Doubting Thomas
The disciple Thomas was not with the others when Jesus had first appeared to them after the resurrection. Thomas scoffed when he heard the news, saying, ‘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.’
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A week later Thomas was with the disciples when Jesus appeared in the room again. When Jesus asked him to put his finger into where the nails were and his hand in his side where the spear had pierced, Thomas exclaimed ‘My Lord and my God’.
Thomas believed because he saw for himself, but Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’.
What is a 'Doubting Thomas'
The term ‘Doubting Thomas’ has become a widely-used term to describe someone who refuses to believe something without direct, physical, person evidence; a skeptic.
This term comes from the biblical account of the disciple Thomas who would not believe in the risen Christ until he saw for himself.
Many people today do not believe in God, the virgin birth, the resurrection, or any of the miraculous accounts in the Bible because they have not seen for themselves.
Faith is believing without seeing.
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The other disciples were excited when they told Thomas they had seen the Lord! But their excitement turned to disappointment when Thomas would not believe them.
He must have thought the disciples were mad, or that they had seen an illusion.
It was a full week before Jesus appeared again, and Thomas was there. This time he believed.
The Bible says
John 20:24-31
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’
But he said to them, ‘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.’
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’
Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’
Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’
Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.