‘From doubt to faith to life’ John 20:19-31

Do you remember last week I said it’s a natural human tendency for people to doubt! Well, this week’s gospel is a technicolour example of this and as so often, Thomas is criticised for his attitude. I feel he is unfairly treated as he is just exhibiting a very human reaction.  Have you ever felt doubt or been suspicious? Sadly, today in a global culture of scams it certainly has its place as a very useful characteristic! But putting that awfully destructive curse aside, if we observe honestly the world in which we live.

There are so many causes of anxiety which are having such a detrimental effect on everyone. Some become so depressed they aren’t sure they can carry on. I think this is how the disciples must’ve have felt in our gospel reading. They were working hard to accept the reality that Jesus was dead and all their hopes for their future were lost with Him. Was Jesus wrong? Had He lied to them? Was He just another false prophet? Have you ever thought like that? Have you ever had doubts about the reality of your faith?

The truth is that faith and spiritual growth, are lifelong processes. For most of us, doubt is an essential part. A study from ‘The Notre Dame Institute’ suggests that doubt can actually lead to a stronger faith; “Individuals who experienced doubt about their religious beliefs often moved towards greater spiritual growth as they worked through it” And in a different study a similar conclusion was found; “college students showed significant increase in their faith during the period when they addressed their doubts head on.” (Link Journals Archive)

This just says that moving from doubt to faith can be a very powerful and effective process in the life of a believer and we shouldn’t shy away from confronting it.

In our gospel we get a front row seat as the earliest disciples are challenged. It’s a powerful passage which is as applicable to us today as it was 2000 years ago. Let’s take a deeper look.

In the confusion after Jesus’ death the disciples find themselves together in a locked room. They’re scared, they don’t know what to do. Then Jesus arrives, into an atmosphere of total disabling fear, and blesses them with peace.

Did you know that the bible contains 365 “do not fear” commands in one form or another. One of my favorites comes from Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. It’s almost as if God knew we would need to hear His loving reassurance every day of the year. We need it just as much now as the believers did all those years ago.

He offered Peace to quell their fear.
Assurance to answer their doubts.
And encouragement to address their discouragement.
They couldn’t see their future, nor did He give them all the answers to their questions, He just encouraged them to trust Him, as He does you and me today.

The writer of Hebrews famously said, “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see” and Paul said: “For we live by believing and not by seeing”.  Now that’s the problem- we humans want proof and certainty about everything.

Now Thomas couldn’t believe Jesus had really risen. When he’s told He is back, he says, “Unless I can see Him for myself, I will not believe.”. How would you or I respond in that situation? As I mentioned earlier, doubt is a very normal part of faith for most people. Paul Tillich says, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of it.” Then Jesus lovingly showed Thomas his hands and side. Jesus had a personal response for Thomas. He was gentle and kind with him in the midst of his doubt and skepticism.

But, for the rest of us, we are left with this very specific and amazing encouragement… “…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” When we step out in faith, we see Jesus working. He might not show up in the middle of our living rooms like He did for the disciples, but we can experience His influence. He said, “Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Jesus assures us, we can have and know His peace. As Romans 10:9-10 says, “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. “Through faith we can move from doubt to life. For many of us, doubt is an integral part of our story. Jesus isn’t scared when we have doubts. He isn’t threatened by our questions. He doesn’t get defensive when we challenge. To the contrary, I believe that our passage teaches us that He comes to us, in whatever situation we find ourselves in, offering blessing and peace.

Jesus meets us, and offers us hope, mercy, and eternal life with Him. It’s because of Him that we can move from ‘doubt to faith to life’.

Finally, what are we to do with the life that Jesus has given to us? What did Thomas do? He was the first person to publicly proclaim the resurrected Jesus as “my Lord and my God!”. Then he went on to become “the apostle to India.” We don’t know much about his life, but we do know he died in India as a martyr passionately proclaiming the Gospel. He was bold, confident, and full of faith… A very different person from the man who says, “Unless I can see Him for myself, I will not believe.” Thomas helps us recognise that doubt, fear, and discouragement aren’t things to hide from, or be embarrassed by. Jesus is a very real Lord and savior who speaks the blessing of peace into every area of our lives and sends usto teach others the way, the truth, and the life. So, let’s commit to being kind to people in the midst of their doubt and discouragement. Share the reality of your faith and proclaim peace amid the chaos and confusion.

Paul Pritchard