Seeing, Touching, Believing: Thomas and the Risen Christ

Devotional

Day 1: Faith That Thrives Without Physical Proof

Even when certainty feels out of reach, faith grows where trust meets God’s promises. The risen Christ meets us in our questions, not to shame our uncertainties, but to deepen our reliance on his presence. Just as Thomas needed tangible proof, many wrestle with doubts—yet Jesus blesses those who choose trust over sight. True faith isn’t the absence of struggle but the courage to believe amid life’s locked doors. God’s grace meets us where we are, transforming doubt into declaration. [41:56]

“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’” (John 20:29, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life feels like a “locked door” where you’re longing for tangible evidence of God’s presence? How might Jesus be inviting you to trust his nearness even without visible proof?

Day 2: The Courage to Confess Authentic Belief

Faith finds its voice when we encounter the living Christ. Thomas’ journey from skepticism to worship shows that doubt, when brought into the light, can become a gateway to profound confession. His declaration, “My Lord and my God,” echoes through generations, reminding us that honest questions can lead to transformative truth. God welcomes our wrestling and responds with grace that reshapes our hearts. [26:27]

“Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:27-28, ESV)

Reflection: When has a season of questioning ultimately deepened your confession of faith? How might you create space to bring your doubts honestly before God today?

Day 3: Sent to Share Resurrection Hope

The same breath that filled the disciples with the Spirit now empowers us to carry peace into a fractured world. Jesus’ commission—“As the Father sent me, so I send you”—reminds us that resurrection life isn’t meant to be hoarded. Like Thomas, whose faith propelled him to distant lands, we’re called to embody hope where fear and isolation reign. Our witness begins when we step beyond locked doors. [25:33]

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (John 20:21-22, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your community do you sense God inviting you to be a “peace-bearer”? What practical step could you take this week to share Christ’s hope in that space?

Day 4: Baptismal Identity and Belonging

Through water and the Spirit, we’re marked as God’s own, united with Christ’s death and resurrection. The early church’s baptismal practices, like the Easter Vigil celebration, remind us that faith is both personal and communal. Just as the newly baptized woman at Bread and Belonging found her place in God’s story, we too are called to live as resurrection people—nourished, challenged, and sent by grace. [06:38]

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4, ESV)

Reflection: How does your baptismal identity shape the way you engage challenges or opportunities this week? What would it look like to live more fully into your “newness of life” today?

Day 5: God’s Persistent Presence in Uncertainty

The disciples hid in fear, yet Christ entered their locked room uninvited. Our anxieties cannot barricade against divine grace. Whether we’re trembling like the Eleven or absent like Thomas, Jesus meets us exactly where we are—not to condemn, but to commission. His resurrection power turns our hiding places into launching pads for mission. [25:04]

“When the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” (John 20:19, ESV)

Reflection: What “locked door” in your life—a relationship, circumstance, or inner fear—needs Christ’s peace to enter? How might his presence transform that space into a place of purpose?

Sermon Summary

The Gospel of John recounts the risen Jesus appearing to the disciples behind locked doors, offering peace, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a commissioning to forgive sins. The narrative highlights Thomas’s absence at the first appearance and his insistence on touching Jesus’ wounds before believing. When Jesus reappears with Thomas present, the invitation to “put your finger here” provokes Thomas’s profound confession, “My Lord and my God,” a moment that recognizes Jesus’ divinity and models a faith that moves from skepticism to affirmation.

The preacher situates these scenes in a compressed timeline: many resurrection events—women at the tomb, Peter’s visit, the road to Emmaus, and the locked-room appearances—occur within the same day or shortly thereafter. That close timing underlines how rapidly fear, confusion, encounter, and witness collide in the early community. The portrait of Thomas emerges as a tactile, engaged disciple whose desire for embodied proof reflects a human longing for intimacy with the risen Christ rather than mere abstract assent.

Ritual life frames the congregation’s response: a thanksgiving for baptism that celebrates water, creation, and new life, and a weekly meal that invites all to the table. Those liturgical acts reinforce the gospel’s claims about belonging, forgiveness, and ongoing participation in the life of God. The narrative refuses to contain resurrection as private experience; it calls for proclamation and practical generosity, illustrated by support for campus ministry and the story of a recent baptism at an Easter vigil.

The passage closes by insisting that the gospel signs exist so that people may believe and have life in Jesus’ name. The account shifts attention from a single proof to the wider work of God: encounters with Christ, the movement of the Spirit, and the responsibility of the faithful to let resurrection joy overflow into word and deed. Worship practices—confession of faith, communion, blessing—become concrete means by which communities embody and transmit this living reality.

