But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with the other disciples in the upper room when the risen Jesus first came to them, so he did not see Jesus himself and knew of the resurrection only because his companions told him they had seen the Lord. He refused to believe their testimony unless he could see and touch the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet, and side for himself. Jesus met him with tenderness rather than reproach, giving him the very evidence he demanded, and the sight of his crucified and risen Lord swept away his doubts and brought him to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God. Christ then reproved his need to see in order to believe and pronounced blessing on those who receive the disciples' testimony and believe without seeing. His course warns that demanding every doubt be removed while overlooking proof already given hardens the heart and settles a person in unbelief, yet weak faith and doubt are to be met with gracious self-revelation rather than reproach or argument.
Setting and Circumstances
The verse belongs to the account of Jesus revealing himself twice to his disciples in the upper chamber at Jerusalem during Passover week. They were staying in Jerusalem and gathering there in the evenings before leaving for Galilee, and he told them to remain in Jerusalem for a time. It was the same room where he had met with them for the last supper. No explanation or detail is given about why Thomas was absent.
Thomas was one of the twelve and one of the first disciples. He was of the faithful and earnest yet slow of heart to believe type, with Philip illustrating that character. Together the first disciples presented a marked diversity, representing widely varied types of character among those who were to be the world's teachers.
Thomas was not with the gathered disciples in the upper room when the risen Jesus first came to them. He therefore did not see Jesus himself at that meeting. He learned of the resurrection only through his companions' testimony that they had seen the Lord. His absence forms the background to his refusal to believe without personally seeing and touching Jesus' wounds.
Doubt and Christ's Response
Because he was absent when Jesus came, Thomas heard only his companions' testimony that they had seen the Lord and refused to believe their report unless he could see and touch the wounds for himself. He demanded to see the wounded hands and feet and side and to examine the evidence personally before he would believe. His unbelief was not commendable, for Jesus had already told the disciples that He would be crucified and rise on the third day. Though he had abundant proof he would not rely on their testimony, and he spent the following week in despair and unbelief.
Grief, unbelief, wounded pride, despair, jealousy, and mistaken hope for an earthly kingdom led him to reject their report and demand to see Jesus for himself. His absence from that meeting left him without personal sight of Jesus and deepened his doubt. Jesus met him with tenderness, love, and consideration rather than reproach or argument, revealing Himself to him and supplying the evidence demanded. Seeing his crucified and risen Lord swept away Thomas's doubts so that he needed no further evidence.
That sight led him to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God and gave rest to his soul. He later recounted at the meeting in Galilee how his unbelief was ended and his doubts were swept away. Christ then reproved his unbelief and blessed those who believe without seeing. It is God's will for people who could not see or hear the risen Saviour themselves to receive the disciples' testimony, since requiring the same direct evidence of everyone would leave few believing in the resurrection.
Weak faith and doubt should therefore be met with Christ's gracious self-revelation rather than reproach or argument. Thomas's experience assures believers that the merciful Saviour can meet doubt with help and saves each person, not only others.
Warning and Counsel for Today
Thomas was absent when Jesus first met the disciples, so he had only his companions' testimony that the Lord had risen, yet he waited for every cause of doubt to be removed by further proof instead of believing the evidence already given. To demand in that way to have all doubt removed and to wait for more proof while overlooking testimony already received leads toward becoming settled and fixed in unbelief. Rejecting clear evidence concerning Jesus and divine truth hardens the heart and blinds the understanding. Light that is neglected fades from the mind until a person loses the ability to recognize evidence and becomes entrenched in unbelief. People today possess the disciples' testimony and further evidence about them and around them that must not be overlooked.
Missing that meeting with Jesus through absence and delay shows that spiritual advantages and religious privilege may appear very small and yet cause a person to miss meeting Jesus. Everyone can do a work for God and must be ready and on duty at all times, because a word spoken or an act performed at the right moment may turn a soul in favor of truth and save him to eternal life. Thomas is the pattern of those who cannot accept testimony from others but must see and have the evidence for themselves, including published testimonies and testimony of wonderful things shown by God in visions. His absence explains why he had not witnessed the risen Lord for himself, and his uncertainty resembles difficulty in believing reports of visions. Such doubt can exist with sincerity and a deeply moved heart, with inability to explain what was related, and with readiness to be happiest if convinced it is true.
Such doubting ones who have never seen the person having visions and have had no experience with their influence should not be thrust aside, excluded, or kept from organization and the benefits and privileges of the church if their Christian course is correct. Long patience, kindly forbearance, and brotherly love should be exercised toward them until they find their position and become established for or against. Labor is to be taken up against them only when they fight against visions of which they have no knowledge and souls are endangered through their influence, so that the weak are not led astray or corrupted. To be like Thomas in needing greater evidence than others before believing and acting is to look on with indifference, express doubts, suspicions and fears, and hold back for more proof instead of putting the hand to the work with zeal and energy to build up what Christ requires. Such a course does not tear down directly but works indirectly to tear down, unites with the powers of darkness, and retards advance and reform among God's people.
Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with the other disciples in the upper room when the risen Jesus first came to them, so he did not see Jesus himself and knew of the resurrection only because his companions told him they had seen the Lord. He refused to believe their testimony unless he could see and touch the wounds in Jesus' hands, feet, and side for himself. Jesus met him with tenderness rather than reproach, giving him the very evidence he demanded, and the sight of his crucified and risen Lord swept away his doubts and brought him to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God. Christ then reproved his need to see in order to believe and pronounced blessing on those who receive the disciples' testimony and believe without seeing. His course warns that demanding every doubt be removed while overlooking proof already given hardens the heart and settles a person in unbelief, yet weak faith and doubt are to be met with gracious self-revelation rather than reproach or argument.
Setting and Circumstances
The verse belongs to the account of Jesus revealing himself twice to his disciples in the upper chamber at Jerusalem during Passover week. They were staying in Jerusalem and gathering there in the evenings before leaving for Galilee, and he told them to remain in Jerusalem for a time. It was the same room where he had met with them for the last supper. No explanation or detail is given about why Thomas was absent.
Thomas was one of the twelve and one of the first disciples. He was of the faithful and earnest yet slow of heart to believe type, with Philip illustrating that character. Together the first disciples presented a marked diversity, representing widely varied types of character among those who were to be the world's teachers.
Thomas was not with the gathered disciples in the upper room when the risen Jesus first came to them. He therefore did not see Jesus himself at that meeting. He learned of the resurrection only through his companions' testimony that they had seen the Lord. His absence forms the background to his refusal to believe without personally seeing and touching Jesus' wounds.
Doubt and Christ's Response
Because he was absent when Jesus came, Thomas heard only his companions' testimony that they had seen the Lord and refused to believe their report unless he could see and touch the wounds for himself. He demanded to see the wounded hands and feet and side and to examine the evidence personally before he would believe. His unbelief was not commendable, for Jesus had already told the disciples that He would be crucified and rise on the third day. Though he had abundant proof he would not rely on their testimony, and he spent the following week in despair and unbelief.
Grief, unbelief, wounded pride, despair, jealousy, and mistaken hope for an earthly kingdom led him to reject their report and demand to see Jesus for himself. His absence from that meeting left him without personal sight of Jesus and deepened his doubt. Jesus met him with tenderness, love, and consideration rather than reproach or argument, revealing Himself to him and supplying the evidence demanded. Seeing his crucified and risen Lord swept away Thomas's doubts so that he needed no further evidence.
That sight led him to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and God and gave rest to his soul. He later recounted at the meeting in Galilee how his unbelief was ended and his doubts were swept away. Christ then reproved his unbelief and blessed those who believe without seeing. It is God's will for people who could not see or hear the risen Saviour themselves to receive the disciples' testimony, since requiring the same direct evidence of everyone would leave few believing in the resurrection.
Weak faith and doubt should therefore be met with Christ's gracious self-revelation rather than reproach or argument. Thomas's experience assures believers that the merciful Saviour can meet doubt with help and saves each person, not only others.
Warning and Counsel for Today
Thomas was absent when Jesus first met the disciples, so he had only his companions' testimony that the Lord had risen, yet he waited for every cause of doubt to be removed by further proof instead of believing the evidence already given. To demand in that way to have all doubt removed and to wait for more proof while overlooking testimony already received leads toward becoming settled and fixed in unbelief. Rejecting clear evidence concerning Jesus and divine truth hardens the heart and blinds the understanding. Light that is neglected fades from the mind until a person loses the ability to recognize evidence and becomes entrenched in unbelief. People today possess the disciples' testimony and further evidence about them and around them that must not be overlooked.
Missing that meeting with Jesus through absence and delay shows that spiritual advantages and religious privilege may appear very small and yet cause a person to miss meeting Jesus. Everyone can do a work for God and must be ready and on duty at all times, because a word spoken or an act performed at the right moment may turn a soul in favor of truth and save him to eternal life. Thomas is the pattern of those who cannot accept testimony from others but must see and have the evidence for themselves, including published testimonies and testimony of wonderful things shown by God in visions. His absence explains why he had not witnessed the risen Lord for himself, and his uncertainty resembles difficulty in believing reports of visions. Such doubt can exist with sincerity and a deeply moved heart, with inability to explain what was related, and with readiness to be happiest if convinced it is true.
Such doubting ones who have never seen the person having visions and have had no experience with their influence should not be thrust aside, excluded, or kept from organization and the benefits and privileges of the church if their Christian course is correct. Long patience, kindly forbearance, and brotherly love should be exercised toward them until they find their position and become established for or against. Labor is to be taken up against them only when they fight against visions of which they have no knowledge and souls are endangered through their influence, so that the weak are not led astray or corrupted. To be like Thomas in needing greater evidence than others before believing and acting is to look on with indifference, express doubts, suspicions and fears, and hold back for more proof instead of putting the hand to the work with zeal and energy to build up what Christ requires. Such a course does not tear down directly but works indirectly to tear down, unites with the powers of darkness, and retards advance and reform among God's people.