Believing Thomas - John 20:24-29

24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” 26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” 28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

Thomas, the follower of Jesus Christ, has been given a bad rap over the years with the nickname we have given him, "Doubting Thomas". Thinking Thomas, Wondering Thomas, Questioning Thomas, and I Want To See It To Believe It Thomas may have been better names for this follower of The Way. It seems he just wanted to be sure and was not going to buy some very inexpensive swamp land in FL just because it was listed as "swamp cheap" in Real Estate Mag.

He did however believe. He did follow Jesus to his death. He did proclaim the Gospel. He did give his life over to Christ. He did serve others as he told them about Jesus. He carried out Jesus' commission of making disciples. He gave his all to Jesus. Believing Thomas gave his life for the cause of Jesus. "He took up his cross, denied himself and followed Jesus." In the Gospel of John when Jesus is determined to go to Judea the disciples are resisting Jesus' decision to return to Judea because the Jews had previously tried to stone Jesus there. Thomas says bravely: "Let us also go, that we might die with him." When Jesus appears to Thomas after the Resurrection, Thomas declares, "My Lord and my God." Thomas the believer. May you and I be blessed as we believe. May our nickname be Believing ___________.