Key Takeaways

1. All are welcome at the table Baptism and communion enact inclusion; they name belonging as a primary effect of God’s grace. These rituals remind the church that belonging precedes behavior and that the gathered community has a sacramental duty to receive people where they are. Theology becomes hospitality when the table welcomes rather than tests. [04:47]
2. Resurrection disrupts expected timelines The resurrection narrative compresses many encounters into a short span, showing that revelation often arrives amid chaos and fear. This compression urges attention to how God breaks into ordinary schedules and unsettles carefully held expectations. Faith matures when it learns to look for God in the messy immediacy of life. [28:33]
3. Touch, doubt, and bold confession Thomas’s demand to see and touch models a faith that is honest about doubt and bodily need for encounter. His eventual cry, “My Lord and my God,” demonstrates that tangible encounter can convert skepticism into worship without erasing the struggle that led there. Authentic belief can begin with questions rather than performative certainty. [41:56]
4. Resurrection compels outward witness The narrative moves from private encounters to public mission: belief leads to proclamation and service. Resurrection faith does not settle for private consolation; it overflows into generosity, teaching, and mission in the world. The community’s life—prayer, baptism, and service—becomes the means by which the risen Christ continues to be encountered. [43:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:26] - Announcements & Communion Invitation
[05:40] - Campus Ministry & Easter Vigil Baptism
[08:05] - Scheduling Note: Third Thursday Theology
[09:48] - Hymn Instructions & Worship Notes
[11:48] - Thanksgiving for Baptism
[25:04] - Gospel Reading: John 20
[27:33] - Setting the Timeline of Events
[39:17] - Thomas: Doubt, Touch, and Longing
[41:56] - Thomas’s Confession: “My Lord and My God”
[43:36] - Call to Share the Resurrection
[62:10] - Communion Invitation and Practice
[67:56] - Blessing and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 20:19-31 (ESV)
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” 24 Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Observation Questions

Why were the disciples hiding behind locked doors when Jesus first appeared to them?
What specific action did Jesus take to address Thomas’s doubt, and how did Thomas respond?
The sermon mentions that many resurrection events (like the women at the tomb, Peter’s visit, and the road to Emmaus) happened within a short timeframe. How does this compressed timeline shape the disciples’ experience? [28:33]
What does Jesus’ invitation to Thomas (“put your finger here”) reveal about how God meets people in their doubts?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus showed the disciples his hands and side before speaking peace to them a second time (v. 20-21)?
Thomas’s confession (“My Lord and my God”) is the only time in John’s Gospel where Jesus is directly called “God.” What does this moment teach about the relationship between doubt, encounter, and faith?
The sermon suggests Thomas’s doubt led to a bold confession and later missionary work. How might doubt actually strengthen someone’s faith in the long term? [41:56]
Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29). How does this statement connect to the purpose of the Gospel stated in verses 30-31?

Application Questions

When have you, like Thomas, needed “tangible proof” to trust God in a situation? How did God meet you in that doubt?
The sermon emphasizes that baptism and communion are rituals of belonging, not tests of behavior. How can these practices remind you of God’s unconditional welcome in your daily life? [04:47]
The resurrection disrupted the disciples’ fear and confusion. Where do you need God to “break into” your ordinary or chaotic life right now?
Thomas’s story shows faith can start with questions. How can you create space for honest doubt in your own spiritual journey or in conversations with others?
The sermon shares a story about a baptism at an Easter vigil. How does hearing about others’ encounters with Jesus inspire you to share your own faith? [06:38]
Jesus sends the disciples (and us) into the world with peace and the Holy Spirit. What is one practical way you can “overflow” resurrection joy to others this week?

Sermon Clips

39s

#ShareTheGoodNews

“And having received that good news, we are invited to not allow this news of the resurrection to be contained, but allow it to spill out to everyone we encounter, sharing with those around us the love and the grace and the mercy of god who we know who has first loved and forgiven us. In the name of the risen Christ. Amen.”

54s

#ThomasConfession

“The gospel though in chapter 20, though Jesus says the week later, see my hands and put your hand here in my side. The gospel never indicates that Thomas actually did that. You see that? All we get from Thomas is this confession which I find really interesting and perhaps informative. Because when Jesus invites Thomas to not doubt but to believe, Thomas' response is the only time in John's gospel when someone identifies Jesus as being God.”

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