"My Lord and my God!"

Over the centuries, poor old Thomas has had a bad press through being referred to as "Doubting Thomas."   But, you know, it would almost certainly have been the same story had the absentee on the occasion of Jesus' first resurrection appearance to his friends been Peter or anyone else.   I believe that the outburst, "Unless I see the marks of the nails on his hands, unless I put my finger into the place where the nails were, and my hand into his side, I will never believe it" was a reaction of disappointment at missing the experience.   Just imagine you had been there.   Wouldn't you have been dreadfully disappointed not to have seen the risen Jesus when all your friends did see him?   So I don't see Thomas expressing a weakness here.  

 

When Jesus came again and Thomas was present the matter was resolved.   The words of Jesus, "Happy are they who find faith without seeing me", are more a confirmation of the situation for you and me centuries later.   It is quite clear to me that, for resurrection to be established, it comes in two stages.   First we have the shock evidence of the empty tomb, and then we have the evidence of the eleven who see him.   It was absolutely essential that there had to be witnesses to the resurrection in order for us to believe in 2013.   Their evidence is that on which our belief stands.   It would be harder to understand what was happening if we felt Jesus, alive in our lives, without first reading the account in the gospels.   Having their evidence before us, we understand that emotional response when we encounter the indwelling God.

 

The story of Thomas is found only in the Gospel of John.   This is not surprising because we see John's gospel as differing from the synoptic gospels in that it was written to say who Jesus was rather than to be an account of what he did.   Read the opening of this gospel and straight away there is reference to God being there at the very beginning.   Then read chapter twenty which was most probably the original final chapter of the narrative.   Here you are reading the story of Thomas, who, when he saw the risen Jesus, declared "My Lord and my God!"   So we see that we have the gospel finishing with God.   This final story is the only reference to a disciple accepting Jesus as God.   What a finish!

 

Although I accept that chapter 21 was a later addition, I value it greatly because it gives us the spur that all Christians need.   After sharing a barbecue on the lakeside beach, Jesus asks Peter, "Simon Peter, do you love me" three times.   Each time that Peter says, "Yes" he says, "Then feed my sheep."

This is what we are called to do as we follow Jesus.   We now become the shepherds and take over the flock.   Everything about the welfare of the flock now becomes our responsibility.   We undertake this responsibility because we are happy that we believe, through faith, in the resurrection of Jesus, without seeing him in the physical sense.

 

Ultimately we are making that same declaration - "My Lord and my God!"