Daily Devotions
John
John 20:19-31 "STRAIGHT TO THE POINT!"
Day 350 – John 20
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT!
After the normal, customary salutation, Jesus went straight to the point. The significance of Jesus going straight to the problem that Thomas had, must not be missed! Thomas had believed that Jesus was dead! By dealing with Thomas’ problem so forthrightly settled many things for Thomas.
This forthright manner was typical of the way Jesus handled issues. He always went straight to the point! Thus this Person had to be none other than Jesus!
The second thing to note is that it proved that Jesus was indeed all He said He was! He was the all-knowing Messiah! He was the Risen Lord! He knew what was going on, as though He was there all the time! And He was with them all this while, even though He had not chosen to reveal His Presence!
Thomas couldn’t say that any of the Disciples prompted Jesus concerning his doubts. Before any of them could say a word, Jesus spoke – as He always did. He had always been their Leader and though He was not always physically present with them, when He did appear, He always took the lead!
All these things were not lost to the hard-thinking Thomas! He had to have things well thought out, before he could come to the point when he could say, “I believe”.
COMBATING DOUBTS WITH FACTS!
There was only one way to deal with doubts! Arguments do not deal with doubts effectively enough! The Disciples must have tried very hard to convince Thomas about the veracity of their testimonies. But try as they might, they could not move Thomas an inch from his position of unbelief! It wasn’t that Thomas wanted to disbelieve his friends, but he just couldn’t find it in his heart to believe!
Jesus knew the difficulties that Thomas had fallen into. He had become so entrenched in his system of thinking that he could not believe anything that his friends told him! He was prepared to stand alone and lose his friends even, but he could not deny his thoughts that offered him more doubts than peace!
Jesus went straight to Thomas and said,
“Reach your finger here, and look at My hands;
and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.
Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
John 20:27
Thomas was now confronted with facts that he could not deny! He himself had loudly declared to his friends that he could not, and would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead! What were his words?
“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
Jesus had virtually quoted Thomas when He spoke to him! The Teacher had heard every foolish word he had uttered! He also knew that his words were also full of pride and ignorance. Did Jesus also know that he had virtually despised his friends for believing in the story of the Resurrection of Jesus so easily? He must have!
How could he have been so foolish! How could he have doubted not just the resurrection of Jesus, but the very power of God Himself. He who had raised Lazarus and others from the dead, why could He not have risen from the dead? Did He not say that He was the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)!
How empty, hollow and trite his words were now, before the Risen Jesus! What could he say to this Person who graciously said that He wanted faith and not unbelief! His heart chastised, his mind enlightened, and his faith restored, Thomas choked out these words.
“My Lord and my God!”
John 20:28
What all his friends said were true! They did see the Saviour! No wonder they were so confident and sure of themselves! It was now his turn to acknowledge Jesus for who He really was!
He was always Lord. He was always God! Thomas must have struggled with the second part of his new statement of faith! He could address Jesus as Lord, as a term of his highest respect or regard of Jesus. He owed Him that much!
But to own him as Divine or as God! That was something that he struggled with! How could a man, even if He were able to perform so many mighty miracles, be God too! It had been a long hard struggle! The battle was won now! Doubts and unbelief had been defeated! Thomas could now say with all his heart, “My Lord and my God”.
ANOTHER WAY OF COMBATING DOUBTS!
Was there another way of combating the problem of doubt? There was, but Thomas did not know how to apply it! Jesus explained how Thomas could have overcome his doubts with these words.
“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have
believed. Blessed are those who have not seen
and yet have believed.”
John 20:29
This was a problem that many in Israel had. In the beginning of His ministry Jesus made this observation.
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you
will by no means believe.”
John 4:48
Thomas had the same problem! He could not exercise his faith to overcome his doubts! The way of faith was the best way to combat doubts! The way of sight was not the preferred way! The way of faith is specially “blessed” and honoured by the Lord.