I Doubt It
John 20:24-29
What is your reputation? When did you get that reputation? How long have you had it? One day I found out what mine was. In a college German class, I had an assignment to interview a randomly selected classmate and give a speech about them. One of my soccer teammates drew my name, and the day of the presentation, he finally called me. I told him, “Mike, you know me well enough. We’ve played soccer together for three years. I trust you to tell the class about me.”
He told the class that I was loud, arrogant, brash, and hot-tempered, and that I was someone you didn’t want to mess with. The class wondered who this guy was that Mike was talking about. I didn’t usually exhibit those attributes in German class – but he assured them that these were good traits for a college goalkeeper!
Today we are looking at a Bible character who brings the reputation with him. "Doubting Thomas." We first meet Thomas in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, and Luke 6:15, where he is simply named as one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. It is from John that we get most of our information about him. He is specifically named – and nicknamed. Thomas comes from the Aramaic Toma, which is much like our name Tom. Toma, like the Greek Didymus, means Twin. Tradition suggests multiple people who could be Tom’s twin, but without sufficient evidence to convince me; as much as I wanted this message to be about a missing twin, I can’t in good conscience go that direction!
Thomas is best known for his actions in the scripture I read to you today. He knew Jesus had been crucified, so when his friends told him that they’d seen the risen Lord, he doubted. For this, and for his resolve that he would not believe the news until he had physical proof, we vilify Thomas. Before we call Tom “doubter” – what was the reaction of the other disciples to the news of Jesus’ resurrection? In Luke 24, some women went to embalm Jesus’ body. They found the stone rolled away, and two angels asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” and told them that Jesus had risen. When they told the disciples, this was the response: (Luke 24:11) But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed like nonsense. I can only imagine! Of course they sounded like nonsense. Hey, that guy you saw crucified… he’s alive. (Luke 24:12) Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. Duh. What had happened? Things were just as the women had said. Jesus was alive. So why do we single out Thomas as the doubter?
I happen to love Thomas. Why? Because he wasn’t a sheep. He refused to believe what was physically and logically impossible. When someone dies, they are dead. Period. The Romans were experts at killing. Crucifixion meant dead victim. So Thomas set forth to do research in the best way he knew. Show me the hands. Show me the feet. I want to touch the spear-hole.
I love it! He set out to prove or disprove what his friends told him. And a week later, he got his proof: (20:26-27) Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then 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.”
Immediately he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” The evidence was overwhelming, and Thomas believes. Not only does he believe, but he shows that he wasn’t as skeptical as he previously seemed. At the sight of Jesus and at Jesus’ words, all doubts disappear, and all the elaborate tests he had planned went out the door.
And then Thomas shows that he is no doubter; in fact, his faith is amazing. He puts it all together. When Jesus had asked his disciples who He was, in what has come to be known as the Great Confession, Peter stated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). But Thomas’ faith is more; not only is Jesus the Son of God, but He is God.
This is a fantastic statement of faith. Which brings me to the question: What do we do with doubts? Too often I’ve heard Christian leaders answer doubts with comments like “we don’t question that.” Oh really? Obviously someone is questioning; otherwise the question would never have come up. That kind of dismissal of doubts has horrible consequences: it causes people to repress their doubts, to shove them deep, to pretend they don’t exist, never to deal with them. And it drives people away. I’m the kind of person who, if I’m told that we don’t question something, questions it all the more. What are you hiding, that I’m not allowed to question this?
If we’re not allowed to question, we’re in trouble. Because the Bible is full of heroes of the faith who question God. If you’re not comfortable with this, you’d better steer clear of the Psalms, where the psalmists question Him all the time. In Psalm 13:1 David asks, How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? He doubts God’s character. He is accusing God of forgetting him.
In Habakkuk 1:2-3 we read: How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. The prophet doubts God’s justice!
Revelation 6:10 tells us that: [the martyrs] called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” These who gave their lives for God now doubt God’s timing.
You see, our God allows questions. In fact, He encourages them. Understand that there is a difference between having question and being a scoffer or a mocker. In Psalm 1, we read that those who sit in the seat of mockers are not among those declared blessed, and for good reason. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. If you think God doesn’t allow questions, then your God isn’t big enough. My God is big enough to field all of our doubts.
What does that mean? It means that if you’re agnostic, that is OK… agnostic means “I don’t know” – and if we are willing to admit that we don’t know something, that’s the first step to finding an answer. Thomas said, “I can’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Unless I get proof, I won’t believe.” Then Jesus gave him proof. I believe that when we seriously seek answers, our gracious God gives them. Sometimes they are the “holy 2x4” kind of answers, like God gave Job (read Job 38-40 if you want the Holy 2x4!) – like Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? (Job 38:4). But other times the answers are so gracious, quiet, but clear that the only reasonable response is Thomas’ “My Lord and my God!”
I said you’re OK if you’re agnostic… that is only true to a point. If you don’t know, but you’re not willing to seek answers, you’re better described as idiot. Really, what else should I call someone who is willfully and consistently ignorant?
The fact that God is big enough to not only allow doubts and questions, but even encourage us to express them is tied to the fact that God Himself not only has, but is the answer. When Thomas doubted, he got more than he even asked. He wondered, “Who can come back from the dead?” and he got the answer: God can.
A bigger question than “are doubts allowed?” is “what do you do with the answer?” Thomas went on to serve God faithfully, knowing that Jesus had indeed risen. In fact, there is an entire sector of Christianity which traces its roots back to Thomas. Yet, in John 20:29 Jesus told [Thomas], “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus pronounces you blessed if you believe.
