Believe in Me
“My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
We all have our journey of faith. No matter how far we are along that journey, there are constant reminders of our weakness. But it is on that same journey that we learn the power of the love and grace of the Lord Jesus. Thomas never seemed the happiest of men. In the story of Lazarus, he speaks about going to die. He could see only the darkness of death, but then witnessed the light of life in the Lord Jesus, as the resurrection and the life. In the upper room, in John 14, the Lord Jesus encourages His disciples not to be troubled but to believe in Him. He was going to heaven, and one glorious day He would bring His own into the Father’s house. He had told them several times that this meant He had to go into death at the cross of Calvary. But Thomas says to the Lord that the disciples did not know where He was going so could not know the way. Jesus gave the wonderful answer, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
The Bible does not tell us why Thomas was not with his friends when the risen Jesus came to His disciples in John 20. With joy in their hearts, the disciples tell Thomas that they had seen the Lord. For three years Thomas had been with the Lord Jesus, hearing His word and seeing His power. He had heard the Lord Jesus speak about His suffering, death and resurrection. He had been there when Jesus raised Lazarus. The men he had lived with during that time, friends Thomas loved and trusted, told him they had seen the Lord. At that moment, Thomas had a unique opportunity to answer to the Lord’s words in John 14:1,
“Believe in Me.” Instead, he says, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).
Eight days later Jesus appears to His disciples again and, standing amongst them, says, “Peace to you!” Then, in the most astonishing act of grace, He invites Thomas to do what his wilful unbelief demanded and at the same time to fulfil what the Lord’s love demanded: “Believe in Me”. It brought from dear Thomas’ heart utter worship: “My Lord and my God!”
The Lord, and only the Lord, rebukes Thomas for his unbelief. At the same time, He looked forward to the worship of the millions of saints who would never see what Thomas saw but who would believe in the Saviour who died and rose again for them. The risen Saviour, as the Great Shepherd, brought two men back to Himself: Thomas, who denied Him in resurrection, and Peter, who denied Him as He suffered. The love of Christ conquers our most profound failings and makes us, first like Thomas, into worshippers – “My Lord and my God”, and then like Peter, into followers – “You follow Me” (John 21:22).
“That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:7-9).
