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Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Thomas Jn. 20:25

“Stop doubting (unbelieving, unfaithing “apistos”) and believe (be faithing pistos)!”

Are you believing the way Jesus called on Thomas to believe?

What believing did Thomas lack?

Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” Jn. 11:16

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going. How do we know the way?” Jn. 14:5

But he (Thomas) said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Jn. 20:25

So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet THEY did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Jn. 20:8,9

Then He said to Thomas, “Bring your finger here, and see My hands; and bring your hand here and put it into my side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

Thomas not believing in the centre piece of salvation theology—the suffering sacrificial death burial and resurrection of the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still dead in your sins. 1 Cor. 15:17

Thomas was not trusting in the truth about having to have faith in Jesus to experience the saving life that only Christ can give—Thomas was not really believing in who Jesus was/is and why that mattered; not really trusting Him.

Was Thomas believing in a political liberator of a proud, but oppressed people, a charismatic leader of social reform, an activist to re-ignite unstoppable momentum for Davidic kingdom reinstatement? In none of these scenarios are you in any better shape with God.

What believing, blessed of God, is... Who is the Messiah? (28)

- "MY LORD AND MY GOD!”—Thomas’ confession of faith (believing)

“The most outrageous doubter of the resurrection of Jesus utters the greatest confession of the Lord who rose from the dead.” (Beasley-Murray)

- JESUS, the son of David, son of Mary, from Nazareth.
- JESUS, the Son of God, sent from the Father, from Heaven.

THEREFORE...this book! (30,31)

- Blessed are those, who, not seeing, but reading, believe!

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Rom. 10:17)

And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8,9)

- Faith based on sight will give way to those who, by faith based on testimony (what is heard/read), are blessed.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb. 11:6)

Are you believing or unbelieving?

“These guys lied!”
“These guys knew they were lying!”

The reality of Jesus resurrected is undeniable—at issue is whether or not you prefer to live unbelieving of believing. It’s not whether or not it is true, but whether or not you want it to be true in your life.

- An alive Jesus requires a decision about how you will live in light of that being true.
- An existing Saviour requires your attention concerning from what you need to be saved.
- A Holy God, who made an extreme sacrifice over sin, requires you to acknowledge that your sin is a huge deal to God.
- You have to decide who will pay for your sin.
- It’s really never about truth, but rather about how inconvenient that truth is—can you keep living in denial?

A—Accept what the bible says about Jesus as fact.

B—Believe on Jesus personally that Jesus is necessary for you. You need your sins forgiven by a Saviour. You have not been living according to God’s standard of life morally or spiritually.

C—Commit yourself, your life to Jesus to be your Lord and your Saviour.

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