A Fresh Look at “Doubting” Thomas and the Grace We Often Miss in His Story

I know you know Thomas, we all added a prefix to his name “doubting” Thomas, but Jesus definitely did not call him that. We might not have the best view of this story, focusing too often and for too long on Thomas’ error rather than God’s grace in these verses. The verses reflect not the sin of doubt, but the grace of our Lord Jesus in redeeming errors.

How differently would we view our dear Abba, if we have a different view of His posture to us in our low faith moments?How much more would we trust Yahweh, if we know He doesn’t ask us to clean up and show up, He asks us to come as we are – no conditions, no requirements, just come.

First, let’s talk about Thomas….. ‭

That evening, the disciples gathered together, and because they were afraid of reprisals from the Jewish leaders, they had locked the doors. But suddenly Jesus appeared among them and said, “Peace to you!” [20] Then he showed them the wounds of his hands and his side—they were overjoyed to see the Lord with their own eyes! [21] Jesus repeated his greeting, “Peace to you!” And he told them, “Just as the Father has sent me, I’m now sending you.” [22] Then, taking a deep breath, he blew on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. [23] I send you to preach the forgiveness of sins—and people’s sins will be forgiven. But if you don’t proclaim the forgiveness of their sins, they will remain guilty.” [24] One of the twelve wasn’t present when Jesus appeared to them—it was Thomas, whose nickname was “the Twin.” [25] So the disciples informed him, “We have seen the Lord with our own eyes!” Still unconvinced, Thomas replied, “There’s no way I’m going to believe this unless I personally see the wounds of the nails in his hands, touch them with my finger, and put my hand into the wound of his side where he was pierced!” [26] Then eight days later, Thomas and all the others were in the house together. And even though all the doors were locked, Jesus suddenly stood before them! “Peace to you,” he said. [27] Then, looking into Thomas’ eyes, he said, “Put your finger here in the wounds of my hands. Here—put your hand into my wounded side and see for yourself. Thomas, don’t give in to your doubts any longer, just believe!” [28] Then the words spilled out of his heart—“You are my Lord, and you are my God!” [29] Jesus responded, “Thomas, now that you’ve seen me, you believe. But there are those who have never seen me with their eyes but have believed in me with their hearts, and they will be blessed even more!”

John 20:19-29 TPT‬ “[19]

The Lord showed up to the rest of the disciples and immediately showed them His hands. They were already afraid, hiding out from the Jewish hordes, they needed comfort and reassurance and that’s what Yeshua offered, when He stretched out His hands to them.

Now back to Thomas.

This is purely my imagination, but perhaps that day it was Thomas’s day to scope out the city, find some food, check the temperature of the violence, basically be the secret agent for that day. Perhaps this is why He missed the visitation.

But here were Jesus’s inner circle, hiding out in a small room, afraid. So Jesus shows up and immediately offers peace for their fearful hearts by speaking peace over them, and reassurance by showing them His hands and sides. Such grace is poured out in these verses, and we often miss it.

He did not show up querying their fear, He did not start out with “but I’ve told you there will be trouble right?”. He did not say “get your act together”, He was not turned off by their fear, rather He embraced them with peace and reassurance. Then gave them the ultimate gift – the Holy Spirit before He commissioned them.

How often has the Father walked into our lives unsolicited and just lifted heavy burdens off our shoulders. I know we think we pray, but if the answers we recieve are directly proportional to the form and nature of our prayers when measured against how the Lord has taught us to pray; many of us would fall far short on the miracle scale. But our loving God does not wait for us to get it right before He shows up!

Pause and give Him some praise for His kindness to you!

But back to Thomas, he was not in the room, did not receive any of that peace. Before you judge his reaction too harshly, he had just returned from reconnaissance and had probably seen more than his heart could bear. Probably did not find a single follower of Jesus left in the town because they had either fled or been killed. He was heartbroken, wondering how they would survive or even rebuild. So to come in and hear that the master had visited must have felt very “delulu” to him. So he laid bare his heart “I do not have the capacity to believe except I see, I just don’t”. And that’s where we stopped, and held an unsanctioned naming ceremony, renaming him by his vulnerability – “doubting Thomas”.

