(story told in John 11:1-16; 14:1-7; 20:24-31)
Thomas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, is often remembered as “Doubting Thomas,” but his story is one of honesty, courage, and growing faith. He was deeply loyal to Jesus and wanted to understand Him fully. When Jesus decided to return to Judea to visit Lazarus, even though it was dangerous, Thomas bravely said to the others, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” His words showed devotion, even when he didn’t fully understand what was ahead.
Later, during Jesus’ last supper with His disciples, Thomas asked a question that many still ask today. When Jesus spoke of going to prepare a place for them, Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered with one of His most powerful statements: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Thomas struggled to believe the other disciples when they said Jesus was alive. He declared, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, I will not believe.” A week later, Jesus appeared to Thomas and invited him to do just that. Overwhelmed, Thomas cried out, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus gently replied, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
Thomas’s story reminds us that God meets us in our questions and doubts. Real faith grows not by pretending to have no doubts, but by honestly seeking the truth—and finding Jesus waiting with open hands.