Jesus chose a group of men to train and teach, with the end goal that they would go preach His message. They were an interesting mix with widely different backgrounds, temperaments, and even politics. But we can learn some important things about how to follow Jesus from each of them. Today we’ll look at a guy who was a much better disciple than his nickname would indicate.
Thomas is a disciple who deserves more than a dismissal as a doubter. We don’t know much about him, and what we do know comes from the gospel of John. The other writers simply include him in their lists of disciples. John 11:16, introduces him and calls him Didymus, that is, the Twin. However, his twin is never mentioned in Scripture. Some have suggested that Thomas’s twin died young and that may be the root cause for his gloomy outlook.
It is in John chapter 11 that we meet Thomas. Jesus’s friend Lazarus had died, and although the Jewish leaders threatened to stone Jesus the last time He was in Jerusalem (and He remained under that threat), Jesus announced His intention to return to the area. Lazarus’s hometown of Bethany was only a couple of miles from Jerusalem, and within easy reach of the religious leaders and their death threats. The disciples knew that. And they also knew that as Jesus’s close associates, they too faced extreme danger.
Thomas was courageously loyal.
In John 11:15, Jesus says, “Let’s go to Lazarus.” Scripture doesn’t tell us how much time passes between verse 15 and verse 16, but it not the impetuous Peter or the Sons of Thunder who rally the guys. It is Thomas. Then Thomas (called “Twin”) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him” (John 11:16)
The Greek construction tells us that Thomas meant to die with Jesus (not with Lazarus). His pessimism is one thing. He couldn’t see any other outcome besides certain death. But he was resolved to stay with Jesus. Death with his Lord was better than life without Him. And it is Thomas’s resolve that encourages the other guys.
If we want to follow like Thomas, we need that same courageous commitment to Christ, to stay with Him no matter what happens, no matter what we think the outcome will be.
Thomas wanted to be with Jesus.
In John 14 in the Upper Room, Jesus plainly explains to the disciples that the time has come for Him to leave them. That touched off a mild panic in Thomas, so much so that he missed the part about preparing a place for them and coming again for them. “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where you’re going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5).
Jesus patiently reassures Thomas and the others that he knows everything he needs to know because he knows Jesus. (A little later, Jesus tells them the Spirit will help them understand all the things He was telling them.)
If we want to follow like Thomas, we too need a dependence on Jesus, a hunger to be in His presence, to learn from Him, to listen to Him.
Thomas let his doubts lead to greater faith.
Thomas is best known for his post-resurrection declaration that he would not believe that Christ had risen unless he saw it with his own eyes, and he touched the wounds with his own hands. Historically the commentators have been hard on him for that. But it’s easy to believe in hindsight. The resurrection of Christ is extremely familiar to us. We rehearse it at least annually. Jesus raising from the dead was beyond the imagination of ALL of Jesus’s followers. For something this monumental, Thomas was not willing to trust the reports from someone else. It was too much to believe. He had the courage to say it out loud.
Jesus tenderly, graciously met Thomas at the point of his doubts, showing Himself to Thomas and the others a week after the resurrection. Thomas overwhelmed by the very real, very alive Jesus Christ standing before responded as he should have. Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). And the struggle was over.
We have faced situations that stretched our faith nearly to its breaking point. If we want to follow like Thomas, we have to be willing to own those doubts, bring them to Jesus and let Him respond to them.
Ancient reports say that Thomas the evangelist carried the good news of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem all the way to India. After his martyrdom, it is said he was buried on a small hill not far from the airport in the city of Chennai.
Peter is not known as Denying Peter, nor are James and John known for their presumptuous request to sit on Jesus’s right and left hands, but for some reason Thomas can’t escape the moment he doubted something that seemed to good to be true. His character and his legacy deserve better.