“It’s a Miracle: Faith”
John 20:29
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus.
The name “Thomas” is a popular name. Just think—there’s actor and director Tom Hanks, for example. He’s starred in more than fifty movies ranging from Apollo 13, to Forrest Gump, to Toy Story, to You’ve Got Mail, to Cast Away, and to The Polar Express. Not bad for someone who, at first, wanted to be an astronaut.
Or think of Dave Thomas, famed founder of the Wendy’s restaurant chain. Not quite fifty years ago, back in 1969, he complained that he couldn’t find a good hamburger joint anywhere in Columbus, Ohio, so he decided to open one of his own, and named it after his eight-year-old daughter. Today, the chain’s grown to as many as 6,500 stores. Not bad for someone who dropped out of school in tenth grade.
And let’s not forget about Thomas Edison, inventor of such remarkable things as the phonograph, the mimeograph, the movie camera, alkaline batteries and the electric light bulb. But I suppose it shouldn’t be any surprise. Edison published his own newspaper when he was only twelve years old.
Or think of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, or our nation’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, or our 28th president, Woodrow Wilson (actually his first name was Thomas. His middle name was Woodrow), and, of course, who can forget Thomas the Tank Engine.
But of all the Thomases who ever were or ever will be, there’s one that stands out above all the rest. And that’s Thomas, disciple of Jesus Christ.
For the past few months, we’ve looked at a lot of miracles in the Bible. At Joshua’s request and at God’s command, the sun stood still for an entire day, the Philistine god Dagon bowed down before the presence of God, the ark of the covenant, King Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall, and a prophet named Elisha made an iron axe head float in the water.
And now here in the book of John, as Thomas stands in awe before Jesus, risen from the dead, we find yet another miracle--the miracle of faith. As Jesus said: “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.”
William Jennings Bryan once wrote this about miracles. He said, “Some skeptics say, ‘Oh, the miracles. I can’t accept miracles.’ One may drop a brown seed into black soil and up comes a green shoot. You let it grow and, by and by, you pull up its root and find it red. You cut the root and it has a white heart. Can anyone tell how this comes about—how brown cast into black results in green and then red and white? Yet you eat your radish without troubling your mind over miracles.” And he said, “Men are not distressed by miracles in the dining room—they reserve them all for religion!”
So it was for a man named Thomas. For it was he who once doubted and said: “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
Unfortunately, we don’t know a lot about Thomas. We wonder, for example, when did he first become a disciple or what drew him to Jesus? Did he hear Him speak? Did he come with a friend? Or did Jesus seek him out and call him to follow Him?
And for those three long years that he knew Him, loved Him and followed Him, what was it like to see Him heal and to hear Him speak?
We may never know. But even though there’s much we don’t know, there is one thing we do know--he was one who loved Jesus most of all.
And those disciples—what a bunch they were. Peter was bold and impetuous. You could always count on him to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. John was quiet and kind, the disciple whom Jesus loved. And Andrew was always bringing people to Jesus.
And Thomas—we know some things about him too. When Lazarus died in Bethany, Jesus wanted to be with him, but His disciples were quick to say, “Not now, Jesus. It’s not safe, Jesus. They’ll try to kill You, Jesus.” But when He insisted on going anyway, it was Thomas who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
And on Maundy Thursday night, he spoke once more. As Jesus sat with His disciples, and the cross loomed deeper and darker than it ever had before, He said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you.”
And of all the disciples, it was Thomas who burst out and said, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”
As one author put it: “Thomas represents a class of good people who are found in every community. They see only the sad side of life. No stars shine through their cypress-trees. In time of danger, they forget there are divine refuges into which they may flee and be safe. They know the promises, and often quote them to others; but when trouble comes, all these words of God fade out of their minds.” And he said, “When the shadows gather about them, they yield to discouragement, and darkness blots out every star in their sky.”
So it was on the day Jesus died. For when Jesus died, all hope died with Him. Never in a million years did he think it would end like this. His heart was broken. His dreams had died.
And that’s why he hid from the disciples that resurrection night. They were the last people he wanted to see. It was the last place he wanted to be.
But what’s so beautiful about these words from John chapter 20 is that, just one week later, when Thomas came looking for proof, proof came looking for him. For there, behind locked doors, Jesus came once more and said: “See My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.”
And as Thomas knelt down before Him, he couldn’t help but say, “My Lord and my God.”
We too struggle just like Thomas did. And we have questions—so many things we don’t understand.
In an article entitled, “Faith Questions Young People are Asking,” the author cites nearly a hundred questions we ask, things like, “Does God really control everything? And if He does, why does He let bad things happen? Why do so many die by disease and earthquake and natural disasters? And why doesn’t He help me when I’m in need? Are You even there God?
And what about faith? What is faith? How do I find faith? And how can I grow in faith?
And what about Jesus? Did He actually heal the blind and raise the dead? What powers did He possess and how did He use them?
And how can we know the Bible is God’s Word and that it’s true after all?
In the book of Mark chapter 9, a man came running to Jesus, a man whose son was possessed by a demon. He said, “It throws him into fire and water, trying to destroy him.” Then he said, “If You can do anything, have compassion and help us.”
Jesus said, “If you can?! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Then do you remember what the father said? He said, “I believe. Help my unbelief!”
That’s the prayer Thomas prayed. And that’s the prayer we pray. “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”
By faith, Enoch walked with God and couldn’t be found, because God took him away. By faith, Noah built an ark. By faith, Abraham went where God told him to go. By faith, Sarah had a son, even though she was too old to conceive. By faith, Moses said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go.”
By faith, men were stoned, sawn in two and put to death by the sword. The world, the Bible says, was not worthy of them.
The miracle of faith is truly one of the greatest miracles of all.
Once upon a time, or so the story goes, twin boys were conceived in their mother’s womb. And as time passed, as they grew and developed, they began to understand the life of the other and their own, and each knew that life was good.
But as weeks turned into months, they noticed they were changing. They were growing older. And as each began to see the many changes that were taking place, right before their very eyes, one asked, “What can this mean?”
The other answered, “It means we’re drawing near to birth.” Suddenly, a chill swept across the two, for both knew that birth meant going beyond what they knew and leaving their mother’s womb behind.
One said to the other, “If it were up to me, I would live here forever. I would stay in this place, because I know it’s a safe place to be.”
And while one despaired, the other placed his trust in the hands of his mother.
Finally, after the months passed, it came time for each to be born. With every contraction, they knew birth was at hand. And both feared what they did not know.
And as they were born into the light, they cried, coughed and gasped the dry air. Then they opened their eyes and found themselves cradled in the arms of their mother. And they lay open-mouthed, awestruck at the beauty of a world they could never have imagined, a world they had never seen.
And so it will be, so it will be for us.
That is the miracle of faith. And blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe.
Dear Father, just like Thomas, sometimes we doubt and wonder. As You have promised, grant even us the miracle of faith, hoping in Your mercy, resting in Your grace. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen