How “Doubting Thomas” Encourages Us to Have Faith, even When We Feel Skeptical
Share
Have you ever learned something so implausible you simply didn’t believe it? For example, snow in midsummer, or getting a good grade on a test you’re certain you failed. “Impossible,” you might utter. “Give me proof.”
That’s exactly what happened with one of Jesus’ disciples, a little-known man named Thomas who was among the twelve closest to Jesus.
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Thomas other than that he was also known as Didymus, the Greek word for “twin” and that, on one occasion at least, he was willing to die for Jesus.
We also know he has been nicknamed “doubting Thomas” because of an encounter he had with Christ after His resurrection.
Who is doubting Thomas, and what does his story mean for us today?
Who Is Doubting Thomas?
The story of “doubting Thomas” is found in John 20, just after Christ has risen from the dead and has appeared to the other 10 disciples in a locked room (only Judas Iscariot, the betrayer who ultimately took his life, and Thomas were absent).
The only thing we know about Thomas, other than his “twin” nickname, is that he was paired with Matthew the tax collector when Jesus sent them out in pairs to heal and drive out demons (Matthew 10:3), and that he was the sole disciple who seemed ready to sacrifice his life when Jesus wanted to go back to Judea to heal Lazarus (John 11). In that story, the other disciples questioned Jesus’s decision, reminding Him that the last time they were there the Jews had wanted to stone Him, but Jesus insisted.
That’s when Thomas spoke up, telling the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (John 11:16).
It is a statement considered both passionate and loyal.
Yet for some reason after Jesus’s death, Thomas was not among the other disciples when the resurrected Jesus first appeared to them, showing them His pierced hands and side and imparting the Holy Spirit upon them with His breath.
When Thomas learned about this encounter, we see why he was called “doubting Thomas.”
Why Is Thomas Called “Doubting”?
In John 20:24-29, the other disciples informed him they’d seen the Lord, but he didn’t believe them.
“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe,” Thomas told them (John 20:25).
He doubted — said he had to see before he believed.
A week passed, and the disciples again gathered in the house with the doors locked, and this time Thomas was with them.
Suddenly, Jesus appeared in the room with them.
“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:27-28).
Thomas had doubted the others had seen the resurrected Jesus. But when he saw Jesus for himself, and had a direct personal experience with the risen Lord, that’s when he accepted the resurrection as truth.
Jesus then responded, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29).
What Does This Story Teach Us about Facing Our Own Doubts?
Jesus offered tremendous grace by showing Himself to Thomas in response to Thomas’s doubts. He knew Thomas wanted evidence, and He confronted this by providing exactly what Thomas sought.
But it’s Jesus’s final words in this scene, noting the blessedness of those who believe without seeing, that is thought to be the greatest lesson of this story. It’s a statement about faith.
Very few people had the chance to see the resurrected Jesus. Today, we don’t get that opportunity—we believe because we choose to have faith, because we allow the Holy Spirit to enter us and show us the Truth.
Jesus knew He would be ascending to heaven and that His time on earth was short. His words are surely an encouragement to those of us who came after these 11 apostles, those who came to faith based on the testimony of others who shared the Gospel through the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. It’s a nod to all the other believers who came after these men – believers whose faith transformed the church from a handful to roughly 2.38 billion Christians across the globe today.
Jesus doesn’t criticize Thomas for his doubt. His words in the original Greek—translated here as “stop doubting and believe”—are more of an exhortation to join in with the believers than a condemnation.
The whole encounter is a reminder of an earlier story in John 4, when Jesus was asked to heal an official’s son who was sick and close to death.
“‘Unless you people see signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe’” (John 4:48).
Jesus knew that people were doubters, filled with unbelief. He knew they needed to see miracles to accept what He was offering.
Later, He sent the Holy Spirit, whom He called “the Advocate” to enable the disciples to share Christ throughout the world.
That’s the lesson here about unbelief: it is fixed with the Holy Spirit.
When we have doubts today, we can ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with the Truth, and it will be done. We can accept that what John and the other Gospel writers recorded is a gift for us so we can understand what happened then, and give us hope for tomorrow.
We can also know that we are still loved and not condemned when we have doubts. Jesus understood this was a natural human condition. He did not condemn Thomas, but He pointed Thomas to the truth. Similarly, through the Holy Spirit, we are led to the truth.
A Prayer for When You Struggle with Doubt
If you are struggling with doubt, consider lifting up this prayer to the Lord:
God, I can be so weak and sinful in my separation from you. Sometimes I don’t trust others, or seeds of doubt begin to creep in because of lies planted by the enemy. I become prideful and turn away.
But I know that the Holy Spirit lives in all of your children. Lord, please allow the Holy Spirit to show me the truth and convict my heart of the evidence of Your goodness and Your glory. Enable me to push my own will aside in favor of the Spirit within me, who opens my eyes to Your way and Your plan.
Remove my doubt and increase my belief. Like Thomas, help me to move away from my unbelief, to shrug off all my worries and concerns and simply rest in You, and believe.
In Your holy and precious name I pray,
Amen.
Thomas can teach us a lot about the importance of faith and the gracious and compassionate love Jesus has for us all. We can always go to Him—with our doubts, our anger, our worries. And we can rest assured that He will handle it all.
Related articles
As a Christian, How Do I Deal with My Doubts?
Is It a Sin to Question God?
25 Bible Quotes on Faith for When You Can't See God's Next Steps for Your Life
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Christian Chan
