ICS Daily Devotions
Believing Is Seeing
John 20:24-29 (NKJV) Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into the His side, I will not believe. And after eight days His disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
This Scripture is a classic example of a common phrase we hear today – “Seeing is believing.” If we do not read the earlier portion of the Scriptures, we would think that Thomas was the only one who have doubted about the resurrection of the Lord.
In the earlier part of the chapter, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and realized that the stone had been rolled away. She returned to the disciples and told them that someone had taken the Lord away and she was not sure where they had laid Him. When Simon Peter and the other disciples went to the tomb, they saw the linen cloth lying there and the handkerchief that was around Jesus’ head was folded and placed separately. They didn’t believe that the Lord had risen but had the idea that someone had taken him away.
Mat 20:17-19 “Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and to crucify. And on the third day He will rise again.”
Jesus had told them that He would be raised from the dead but it was very difficult for them to believe the resurrection because they had witnessed the scourging, crucifixion and the death of Jesus Christ. The disciples struggled with unbelief. Yet, Thomas was the only one who spoke about his struggle and what he needed to help him to believe.
Heb 11:1-3 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen. It is by faith that the world is created by the Word of God. It is by faith that things not yet existed came into existence.
The disciples struggled with unbelief because the word of the Lord did not take predominant place in their hearts. Thomas had rejected the words of his friends and spent a whole week in self-imposed loneliness and discouragement. Jesus dealt with Thomas’ unbelief by showing him all that it required for him is to believe that the Lord had resurrected. Jesus told him to let go of his doubts and trust what he knew to be true.
Since that encounter with Jesus, Thomas never doubted again. Even though after Pentecost the Bible never mentions him again, the history tells us what happened to the disciple called “Twin”. Thomas traveled east, preaching the Gospel through Persia. He finally ended up in India where he had a very fruitful ministry. There are several churches in India today that can trace their history back to the time of Thomas. Eventually, the enemies of the Lord took Thomas and killed him with a spear. He died for the Lord he once doubted.
Are you struggling with unbelief? When you don’t see God’s hands moving, trust His heart and His words.
Matt 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
God’s word last for eternity and once He has spoken, He will never take it back. Only when you believe His words, you will see His promises coming to pass right before your eyes. Believing is seeing.
Sermon series: Prayer of Faith