What is your reputation? When did you get that reputation? How long have you had it? One day I found out what mine was. In a college German class, I had an assignment to interview a randomly selected classmate and give a speech about them. One of my soccer teammates drew my name, and the day of the presentation, he finally called me. I told him, “Mike, you know me well enough. We’ve played soccer together for three years. I trust you to tell the class about me.”
He told the class that I was loud, arrogant, brash, and hot-tempered, and that I was someone you didn’t want to mess with. The class wondered who this guy was that Mike was talking about. I didn’t usually exhibit those attributes in German class – but he assured them that these were good traits for a college goalkeeper!
Today we are looking at a Bible character who brings the reputation with him. "Doubting Thomas." We first meet Thomas in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, and Luke 6:15, where he is simply named as one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. It is from John that we get most of our information about him. He is specifically named – and nicknamed. Thomas comes from the Aramaic Toma, which is much like our name Tom. Toma, like the Greek Didymus, means Twin. Tradition suggests multiple people who could be Tom’s twin, but without sufficient evidence to convince me; as much as I wanted this message to be about a missing twin, I can’t in good conscience go that direction!
Thomas is best known for his actions in the scripture I read to you today. He knew Jesus had been crucified, so when his friends told him that they’d seen the risen Lord, he doubted. For this, and for his resolve that he would not believe the news until he had physical proof, we vilify Thomas. Before we call Tom “doubter” – what was the reaction of the other disciples to the news of Jesus’ resurrection? In Luke 24, some women went to embalm Jesus’ body. They found the stone rolled away, and two angels asked them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” and told them that Jesus had risen. When they told the disciples, this was the response: (Luke 24:11) But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed like nonsense. I can only imagine! Of course they sounded like nonsense. Hey, that guy you saw crucified… he’s alive. (Luke 24:12) Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. Duh. What had happened? Things were just as the women had said. Jesus was alive. So why do we single out Thomas as the doubter?
I happen to love Thomas. Why? Because he wasn’t a sheep. He refused to believe what was physically and logically impossible. When someone dies, they are dead. Period. The Romans were experts at killing. Crucifixion meant dead victim. So Thomas set forth to do research in the best way he knew. Show me the hands. Show me the feet. I want to touch the spear-hole.
I love it! He set out to prove or disprove what his friends told him. And a week later, he got his proof: (20:26-27) Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then 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.”
Immediately he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” The evidence was overwhelming, and Thomas believes. Not only does he believe, but he shows that he wasn’t as skeptical as he previously seemed. At the sight of Jesus and at Jesus’ words, all doubts disappear, and all the elaborate tests he had planned went out the door.
And then Thomas shows that he is no doubter; in fact, his faith is amazing. He puts it all together. When Jesus had asked his disciples who He was, in what has come to be known as the Great Confession, Peter stated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). But Thomas’ faith is more; not only is Jesus the Son of God, but He is God.
This is a fantastic statement of faith. Which brings me to the question: What do we do with doubts? Too often I’ve heard Christian leaders answer doubts with comments like “we don’t question that.” Oh really? Obviously someone is questioning; otherwise the question would never have come up. That kind of dismissal of doubts has horrible consequences: it causes people to repress their doubts, to shove them deep, to pretend they don’t exist, never to deal with them. And it drives people away. I’m the kind of person who, if I’m told that we don’t question something, questions it all the more. What are you hiding, that I’m not allowed to question this?
If we’re not allowed to question, we’re in trouble. Because the Bible is full of heroes of the faith who question God. If you’re not comfortable with this, you’d better steer clear of the Psalms, where the psalmists question Him all the time. In Psalm 13:1 David asks, How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? He doubts God’s character. He is accusing God of forgetting him.
In Habakkuk 1:2-3 we read: How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. The prophet doubts God’s justice!
Revelation 6:10 tells us that: [the martyrs] called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” These who gave their lives for God now doubt God’s timing.
You see, our God allows questions. In fact, He encourages them. Understand that there is a difference between having question and being a scoffer or a mocker. In Psalm 1, we read that those who sit in the seat of mockers are not among those declared blessed, and for good reason. But that doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions. If you think God doesn’t allow questions, then your God isn’t big enough. My God is big enough to field all of our doubts.
What does that mean? It means that if you’re agnostic, that is OK… agnostic means “I don’t know” – and if we are willing to admit that we don’t know something, that’s the first step to finding an answer. Thomas said, “I can’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Unless I get proof, I won’t believe.” Then Jesus gave him proof. I believe that when we seriously seek answers, our gracious God gives them. Sometimes they are the “holy 2x4” kind of answers, like God gave Job (read Job 38-40 if you want the Holy 2x4!) – like Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? (Job 38:4). But other times the answers are so gracious, quiet, but clear that the only reasonable response is Thomas’ “My Lord and my God!”
I said you’re OK if you’re agnostic… that is only true to a point. If you don’t know, but you’re not willing to seek answers, you’re better described as idiot. Really, what else should I call someone who is willfully and consistently ignorant?
The fact that God is big enough to not only allow doubts and questions, but even encourage us to express them is tied to the fact that God Himself not only has, but is the answer. When Thomas doubted, he got more than he even asked. He wondered, “Who can come back from the dead?” and he got the answer: God can.
A bigger question than “are doubts allowed?” is “what do you do with the answer?” Thomas went on to serve God faithfully, knowing that Jesus had indeed risen. In fact, there is an entire sector of Christianity which traces its roots back to Thomas. Yet, in John 20:29 Jesus told [Thomas], “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus pronounces you blessed if you believe.
- You who wait to see the resurrected Jesus.
- You who wait for justice.
- You who wait for an answer to your prayers.
- You who doubt.
- You who seek Him.
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