Jesus
said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 (ESV)
Even though the Apostle Thomas had been a part of Jesus’ three-year ministry, listening to His astounding words and witnessing His miraculous acts, he was no soft sale. He was a skeptic.
He remained
a skeptic even after the other disciples said they had seen the Christ alive
and well, three days after His crucifixion and death. He said, “Unless I see in His hands the mark
of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand
into His side, I will never believe.”
Jesus
appeared to them eight days later and confronted Doubting Thomas, challenging
him to do what he said he would do to believe.
Thomas didn’t need to as he saw and recognized his risen Messiah, causing him to
say, and rightly so, “My Lord and my God!”
After Thomas
saw and believed, Jesus pronounced a blessing on all who would believe without
seeing. Some of you reading this are
searching and have not arrived here by accident. You might be unsure of who this Jesus is or
how He can affect your life for the better.
Like Thomas, you might be a skeptic.
Thomas
carefully weighed the outcome of the cross.
But he did as Jesus commanded, and received a shocking reality check. If
you’re skeptical, I hope you will just simply believe, as he did. He was awakened to the Reality of God’s
Salvation and was led to experience it fully through the working of the Holy Spirit.
He was blessed by what he saw, but for those of us who have believed on Jesus
Christ in ages since, we are the recipients of a greater Grace and
Blessing.
Why not put
your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? If you’re skeptical ask
Him into your heart and receive the greater blessing. What do you have to lose? If Jesus isn’t real nothing will happen and
you can go on with your life. But He is real and alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18), and as did Thomas, you will
receive that blessing, only in a greater way, coming to say of Jesus the
Christ, “My Lord and my God!”
Ken
