“You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.” John 20:29. (NLT.)
“But these are written that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. And that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.” John 20:31 (NLT)
This chapter starts at the empty tomb. The stone was rolled away and Jesus has risen from the grave! He is alive! The disciples see Him and realize what they thought they knew, Jesus is the Messiah! Thomas, one of the disciples, was not there when Jesus first appeared to them. When they told him they had seen Jesus alive, Thomas said He would not believe until He saw Jesus.
It was 8 days later when the disciples were together again and Jesus came to them. Thomas was with them and Jesus told Thomas to “Look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. believe!” John 20:27 (NLT) Then Thomas believed that Jesus was Alive!
In verse 29 Jesus tells Thomas “You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.” And this is where faith comes into play. I’ve never seen Jesus, seen the holes in His hands or touched the wound in His side, but I believe what the Word says. He came as a baby, fully God and fully man. He willingly went to the Cross and died for the payment of my sin. And He overcame death, hell and the grave. He rose from the dead and Lives!
Verse 31 tells me that these things are written so that I will continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah! And, that because I believe I will continue to have life by the power of His name! It’s His Word that brings me hope, that strengthens my faith and reveals Jesus to me.
My prayer today is for a greater desire and love for His Word. I pray for the hunger for the Word would be continuous. I pray for a greater depth in my understanding. Thank you Lord for your Word and for the life it gives me. Amen.
What is God revealing to you today in chapter 20? Share your insights in the comment section below.
John 20:25
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.
I find it interesting here that Thomas didn’t just want to see the nail prints but he wanted to physically touch them before he would believe. It’s so simple that all we have to do is believe but we make it so hard. We have to put limitations or ask questions wanting to know more. Which this is good in some ways because we all know you can’t believe everything you read on the internet or on social media. But when it comes to God’s Word, the Bible. All we have to do is read it and believe. His Word is for us, it’s for today and everything we are going through even though it was written many years ago. His Word is true and all we have to do is believe it. Sometimes it’s hard for us to simply believe, we want some kind of proof that what we just read was for us. My prayer is that God will help me to simply just believe His Word when He speaks through it to me. That I won’t question but just walk in His truth.
Amen. May I too take Him at His Word!
Mary Magdalene, out of her deep love for Jesus, went to the tomb even before it was daylight. She didn’t know what she would find and possibly had to overcome her fear of the Roman soldiers guarding the tomb….what they might say to her, Possibly ridicule her as the woman of the bad reputation and a follower of Jesus. Her love compelled her to be there near her Lord, even though she knew He had been crucified and dead for 3 days. It reminded me that “who has been forgiven much, loves much.” Though we have all sinned and fallen way short of God’s glory, her sin of adultery was made public, considered unpardonable and worthy to be stoned. What a reminder that we are not to judge some sins and sinners as worse than others. Jesus had chosen her to be the first to know of His resurrection, (a Samaritan woman) called her by name, “Mary” and gave her the important assignment to go tell His disciples the good news. I was touched too that He lovingly referred to His disciples
as “My brothers”. He told her to tell them that He was returning to “My Father and YOUR FATHER. to My God and YOUR GOD”. Jesus wanted them And us all to know that His Father was their father and ours too! That we can have that personal intimate relationship with God as our father.
Jesus comforted them all, compassionate of their fear of the Jews, deep sorrow over losing Him, and confusion about what was next for them. “Peace be with you!” Though Thomas doubted because he had not seen Jesus in the flesh, and has often been referred to through history as “doubting Thomas”, Jesus had compassion to appear when Thomas was present and invited him to put his finger in the nail prints in His hands and into His side just as Thomas had declared that was what he needed to believe. At the same time, Jesus used it as a teachable moment to exhort all of us, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”.
Lord, help me to believe by faith even when I don’t see “signs” that You are answering my prayers or working in the way that I wish you would. Like the disciples, I have seen miracles of your healing in others and experienced Your miraculous healings even in my own body! I read about and hear about salvations and supernatural signs and wonders often, yet I confess at times I wonder and lack faith that even though many prayers have gone up for my son Isaac’s salvation for many years, I allow doubt because I haven’t seen evidence yet that it is happening. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief! Help me to trust You are working in him even though I can’t see it, because You are always working! You know how to reach him. And I will see him surrender his life to You! You love him even more than I do and You Will accomplish it!
Amen! Such great insights. Thank you for sharing. Praying with you for your son!
“Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then stretch out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!””
John 20:27 GNB
I am a lifelong student of science, biology specifically, “the study of life”. It is who God made me to be. And so many times I have been taught with words , but my scientific brain wants to “see” for myself. I question everything, not because I doubt, but because I want to see, experience, and better understand the miraculous ways in which God creates life.
So I can easily put myself in the shoes of Thomas, not because I don’t believe, but because this is an incredible miracle, and I want to see Him too.
What joy the disciples must have had to see the final piece of the puzzle, see the big picture, and finally understand how this is supposed to work. And what amazing hope has been restored for all of who have not seen but still believe.
Thank you Jesus, for being a patient teacher who listens with understanding to all of my questions and gives me answers when I need them. Although I am a lifelong student of Your Word, I am so far behind in understanding. I pray You will continue to teach me, and grant a deeper understanding and appreciation of all the gifts You have given me. Although I haven’t seen you with my eyes, I have felt your presence strongly in my life so many times, sometimes very unexpectedly, and I am so very thankful.
Amen! Thank you for sharing this.
I love this: “not because I don’t believe, but because this is an incredible miracle, and I want to see Him too.”
Me too!! I want to understand and experience Jesus more!! xo
Ditto Lisa, I can wait to see him face to face. I do want to experience him more and more here too, but I really want to go to heaven and experience him there. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
“Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
John 20:16 NIV
I absolutely love that Jesus appeared to Mary and called her by name!
I’ve never heard w/ my ears the Lord call my name, but I have heard w/ my heart!
She had heard the Lord’s voice before, but this time it was different. He had been crucified. He died. He was buried. But there He was calling her by name. Because He had returned, just like He promised!
He’s going to return again someday, and it will be different then too, because on that day I will hear Him w/ my ears and not just my heart!
And what a day that will be!!!!!
Incredible when you hear Him in your heart, isn’t it ❤️ Such a sense of profound peace, just to know you have been heard, even if it’s not what you expected to hear.