Dear Friends,
Poor Thomas hasn’t had a good press over the years. After all, we still use the phrase ‘doubting Thomas’ to describe someone who is unbelieving or sceptical. Imagine having your name forever associated with doubt!
But we can be grateful to Thomas. To see why, let’s remind ourselves of what happened. Thomas had insisted, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it” (John 20:25). A week later, Jesus appeared again and duly showed Thomas his hands and his side.
This shows us that it is exactly the same Jesus who was crucified who is now alive. Not only does this help to convince us, like Thomas, that Jesus has indeed been raised from the dead. It also reassures us that our bodies, like Jesus’ own body, will one day also be raised from the dead if we trust in him.
It also shows us that Jesus’ body will forever bear the marks of his death. He will always be the “Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). So, for all eternity, we will be reminded of – and rejoice in – the sacrifice made to win our salvation. And we can stand alongside Thomas in praising Jesus as “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
Chris Hobbs,
Vicar.