John 20:24-2924But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25The 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. 26And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27Then saith he to Thomas, 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. 28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:24‑29)
On the evening of the first day of the week-the resurrection day, that day so great with victory-a little company of men had assembled secretly and perhaps spontaneously. as drawn together by new bonds. They were the disciples of Jesus. Fear of the Jews had made them close the ' doors, for already diversity of religious interests began to separate the true from the false, and lead the faithful minority to seek shelter from persecution. As they assembled in the quiet hours of the evening, their hearts were free to dwell on the marvelous event of the morning. The Lord was risen. He had been seen and heard. The very Jesus whom they had seen nailed to the tree, and whose side had been pierced, was now actually alive again.
Often He had told them that He was to die and be raised again the third day, yet they had never truly believed His words. Then, they witnessed His death and burial and sorrow filled their hearts, for they had lost everything. The whole scene was only desolation to each of those whose very being had been wrapped up in a living Christ. Then they heard of His having risen. Their burdened hearts now filled with hope. His words began to take shape in their memories. The third day had come, and with it the report of His resurrection. Could it be true?
We are not told what the disciples were discussing as they met behind closed doors, but while they were conversing together, Jesus entered and stood in the midst and said, "Peace be unto you." Calm and calming, peaceful and peace-giving, the risen Lord placed Himself amid His assembled disciples. How full of gracious majesty!
A few days before, these very men had all forsaken Him and fled, yet now not a word of rebuke escaped His lips. He 'did not taunt them with their unfaithfulness; He did not upbraid them for their ignorance. He did not forsake them, but in their very midst He proclaimed peace to them as the result of the battle fought and the victory won. Peace had been made by the blood of the cross, with pardon to the believer and eternal honor to the Savior. That peace was the fruit of the soul travail of the Son of God, and is the abiding portion of all who are His. What a salvation for such a company! What a word to burst from the lips of the risen One as He owns them as His brethren!
"And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side," tenderly corroborating by tangible tokens the truth of His words, and identifying Himself to them by unmistakable proofs. Once more He said, "Peace be unto you," and then He sent them as the Father had sent Him. Then He breathed upon them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." How rich an investiture! Having peace, they were free to go as His missionaries in blest occupation with His interests and more than that, they were possessed of His life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Such was the result of this first meeting of the disciples after the Lord's resurrection.
"But Thomas... called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came." How was that? Why was Thomas absent at such a moment? He had never expected that
Jesus would preside there, or else he surely would have been present. Was self-will at work? Had he heard the report of the morning, and discredited it? Was the news too good to be true? Was the resurrection of Jesus impossible? Whatever the reason, Thomas was absent from this informal meeting of his fellow disciples, and he was the loser. He missed hearing those words of peace and of liberty. He missed seeing the Lord's hands and side. He missed that first sight of their Lord, as in grace He placed Himself in the midst of His brethren. How much we, too, may lose through a little willful neglect! It is often ruinous to despise meetings of true hearts just because they are small. The Lord may select such as spheres of rich unfoldings of Himself in His Word.
The disciples told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, but he refused to believe them. A mere sight of Jesus would not suffice for him. No, unless he could put his finger into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into the side, he would not believe. The disciples had said all they could. It was outside their power to communicate faith to their unbelieving brother. In such a case the help of man is vain. The perplexed and troubled soul must have to do personally, directly and individually with God. "They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed." Psalm 34:55They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. (Psalm 34:5).
Thomas, though loud and willful, was sincere. He loved his Master, and would have died with Him in Judea at the occasion of His raising Lazarus. His unbelief was of the head, and not of the heart, and so after eight long days, the Lord, on the occasion of a similar assembly, told Thomas to reach hither his finger, and behold His hand, and to reach hither his hand and thrust it into His side. He told him to gratify his desire to the full and to find every satisfaction for his greatest difficulty-to discover indeed, in those unclosed wounds, those everlasting evidences of redeeming love, the complete dissolution of the doubts of unbelief. Jesus said to Thomas, "Be not faithless, but believing." "Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God."
Could patient grace or perfect love have done more? Signs could have been given and evidences produced! They are abundant. God could accomplish any external display. But if Thomas believed by seeing, they are more blessed who believe without seeing.
Israel will one day see and believe. We are called on now to the more blessed portion of believing apart from every evidence except the written Word of God. It suffices for God. Let it suffice for us.
"Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."