles and wonders” that brings a blessedness to our relationship with him..
Hebrews 11:1 says that true faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Many heroes of the faith did it this way, and God blessed them for it.
Why? Well, perhaps those who insist on signs… will always be looking for signs?
I have to tell you the truth, that even though I believe God spoke his distinct still small voice to me that day, I am often tempted to ask for more. Along my journey, I’ve found myself in times of affirmation, and wanting more signs.
Even the Fearless and at times Faithless Thomas was a Forgetful Thomas when it came to receiving signs form Christ.
He needed proof that Jesus was did indeed raise from the dead when he already received a sign that Jesus is able to!
Remember when we first met Thomas? It was when he was with Jesus, raising Lazarus from the dead!
Thomas had already seen with his two eyes, Jesus raising a man from the dead. He already heard with his two ears Jesus say, “I am the Resurrection and the Life”.
And yet, here Thomas was still needing more.
Blessed are those who do not see, and yet believe.