Easter: The Beautiful ExchangeSample

DOUBT → ← FAITH

I Want to Believe

Have you ever heard the term reasonable doubt? It’s a legal term that means the prosecution must prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the person in question is guilty. Otherwise, if there is any reasonable doubt in the mind of a reasonable person, the accused cannot be convicted.

Today, we’re going to look at the interaction between Jesus and Thomas, whom we so lovingly refer to as “Doubting Thomas.” In John 20, we read that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and then to His disciples. But Thomas was not with them when Jesus came.

When they told him about the resurrection, Thomas, an intelligent, logical, reasonable person, said, “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” (John 20:25 NIV). Was Thomas so wrong in saying this? Was his doubt so unreasonable? Jesus was killed and buried. The evidence was seemingly insurmountable in this case. From a logical standpoint, Thomas was completely justified in his stance.

There can be absolutely no doubt that Thomas wanted to believe his friends. He wanted Jesus back. He wanted to once again see His face, hear His voice, walk alongside Him, and be in His presence. But like the old expression “seeing is believing,” Thomas needed to see for himself.

A week later, when all of the disciples were together, Jesus appeared to them. And 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” (John 20:27 NIV). Can you imagine what that was like for Thomas? In that moment, as he stood before the risen Messiah and said, “My Lord and my God,” Thomas’ doubt was exchanged for faith.

Jesus’ response to Thomas is also for us today! He said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29 NIV).

Now, you may be asking, “If Thomas, who had seen miracle after miracle and heard all the words of Jesus, needed to see to believe, how can I be expected to believe without seeing? How can people today be expected to believe in Jesus without first encountering Jesus as Thomas did?”

The answer is simple: encounter Him. Just because we don’t physically see Him and get to put our finger into the pierced holes in His hands and side doesn’t mean we can’t have an encounter with Him. Jesus is alive today and He can be clearly seen through His Word and felt deeply and tangibly through the Holy Spirit.

You see, faith is different from belief. Faith is not of this world, it doesn’t come from us, and we can’t produce it. Faith is a direct gift from God. It is divine persuasion. In the ancient world, faith (pistis) referred to a guarantee. In Scripture, faith is God's warranty, certifying that what He says is true.

We receive faith from God as He calls us to Himself by the Holy Spirit. And as we encounter Jesus in God’s Word and feel that tug in our heart, we can be certain that God is knocking on the door of our heart. If we respond by inviting Jesus into our lives, we will encounter Jesus in a more personal, intimate, and powerful way than Thomas did!

So today as we celebrate Easter, whether you’ve never encountered Jesus or have been a Christian for 30 years, if you’re experiencing doubt, just ask God to give you faith. If you want to believe like Thomas did, call out to Jesus and He will come, because He is alive!

DIG: Read John 20:24–29 and Mark 9:14–27.  
DISCOVER: Do you ever experience doubt? What do you do in those moments? How have you dealt with your doubt? Do doubts still linger in your mind?
DISPLAY: Today as we celebrate Easter, be reassured in knowing that faith is a gift from God and all you need to do to receive it is ask. If you are experiencing doubt, just like the man in Mark 9, ask the Lord to help your unbelief. Find a Christian you trust and respect and share your doubts with them. Ask them to pray for and with you.