Except, that’s not how the story ends. Jesus shows up again, just for Thomas. Walked into a barricaded room, straight to the vulnerable and heartbroken one, calls him by name, looks him in the eye and answers every question he had. This is how the story ends, not with Thomas’s unbelief but with Jesus’s compassion to him. Jesus showed up again for Thomas.

And if you’re reading verse 29 and thinking but Jesus condemned him too. His unbelief was sin no doubt and Jesus wanted him to see that. But the redeemer did not start from there, He started by answering Thomas’s questions before He challenged the sin. The father pointing out the sin in itself is grace or how would we know except we’re taught?

That was not condemnation from Jesus, that was a redemptive course-correction. Imagine a 4 year old with freshly skinned knees from running around in the gravel, as daddy picks her up, he wipes her tears, comforts her and then tells her “don’t run around on the gravel darling, you’ll only hurt yourself if you do”. That’s what Jesus did!

We’re more like Thomas than we care to acknowledge. Right back to “show me the nail holes in your hands if you’re really God” the minute something does not go our way. Imagine if Abba left us there? Allowed us to be named by our vulnerability? Turned His back to us at our lowest? Refused to answer our questions?

Oh what joy, that we have a saviour who can empathise with our vulnerability! When Elyon promised, I will never leave you nor forsake you, He meant it!

There is a lot of legalism in our understanding of God that has impacted how we approach Him. But His everlasting arms are forever outstretched, ready to catch us at every fall.

“His redemption of our souls was not one and done, He is constantly redeeming, causing all things, even our own errors to work for our good.”

But its not just that He’ll catch us, He doesn’t simply wait on the sidelines until we fall, He actually holds us by the right hand to walk the journey with us. He is not turned off by our lack of faith, in fact He is closest when our hearts are most broken, at our most vulnerable.

Abba is not the board of your church that condemned you for error and cast you out, not your friend who drew back at the depth of your wounds, not your family who walked away in silence because they did not want to be touched by your stain. He is not you!

His steadfast love NEVER ceases. His redemption of our souls was not one and done, He is constantly redeeming, causing all things, even our own error to work for our good.

My favorite posture is eyes closed, imagining myself sitting at the cross or in the Father’s arms, literally being rocked like a baby. Yet, at moments when I consider myself most in need of redemption and comfort, I am more tempted to hide away from Him, the redeemer, than I am prone to run towards Him.

There are lots of people like me, running away, or limping away when we should be running towards. Thinking God is light, He can’t behold darkness, so He can’t see me in my dark places. Yet David reminds us that when he tried to hide himself in darkness, Abba was there.

Abba would rather you run to Him with your booboos (wounds), big or small.

But even if you don’t, perhaps you’re in the depth of unbelief like Thomas, having walked with the Lord but unable to perceive His presence or grace because life has roughed you up. He will come for you, and answer the questions of your heart, even the ones you’re too afraid to share with anyone.

He’s there in the dark with you, He does not condemn that you are there, and He’ll walk you into the light again.

So, everyone knows Thomas’s vulnerability because we named him so. What about you, what unsanctioned, unauthorised naming ceremonies have you held for yourself? What labels do you go by in your heart? What vulnerability have you chosen as a prefix or suffix to your name? Rejected? Unholy? Joyless? Stubborn? Alone? Struggler? Sinner? Whatever the name or label is, God only sees you as His!

Much more than our hearts and mouths cry Abba, He calls us His own. He has named you by His name and you are His. What the Father calls you supercedes and unseats every negative label that the world has put on you or that you have put on yourself.

He calls you Beloved, Hephzibah – the one in whom He delights.

Declare With Me

Oh the overwhelming, never ending reckless love of God. It chases me down and fights till I’m found. There’s no mountain He won’t climb up, no shadow He won’t light up coming after me. No wall He won’t kick down, lie He won’t tear down, coming after me.

Cory Asbury