The Gospel according to John chapter 20 verses 19-28.
The disciples had gathered together, fearing for their lives because of the threats they faced as followers of Jesus. They were hiding in a locked room when, after His resurrection, Jesus came and appeared to them. This was the first time they saw Him alive again. Filled with excitement, Jesus offered them comforting words, and they were overjoyed to see the Lord. This event is described in John's Gospel.
In that moment, we only see ten disciples present—Judas was gone, and Thomas was absent. It seems that Thomas may have been a little late rising on Easter morning, perhaps he slept in and missed the incredible moment when Jesus appeared. When the other disciples later told him they had seen the risen Christ, Thomas simply couldn’t believe it.
This is what can happen when we’re absent from church and miss out on the community and the message. Like Thomas, who wasn’t with the others and missed seeing Jesus for the first time after the resurrection, we sometimes find ourselves out of step with what God is doing.
I remember hearing a humorous story about a man who had a habit of dozing off in church. He always sat near the front, and while at first, the preacher didn’t mind, over time, it became a bit disruptive for the congregation. So, one Sunday, the preacher decided to try something different. He was giving a sermon about heaven and hell and thought he’d play a little trick. In a loud voice, he said, “Whoever wants to go to hell, please stand up!”
The sleeping man, only half-awake, caught just the last words—“please stand up”—and he jumped to his feet. He stood there, looking around, seeing that everyone else was seated. Confused, he turned to the preacher and said, “Pastor, I’m not sure why I’m standing, but it looks like you and I are the only ones in this together!”
It’s a lighthearted reminder that being awake, aware, and present is so essential in our faith journey. When we show up fully—physically, spiritually, and mentally—God’s blessings and lessons meet us there, and we don’t miss the message meant for us.
It seems that Thomas had a similar experience to the man who stood up at the wrong time. Thomas "woke up" to realize that he’d missed the moment everyone else experienced—the appearance of the risen Lord. When the others told him, he stubbornly refused to believe, saying, “I’m not going to believe unless I touch His wounds.” Despite his doubt, Jesus wasn’t upset with Thomas. Jesus graciously returned later, and without rebuke, offered exactly what Thomas needed, saying, “Thomas, here I am. Put your hands in My wounds.” Yet, as Scripture notes, there’s no record of Thomas actually reaching out to touch Jesus. Just seeing the risen Christ was enough to make Thomas cry out, “My Lord and my God!”
Thomas’s reaction to the resurrected Jesus was one of deep awe and recognition. In our world, we often hear “Oh my God” as a casual expression, but originally, it was reserved for moments of profound shock or revelation—moments that left one speechless or filled with wonder. Thomas’s exclamation reminds us of another famous moment of discovery in history—the story of Archimedes.
Archimedes, the great mathematician of ancient Greece, famously shouted “Eureka!” (meaning “I’ve found it!”) after discovering the principle of buoyancy. His insight into how water displacement affects floating led to key advancements in understanding density and buoyancy, discoveries that transformed fields from mathematics to engineering. In his moment of realization, Archimedes was filled with excitement, as was Thomas in his.
The king of Syracuse, desiring a crown of pure gold, commissioned a goldsmith to craft it and provided him with the required amount of gold. However, when the crown was delivered, the king suspected that the goldsmith might have mixed in cheaper metals like copper, keeping some of the gold for himself. Unsure of how to confirm the crown's purity without damaging it, the king called upon Archimedes, the great mathematician and scientist of the time, to solve this dilemma.
Archimedes pondered the problem, striving to find a way to verify whether the crown was made of pure gold or was an alloy. The breakthrough came one day as he prepared to take a bath. Noticing that the water overflowed when he stepped into the tub, Archimedes realized that a body submerged in water displaces an amount of water equal to its own volume. This led to a pivotal insight: the principle of buoyancy. He reasoned that pure gold, being denser and heavier than other metals, would displace a different amount of water than a gold alloy of the same weight.
Excited by his discovery, Archimedes leapt from the tub and, filled with euphoria, ran through the streets shouting, "Eureka!"—meaning "I've found it!"—in Greek. Using this principle, he was able to prove that the crown was indeed mixed with other metals. The dishonest goldsmith confessed, and the king dealt with him accordingly. This discovery not only solved the mystery of the crown but also led to the formulation of the principle of buoyancy, a foundational concept in physics. Archimedes’ insight into displacement and density became a cornerstone in the understanding of fluids and continues to impact science to this day.
