John 20:24-31 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Reformation Song – Lyric Video
• Keith & Kristyn Getty – He Will Hold Me Fast (Lyric Video)
• Stephen Stanley – Not By Sight (Lyrics)

Resources for Family Worship (with Children)

• Jesus Appears to Thomas – Lesson for Kids
• Kids Actions – Jesus Strong and Kind – @CityAlight – Song for Kids
• I Can Trust God | OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO | LifeKids – Song for Kids
• No Matter What I’m Facing | Roar VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

When Jesus first appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not with them (v. 24). After Jesus had left, the disciples told Thomas that the risen Lord had appeared to them, but he said, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands with my own eyes, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe” (v. 25). Because of this, Thomas has become a byword for someone who doubts easily, but if we look closely, his response was entirely natural. If we had been in the same situation, we likely would have responded similarly.

Eight days later, while the disciples were gathered again inside the house, Jesus suddenly appeared among them once more (v. 26). Again, the doors were locked, yet he appeared in their midst. Just as when he first appeared to the disciples, he greeted them by saying, “Peace be with you!”

Jesus knew what Thomas had said. He came to Thomas and said, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (v. 27). Thomas immediately confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28), because he recognized the Lord as soon as he saw him. Jesus replied, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29).

Then John explains why he wrote this Gospel. Of all the signs Jesus performed, he recorded only a very small portion of them (v. 30). The reason was “so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (v. 31).

Meditation:

Thomas is often known as the symbol of skepticism. When people see someone who doubts a lot, they say, “He is like Thomas.” But Thomas’s attitude was completely natural. The other disciples also did not immediately believe Mary Magdalene’s story. Even after the risen Lord appeared and showed himself to them, the disciples were still so afraid that they kept the doors locked from the inside. That means they still did not understand what had happened to Jesus. So it was only natural for Thomas to doubt what they said. People may have heard stories of seeing the spirit of someone who had died, but they had never heard that a dead person had risen with a new body and could move in and out of the physical world.

Thomas’s attitude was not only natural but also necessary for true faith. Pretending to believe when something is not believable deceives oneself and only becomes an obstacle to genuine faith. Thomas honestly admitted that he could not believe it. Because of that honesty, when he met the risen Lord, he experienced a leap of faith. While the other disciples still had not fully understood the meaning of what had happened to Jesus, Thomas confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). According to John’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene was the first disciple to come to full faith, and Thomas was the second.

Through this Gospel, we read about what Jesus did—his ministry and his death on the cross—and what happened to him—his resurrection. We have not met the risen Lord as Mary Magdalene and Thomas did, but we read the testimony of those who met him directly. Though we have not seen him with our own eyes, those who read the story about him come to faith and confess, “My Lord and my God!” are truly blessed people. This is not something that happens because a person is intellectually superior, but because the Holy Spirit touches the heart. I pray that all who read these words may come to this faith.

Key Verse: John 20:28–29

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Prayer:

Lord, we have come to believe “without seeing” that you are “the Christ, the Son of God,” and so, according to your word, we are blessed people. By that faith we behold you and live. For we are people who “live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Jesus does not push away honest questions. He meets us with peace, helps us believe, and leads us to say, “My Lord and my God.”

• For Preschool-Elementary:
  • Why was Thomas having a hard time believing?
  • What did Jesus say first when he came to the disciples?
  • When you feel unsure or scared, how can you talk to Jesus?
• Youth:
  • Do you think Thomas was wrong to be honest about his doubt, or was he real? Why?
  • Why do you think Jesus responded to Thomas with peace instead of shame?
  • Have you ever had a faith question that you were afraid to say out loud?