The Thomas Response

Today I prayed a prayer through a song that I sang, and the song was “Let the burden of the Lord come down, hallelujah; let the burden of the Lord from heaven come down”. And what is this burden? This is the burden that God has for the faithless and disbelieving. The burden that he has to bring them to a point where they will have what God has revealed to me to be “The Thomas response”.

God has a plan and a purpose for every generation, but one purpose is universal to all generations; one purpose never changes, has never changed and was the reason why God came down as a man and died for our sins. This purpose is to bring men to the Thomas response, that they may “be not faithless but believing”. John 20:27

He was not there

Before we look at the Thomas response I feel it is important that we take a look at Thomas and how he got to this point. John Chapter 20 chronicles what happens after the death of Jesus. The bible tells us that Mary Magdalene went unto the sepulcher where they had laid Jesus early in the morning and when she got there she found that the stone that they had used to cover the sepulcher had been taken away. The bible tells us that she immediately ran and called Simon Peter and the other disciples to come and see for themselves. They got there and indeed saw that Jesus was not there.

When the disciples went away Mary stood outside the sepulcher weeping when two angels appeared to her standing at the head and at the feet of where Jesus had been laid. They asked her why she was weeping and she responded that they have taken away her Lord and she doesn’t know where they have laid him. Then Jesus appears to her and asks her the same question and she, thinking he was a gardener said “Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away”. John 20:15

Jesus calls her name and she instantly recognizes him and he says to her “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God and your God”. John 20:17

Jesus also revealed himself to his disciples, but the Bible in verse 24 says that Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe”. John 20:25

Brother and sisters, the doubt of Thomas is one that plagues our generation today. We live in an age of immense technological advancement, wherein man has created for himself all sorts of “smart” devices that go beyond what previous generations thought was possible. Now with the internet many people say that we live in the age of information. The enemy has twisted this blessing of knowledge from God, and has rooted unbelief in the hearts of many. Now people want proof that there is God. They have said unto the Church, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe”.

Brothers and sisters, will they believe? We know that they have said that they will not. They will not believe because faith is “the evidence of things not seen and the assurance of things hoped for”. Hebrews 1:1 But then the need for proof in the form of signs and wonders is not idiosyncratic to our generation. When our Lord Jesus walked upon this earth he encountered much of the same. When the man in Galilee whose son was sick came and asked Jesus to heal his son Jesus said unto him “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” John 4:48

And so Thomas wanted this sign: The nail on Jesus’ hands. He required this wonder: The wound on Jesus’ side, so that he might indeed believe that Jesus Christ is risen.

The Thomas response

And so God revealed to me the Thomas response. I’d read this chapter so many times, especially in Church on Easter Sunday. But by the blessed revelation of the Holy Spirit this word of God took new meaning in my life. As I read when Jesus appeared to Thomas what took place struck me and reached deep into the very center of my soul. Our Lord in his mercy said unto Thomas “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing”. John 20:27

Now brothers and sisters, at this very moment when I write this Jesus draws my attention again to his encounter with Mary. When he revealed himself to her he told her “Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren” John 20:17

Do you see? Jesus was unwilling to let Mary touch him. He could not be touched lest he be defiled by flesh before his ascension into heaven. But you see when Jesus stood before Thomas, when Jesus saw Thomas in all his unbelief Jesus told him to reach out and touch his hands and his side, so that he won’t be faithless but believing. Jesus was willing to defile himself for one man’s unbelief. Such is the Love and mercy of this God we serve, such is his faithfulness even in a sea of our unfaithfulness that he asked Thomas to touch his wounds and live.

What was Thomas’ response? Did he rush to Jesus to touch his hands and his side? Did he seek to analyze the evidence of this savior’s resurrection, or verify the authenticity of the risen Christ? No…the bible tells us that Thomas’ response was this – “And Thomas answered and said unto him, MY LORD AND MY GOD”. John: 20:28

Brothers and sisters, this is where the world needs to get to. Thomas did not fall on his knees asking for forgiveness, he did not utter a thousand words about how sorry he was...there is nothing wrong with those things but here it was not necessary. All he had to do was make this one true confession “My Lord and my God”.

So many times we utter insincere words of repentance, out of tradition, formality or as a way to “get God off our backs”. But the Thomas response is sincere, it is honest, it arises from the very core of who we are…it is indeed a true change of heart. We should long for a response like this from this faithless world.

Arriving at the Thomas Response

Brothers and sisters, I was going to stop here…but there is something that God would have me say to you. You see just like Thomas this world wants signs and wonders. Just like Thomas they have wanted this sign: The nail on Jesus’ hands, and have required this wonder : The wound on Jesus’ side, so that they might indeed believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.

God wants us to give them these signs and wonders. In the bible Paul said that we believers are “Always bearing about in our body the dying of our Lord Jesus”. II Corinthians 4:10 We carry these nail pierced hands and these spear pierced sides with us when we show love, make sacrifices, intercede, preach the word, carry each other’s burdens. This is the dying of Christ in us that will generate the Thomas Response out of a faithless world.

Brothers and sisters, this is where it has fallen to us…this is what is required of us. In John Chapter 13:35 Jesus said “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another”

Let the Love of God in our lives be a token unto this generation of the reality and authority of Jesus Christ our Lord. I love you all. Remain blessed.