John 20:25, commentary and pictures

Thomas was absent when Jesus first appeared to the risen disciples in the upper chamber, and when they told him they had seen the Lord he refused their testimony and declared he would not believe unless he himself saw the nail prints in his hands and put his finger into them and thrust his hand into his side. His demand sprang from stubborn unbelief and slowness to believe despite abundant evidence and Christ's own foretelling, fed by jealousy at being passed by, wounded vanity, gloom and despair over a lost hope of an earthly kingdom. Eight days later Jesus met his dictated conditions with condescension and tender love rather than harsh reproach, showing him the wounds until doubt was swept away forever and he confessed him as Lord and God, while reproving faithlessness and blessing those who have not seen and yet have believed. Those prints of nails and spear remain on his risen and glorified body forever as the only traces of sin's work, his highest honor testifying eternally to redemption's price, his saving power, and mercy, justice and love. God's plan is for those who have not seen to believe through the testimony passed from one to another, so waiting like Thomas for every doubt to be removed hardens the heart, and doubters are won not by controversy but by revealing Jesus in love and mercy with patient forbearance.

Words and Setting

Thomas had been absent when Jesus first appeared to the disciples, and when the others told him, We have seen the Lord, his words were the answer to their report. He would not accept the testimony of his fellow disciples, but required personal sight and touch before he would believe. He declared that except he should see in His hands the print of the nails and put his finger into the print, and thrust his hand into His side, he would not believe.

The event took place in Jerusalem, where the disciples remained through Passover week. They were gathered in the upper chamber, the same room where Jesus had met with them for the last supper, and it was there that they saw Christ after His resurrection. Jesus revealed Himself to them there twice before they later went to Galilee, telling them to remain in Jerusalem for a time.

Eight days later Jesus showed Thomas the crucifixion marks, and Thomas was convinced. The surrounding account shows that the other disciples also struggled to believe at first, and some who still doubted struggled to accept the truth of the resurrection. But seeing Jesus and recognizing Him by the marks of the nails in His hands and feet replaced unbelief with faith and joy and convinced those who had not seen Him before that He was their risen Saviour and Lord.

Thomas's Unbelief and Motives

Thomas would not take the word of his fellow disciples that they had seen the risen Lord, but insisted on seeing and touching for himself, distrusting their testimony. His demand was to see the print of the nails in the hands and to put his finger into the print and thrust his hand into the side before he would believe. If all required such personal proof, few would ever believe, for it was God's purpose that the testimony of those who had seen and heard the risen One should pass from one to another.

His course was not commendable but slowness of heart to believe, stubborn unbelief held amid gloom, grief and despair. He maintained it despite abundant evidence and despite having been told beforehand that crucifixion would be followed by resurrection on the third day, and his unbelief displeased God. He closed himself to the report because he would not accept testimony he had not verified for himself. Jealousy that the appearance had been granted to the others in his absence, with wounded vanity, shut him further against what they told him.

His doubt was bound up with the loss of his mistaken hope for a literal earthly kingdom, for he supposed that a risen Jesus could no longer establish it and that resurrection ended that expectation. Yet he loved Jesus, and he was faithful and earnest though slow of heart to believe. As one of the first disciples who were to be the world's teachers he stood among widely varied types of character, and his doubt belonged to their wider failure to recognize and appreciate Jesus, which afterward remained with them as a painful reminder of unbelief.

Christ's Response to Thomas

When Jesus appeared again with Thomas present He supplied exactly the proof Thomas had stipulated, letting him see and touch the wounds of the crucifixion. Seeing the risen Saviour bearing those marks swept Thomas's doubts away forever, so that he wanted and needed no further evidence. Having received the evidence he demanded, Thomas believed, but Jesus reproved him for being faithless rather than believing. His demand set doubt in contrast to faith, and Christ blessed those who have not seen and yet have believed. The refusal to trust the disciples' report displeased God, whose purpose was that those who had not seen or heard the risen Jesus should receive their testimony.

Thomas had dictated most unreasonable conditions for belief, insisting he would believe only if he could see the nail prints and put his finger into them and thrust his hand into the wounded side. Jesus did not answer with reproach or controversy or argument, but with condescension, tenderness, generous love and consideration. He revealed Himself to the doubter, and that revelation of Jesus in love and mercy as the crucified Saviour broke down all the barriers Thomas had raised. The resistance thus overcome led Thomas to acknowledge Him as his Lord and his God, even unwilling lips being brought to confess.

The merciful Saviour did not leave Thomas without rest, and His care shows that a doubting believer may find rest in Christ.

Wounds Borne Forever

The prints of the nails in the hands and feet and the spear mark in the side remained on the risen body of Jesus. When the wicked dead are raised they will see Him in glory and recognize those wounds in hands, feet and side as part of His glory. When He appears in glory He presents His hands, and the nail marks testify forever to humanity's redemption and the price paid for it. The mark of the spear in His side will also be seen by those who wounded Him.

