Day 77 Easter

It's no doubt that Jesus resurrection from the grave is a controversial topic. Basically, there are three stands a person can take: 1) Refuse to believe, 2) Consider it a good story or allegory, or 3) believe with all your heart that God did indeed raise Jesus from the dead.

This was no different for his disciples (cf. John 20:1-8). But take a look at vv. 24-31 and you will see one disciple in particular who absolutely refused to believe the report of the others who had seen Jesus alive and among them.

"Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Thomas was not going to accept the simple words of even his closest friends. He was a man of sight. If he could not empirically experience the risen Christ for himself, then he would not believe. 

Maybe you know someone like this? Maybe you are similar to Thomas?

But then a few days later Jesus visited the disciples again, this time while Thomas was present. He knew what Thomas had said, so Jesus replied with these words:

"Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." (v. 27)

We do not need to see Jesus to believe in him. The Scriptures are the eye witness account of Jesus himself. Just as none of you have ever met Martin Luther King Jr. or King Sejong the Great, we have the eye witness records of their life, and we know the record is true.

How truer is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Much more powerfully so! In fact, Jesus says "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (v. 29). The Scriptures were given "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (v. 31.)

So is it wrong to struggle with doubt? No, this is why we have the Scriptures: To search them out, know Jesus, and believe. They strengthen our faith. They embolden us to believe. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!

Scriptura Sola Fide Tantum,

Jay Silvas