Title: Thomas' Confession of Faith
Contents
about:blank
1. My God, King, I will exalt you and bless your name forever.
2. I will bless you daily; I will praise your name forever
3. The LORD is great; he will praise him greatly; his greatness is beyond measure.
4. From generation to generation I will praise your works and declare your mighty works.
5. I will meditate on your majestic and glorious majesty and your wonders.
6. People will speak of the power of your fears, and I will declare your greatness.
7. In remembrance of your great grace they will speak and sing of your righteousness.
8. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in mercy.
9. The LORD is good to all and has mercy on all that he has made.
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------
24. Thomas, who was called Didymus, one of the twelve, was not with him when Jesus came.
25. The other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." Thomas said, "Unless I see the nail marks on his hands, and put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
26. Eight days later, when the disciples were in the house again, Thomas was with them, and the doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood in the midst, saying, “Peace be with you.”
27. And he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not be a believer, but a believer."
28. Thomas answered and said, My Lord and my God.
29. Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and believe.”
Content
Title: Thomas' Confession of Faith
Text: Psalm 145:1-9, John 20:24-29
If there is Peter's confession of faith in Matthew's Gospel, there is Thomas' confession of faith in John's Gospel. “You are the Christ. You are the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Peter's confession of faith was held in the region of Caesarea Philippi in the latter part of Jesus' public life and before Jesus' crucifixion, and Thomas' confession of faith was held in the Jerusalem community after Jesus' resurrection. If Peter's confession of faith brought joy and blessing to Jesus (Matthew 16:17-19), then Thomas' confession of faith is blessed with encouragement from the Lord of the Resurrection. “Do you believe in me? Blessed are those who have not seen and believe” (John 20:29). If Peter's confession was a gift from God (Matthew 16:17), Thomas' confession was a gift from the risen Lord (John 19:26,27).
It is thought that it was after the resurrection rather than the public life of Jesus that the disciples' doubts were exposed without filtering. It seems that the doubts about the resurrection were not just about Thomas. It is the doubt that I still harbored while coming to the site of Ascension and worshiping. “The eleven disciples went to Galilee and came to the mountain where Jesus was commanding, and when they saw Jesus, they worshiped him, but some doubted” (Matthew 28:16,17). It must have been Thomas who doubted here. This is because today's New Testament text (John 20:24-29) was before the ascension of Jesus. In the end, we can guess the point when the disciples' faith in the resurrection was perfected. The resurrected Jesus himself was with the disciples for 40 days and appeared (Acts 1:3), reminding us of the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,5). The descent of the Holy Spirit was necessary for the disciples' faith in the resurrection. I mean, I beg you to wait.
Today's New Testament text should be meditated on while recalling this situation. Thomas' week (John 20:24-26), which he spent agonizing over his doubts, stemmed from not being with the community. Maybe during that week, Thomas struggled to resolve his doubts. Eventually, you will join your colleagues at a gathering. At that very moment, the Lord appeared among the eleven disciples. While fulfilling all the conditions of Thomas, he asks (blessings?, blessings?), ‘Do not become a believer, but become a believer!’. Now, when the Lord of the Resurrection ascends to heaven, the resurrection faith is not the manifestation of Jesus, but the people who have faith in the resurrection must listen and believe. These are the words of the Lord with the propagation of the resurrection faith in mind. “Do you believe in me? Blessed are those who have not seen and believe” (John 20:29). Let's live with thanksgiving for the resurrection faith.