Those marks remain forever as the only traces of sin's work. Once signs of suffering, they are now His highest honor and glory. They testify eternally to His saving power and praise, recalling the sacrifice that reconciled humanity to God. They reveal the divine character of mercy, tenderness, forgiveness, equity and justice. Throughout eternity He will bear in His hands the prints of the cruel nails by which He was fastened to the cross on Calvary, that penitent sinners might have life eternal and live with Him in glory.

The nail-bruised hands were the same hands often stretched out to bless the sick and the afflicted and to rebuke demons. Those hands were still His, and He extended them to bless His disciples as He departed. At the ascension those hands were mercifully extended over the disciples as though embracing the whole world in them and calling down a blessing upon all followers. Beams of light emanated from those hands and fell upon the watching, waiting ones who returned to Jerusalem full of joy and not mourning.

He still bears the prints in heaven, where He stands before the throne as Saviour interceding in behalf of those who have almost gone over to the wrong side. The marks of the crucifixion will still be borne upon His glorified form when He welcomes the ransomed to the city of God, with outstretched arms to receive Adam. They were borne for Adam's sin, and as Adam discerns the prints of the cruel nails he does not embrace Him but in humiliation casts himself at His feet crying Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. The Saviour tenderly lifts him up.

At the close of the thousand years the wicked dead are raised and see Jesus in glory with the wounds, including those who pierced Him, and they wail because of Him. Those who wounded Him will see the spear mark and grieve over their part in His death. At His coming those who rejected the light and refused obedience will see the nail wounds in His hands and feet and the wound in His side and recognize the sacrifice and love of the Redeemer they rejected. They will face judgment and seek to hide from Him.

The wounds show the cost of the sacrifice made for humanity, a sacrifice that should move the heart. His wounds express His love, and teachable faith leads people to value His work more rightly. His hands were pierced with cruel nails and His brow bled when the barbed crown was placed upon His head, and His agony of body was greater than any person can endure. Because He suffered this, sinners should take hold of Him as He is and give Him the heart. Children should be taught that they can be saved, for He took little children in His arms and blessed them and will still take and bless them.

Faith Through Testimony

God's plan was for the testimony of those who had seen and heard the risen Jesus to pass from one person to another, so that many who had not seen or heard Him would believe through their report. Thomas refused to believe the disciples' report that they had seen Jesus risen unless he could himself see the nail marks and touch them and put his hand into His side. His demand showed distrust and lack of confidence in his fellow disciples, and God was displeased with that unbelief. If everyone required such personal proof, few would believe in the resurrection. When Jesus later appeared while Thomas was present He gave him the evidence demanded, Thomas then believed, and Jesus reproved him for unbelief while blessing those who believe without seeing.

Waiting for every cause of doubt to be removed, as Thomas did in withholding belief until he could see and touch the wounds of the crucifixion, can entrench people in unbelief. Even with abundant evidence, demanding complete proof can lead to rejecting it and becoming fixed in unbelief and losing the light already possessed. Rejecting clear evidence of divine truth hardens the heart and blinds the understanding and the mind. Neglected light fades away from a mind unwilling to receive it.

Christ gave Thomas the evidence he demanded, but reproved him for being faithless rather than believing. The refusal to believe the report of the risen Christ's appearance unless His wounds could be seen and touched illustrates the danger of resisting evidence and being slow to believe. It also warns against opposing a teaching without diligently investigating it.

Helping Those Who Doubt

Thomas laid down unreasonable terms for belief, insisting he would believe only if he could see and touch the wounds for himself. Jesus did not answer that demand with reproach or argument but with condescension, tenderness, generous love and consideration, revealing himself to the doubter and breaking down every barrier he had raised. Persistent controversy seldom weakens unbelief but puts it on self-defense, where it finds new support and excuse. Revealing Jesus in love and mercy as the crucified Saviour brings even unwilling lips to confess him as Lord and God, and those of weak faith who make their doubts prominent are to be treated with love and consideration.

Like Thomas, some cannot believe published testimonies or receive evidence through the testimony of others but must see and have the evidence for themselves. This includes those who are suspicious and doubting toward visions when they have never seen the one having them and have had no experience of their influence. Such persons are not to be thrust aside or set aside or opposed at first, but are to be met with long patience, kindly forbearance and brotherly love. If their Christian course is otherwise correct they are not to be restricted from organization and the benefits and privileges of the church, but are to be left until they find their position and become established for or against. No trial or labor is to be taken up against them at first; labor against them comes only when they fight against what they do not know and souls are endangered through their influence.

Thomas missed meeting Jesus because he was absent when Jesus met with the disciples. Spiritual advantages and religious privilege can appear very small, yet absence or delay can cause a person to miss meeting Jesus. Believers must therefore be minutemen, always on duty and never off duty, ready at the right moment to do a work for God. To require even greater evidence than doubting Thomas required is to look on with indifference while expressing doubts, suspicions and fears, instead of putting 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 against the cause, and its influence retards advance and reform among God's people.

The doubting Thomas who must have an experience satisfying his demand for evidence became the image for one who could not believe reported visions without being able to explain how they could be true. In that comparison the doubter still believed the speaker was sincere. He was also deeply moved even while unable to believe.