In a way, Thomas had his own “Eureka!” moment—an overwhelming realization of truth that left no room for doubt. Like Archimedes, Thomas finally grasped the reality and magnitude of what stood before him. He understood fully that Jesus had indeed risen, and in that profound recognition, he declared, “My Lord and my God.” Even though Thomas came to the realization a little later, the Lord’s grace was extended to him, just as it is to us, no matter when we “wake up” to recognize His power and presence.
When Thomas saw the resurrected Christ, he immediately recognized the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side—proof that this was the same Jesus who had been crucified only days before. This encounter provides a profound truth about the Christian belief in the bodily resurrection: that one day, we too will rise from the dead with transformed bodies. Jesus’ resurrected body was not merely a vision or apparition, but a real, transformed body. Though it was not subject to the limitations of our natural bodies, the wounds were there to show it was indeed the same Jesus who had died and risen.
For Thomas, this was a powerful moment. With the tangible evidence of Jesus’ wounds before him, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” This was Thomas’s “Eureka” moment, a revelation of Jesus' true nature and lordship. Often, Thomas is labeled as “doubting,” seen as unwilling to accept the testimony of others. However, he simply asked to see what the other disciples had already witnessed. When Jesus first appeared to the disciples, he showed them his hands and feet, and it was then they recognized him. Thomas only desired the same confirmation.
And while Thomas stated he wanted to touch the wounds, the Gospel doesn’t indicate that he actually did so. Instead, seeing the risen Christ, he immediately declared Jesus as his “Lord” and “God,” marking a pivotal acceptance of Jesus’ authority and divinity—a declaration of faith and acknowledgment that Jesus was indeed the Son of God and victorious over death. Though he had seen miracles before, this experience was personal, making the power of Jesus’ resurrection real for him and the other disciples.
Jesus’ resurrected body served two key purposes. First, it reaffirmed to the disciples that this was the same Jesus who had been crucified. Second, it demonstrated that Jesus now had a glorified body, giving the disciples a glimpse of the resurrection that awaits believers. After this encounter, the Gospel of John includes a concluding statement: “These are written that you might come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.” This statement emphasizes the purpose of the Gospel: to lead readers to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, who holds the power of resurrection and life for all who believe.
Through Thomas's story, we’re reminded of the assurance we have in the resurrection, both Christ’s and our own. This scene underscores the Christian hope that even though we may struggle with doubts, Jesus meets us in those places, offering reassurance that he is indeed “our Lord and our God.”
Because of Thomas they were reaffirmed in
their faith that Christ is the Messiah that they were waiting for the savior of
the world and that's our happened the whole revolution of gospel around the
world the because of this affirmation that happened on that day. They went out
they went out to preach the gospel to all the world risking their lives and you
and I know that all the disciples actually were Martyrs for the gospel in one part
or other part of the world.
Death and resurrection remain a mystery to many. Yet, because Jesus went through death and rose from the dead, we are given assurance that we too will experience resurrection. In this truth, fear of death loses its power. For those who believe in Jesus Christ, the mystery of death and resurrection is resolved through the reality of his own triumph over the grave.
As the Bible declares, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Jesus’ presence gives us strength and assurance as we face life's uncertainties. We have hope in the resurrection because Jesus has gone through it himself, showing us that death is not the end but the beginning of a transformed, eternal life in God’s presence.
In Christ, we find the courage to face death with peace, knowing that life beyond the grave is as real as Jesus’ resurrection.
Christ bore in his body the marks of his suffering. It was these wounds that brought recognition to the disciples’ eyes, revealing the Risen and glorified Christ who still carried full humanity within him. In Christ, our human frailty and uncertainty find fulfillment, and we are reminded of this truth as we look to our future with him. One day, we will join the resurrected Christ in his eternal kingdom.
He suffered the cup of separation of from the
father because of the sin that he bore for you and me He took it upon himself.
May we reflect on our lives and surrender our lives in the hands of God. My sins were forgiven because of his suffering and death. Because of His resurrection, we have a life in eternity with God.
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