The Blessing Of Faith In The Risen Christ

In the past week I commented on the physical resurrection from the dead promised by and through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is such an astounding promise that many have a most difficult time accepting. Just as they struggle with the idea of a virgin birth, so they seriously doubt the return of our bodies from the dead. Would the Lord God give this promise to such a sinner as I? Does He truly care enough to rescue me? Why then does He permit this grief and pain into my life? Why does God seem so incapable of answering my prayers?

So go the doubts and struggles. Thomas, one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles, also had such doubts. His name in Aramaic (Tau'ma - תאומא) means twin. In Greek it is Didymus. If Thomas was indeed a twin we know nothing about his twin. Some have suggested that his wavering back and forth in his initial inability to accept the witness of the other Apostles earned him this name. In doubting, however, he was not completely different from the other disciples of Jesus.

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." - John 20:24-25 ESV

When Jesus appeared among them eight days later, even though they were behind locked doors, he offered them Peace (Shalom in Aramaic or Hebrew) —a word that fulfills all the promises of eternal forgiveness and oneness with him and with his Father. Then he turned at once to Thomas,

The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Caravaggio

"Put your finger here," he said, "and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
- John 20:27-28 ESV

Thomas' doubts were gone. His senses of touch and sight confirmed what the others had said. Jesus was indeed alive, returned from the grave. He was indeed Thomas' Lord and God. Like the other Apostles, Thomas went out into the world to proclaim the Gospel of the Risen Christ. Legend has it that he was martyred in India in the year 72.

But note then Jesus' other words to Thomas and to all who struggle to cling to faith.

"Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." - Jhn 20:29 ESV

As I've pointed out numerous times before, faith in Jesus as Savior and Risen Messiah is a gift of God, a blessing granted by the Holy Spirit. Paul emphasizes again and again that no one—including Thomas—can say "Jesus is my Lord" except in the holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). Before Jesus' resurrection Peter had acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of the living God. To that Jesus said,

"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. - Mat 16:17 ESV

Blessings are always gifts from the LORD, gifts poured out by the Holy Spirit at work in and through God's Word. Paul also emphasized this as he said,

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. - Rom 10:17 ESV

When you doubt, cry out. When you are afraid, reach out for help. Jesus will always meet you at your deepest point of need. He will grant you the most precious gift of His Spirit. He will come to you to speak to your heart. He will take up residence in your soul and give you life. He will grant you faith in His love and hope in His promises. He will give you living water to drink (John 4:10; 7:37).

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" - Luk 11:9-13 ESV

As the Psalmists said so long ago,

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! - Psalm 40:4 ESV

Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! - Psalm 65:4 ESV

Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. - Psalm 84:4-5 ESV

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, - Psalm 146:5 ESV

Doubts Are Not Unbelief

Do Christians doubt what they believe? Is doubt the same as not believing at all? Will we Christians ever come to the place where all doubts disappear? In order to deal with these questions I revisit the brief story of the Apostle Thomas, about whom I wrote a year ago. He is called Doubting Thomas with good reason.

Thomas insisted on tangible proof of Jesus' resurrection. Unless he could see and touch the mark of the nails that bound Jesus to his cross and place his hand into his side where the Roman soldier had driven the spear, he would never believe (John 20:25).

When Jesus appeared eight days later and permitted Thomas to do what he demanded, the Lord said to him, "Do not disbelieve, but believe" (John 20:27). And he did. He answered Jesus, "My Lord and my God!"

So back to my question. Are doubts a form of unbelief? And what exactly are we doing when we struggle with doubts? Let's look at some places in the Bible where the actual doubt word is used.

When Joseph's jealous brothers sold him into slavery they needed to convince their father that he was dead, killed and devoured by a wild beast. So they brought Jacob a bloody robe and asked him if this was his son's robe or not? Jacob concluded that it was indeed Joseph's robe and said—according to most translations—"Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces" (Genesis 37:33).  The interesting thing is that the Hebrew text doesn't use a word for doubt. The text repeats the 'torn to pieces' verb twice, intensifying it. This is a way of saying that Jacob believed without doubt that Joseph was dead.

In Matthew's Gospel we read of Peter walking on the water with Jesus in the midst of a raging storm on the inland Sea of Galilee. "But when he saw the wind he was afraid and beginning to sink cried out, 'Lord, save me.'" Jesus did of course give Peter his hand, but he also rebuked him, saying, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matthew 14:30-31). The Greek verb here is distazoh, a verb that only occurs one more time in the Bible, at the very end of Matthew's Gospel.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. - Mat 28:16-17 ESV

From this brief study I conclude that there are times when you are so convinced by the evidence that you have absolutely no doubt in your mind and heart. Such was the case of Jacob as he looked upon his son's bloody tunic. He was without doubt. He truly believed that Joseph was dead.

But you can and will have doubts even while you have faith. Peter believed that he saw Jesus out there and that Jesus was indeed walking on the waves. That was why Peter was able, at least for some seconds, to  accept Jesus' invitation to join him and actually walk on the water. However, he took his eyes off Jesus to focus instead upon the wind and the waves. At that moment his experience as a fisherman took over. Walking on water was simply not possible. He was going to drown.

Some of Jesus' disciples were still struggling with the reality of Jesus' resurrection and its implications some 40 days after Easter Sunday. They were unable to absorb and integrate that event into their belief systems. How could all this be so? They believed. They had seen him, heard and talked with him. And they did after all go to Galilee as Jesus had directed. They did kneel before him in worship and adoration. But they had doubts.

And so do we all. It is not wrong or evil or even sinful to have doubts. Jesus our Lord understands this. Whatever your doubts are, admit them. Place them before him as you pray to him. Search your Bible. Open yourself to the guiding of his Spirit. Go to your pastor or a trusted friend in the faith. Let them help you. You will receive help. You will find peace. Jesus promises,

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. - Mat 11:28 ESV