My Lord and my God

"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger... and be not faithless, but believing."
John 20:27 (KJV)

Few disciples have been remembered by one moment as much as Thomas. For centuries he has been called "Doubting Thomas," yet the Scriptures present a richer and more gracious picture.

Thomas was not a man who abandoned Jesus.

He was a disciple who longed for certainty after experiencing unimaginable grief.

His story reminds us that Christ is patient with those who sincerely seek Him.

The Context of Thomas's Doubt

When Jesus first appeared after His resurrection, Thomas was absent.

John tells us:

"The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord."
John 20:25 (KJV)

Imagine Thomas's situation.

Only a few days earlier, he had watched the One he believed to be the Messiah crucified.

His hopes appeared shattered.

Now others were telling him that Jesus was alive.

Thomas answered:

"Except I shall see... I will not believe."
John 20:25 (KJV)

His words reveal both his pain and his desire for certainty.

Honest Questions Are Not the Same as Unbelief

There is a difference between an honest seeker and a hardened unbeliever.

Throughout Scripture, faithful people brought sincere questions before God.

David cried out in the Psalms.

Habakkuk questioned God's timing.

Job wrestled with suffering.

Even John the Baptist sought reassurance while imprisoned.

God does not rebuke every question.

He rebukes hearts that refuse to believe despite overwhelming evidence.

Thomas was not mocking Christ.

He desired to know the truth.

Every Believer Must Personally Know Christ

There comes a time when borrowed faith must become personal faith.

Our parents' faith cannot save us.

Our pastor's testimony cannot save us.

Our church attendance cannot save us.

Each person must personally trust in Jesus Christ.

Paul writes:

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith."
2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV)

Christianity is not inherited by family tradition.

It is entered through personal repentance and faith in Christ.

Jesus Meets Thomas

Eight days later, Jesus appeared again.

This time Thomas was present.

Jesus immediately addressed his specific concern.

"Reach hither thy finger... and be not faithless, but believing."
John 20:27 (KJV)

Notice what Jesus did.

He did not humiliate Thomas.

He did not shame him before the other disciples.

He lovingly confronted Thomas's unbelief by providing exactly what Thomas needed to believe.

This reveals both the compassion and patience of our Savior.

Thomas's Great Confession

Thomas responded with one of the clearest declarations of Jesus' deity in all of Scripture:

"My Lord and my God."
John 20:28 (KJV)

This is the climax of John's Gospel.

Thomas did not merely acknowledge that Jesus was alive.

He confessed Him as both Lord and God.

Jesus accepted this worship because it was true.

The risen Christ is fully God and fully man.

Blessed Are Those Who Believe

Jesus then said:

"Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."
John 20:29 (KJV)

This promise extends to believers today.

We have not physically seen the risen Christ.

Yet we believe through the reliable testimony of Scripture and the witness of the apostles.

Peter encourages believers with similar words:

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable."
1 Peter 1:8 (KJV)

 

Faith Is Grounded in God's Revelation

It is good to seek Christ sincerely.

Yet we should also remember that God has already given us a sufficient witness to His Son through the inspired Scriptures and the testimony of the apostles.

Saving faith does not depend upon receiving the exact same experience Thomas received.

John explains why he recorded these events:

"These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
John 20:31 (KJV)

God ordinarily brings people to faith through His Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit (Romans 10:17), rather than by repeated miraculous appearances.

Bring Your Questions to Jesus

If you are struggling with doubts, do not run from Christ.

Run to Him.

Bring your questions to Scripture.

Pray honestly.

Seek wise counsel.

Ask God to strengthen your faith.

He is gracious toward those who sincerely desire to know Him.

A Call to Repentance

Perhaps you have been relying on someone else's relationship with Christ.

Today, Jesus invites you to know Him personally.

Turn from your sin.

Trust Him completely.

Confess Him as Thomas did:

"My Lord and my God."

The Gospel

The risen Christ whom Thomas touched is the same Savior who offers eternal life today.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23 (KJV)

God demonstrated His love by sending His Son.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8 (KJV)

Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day.

Now He calls all people to repent and believe the Gospel.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Romans 10:9 (KJV)

 

Conclusion

Thomas's story is not ultimately about doubt.

It is about the grace of the risen Christ.

Jesus did not abandon the disciple who struggled.

He came to him.

He revealed Himself.

He called him to believe.

And Thomas responded with one of the greatest confessions in all of Scripture:

"My Lord and my God."

Where there is sincere seeking, Christ is faithful to reveal Himself through His Word and by His Spirit. Bring your honest questions to Him, and let them lead you, not away from faith, but to a deeper confidence in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.