Title [Twelve Disciples of Jesus] - Thomas
Contents
[Jesus' 12 Disciples-07] - Thomas
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* Thomas doubted but convinced (John 20:27-29)
(1) Brave Thomas
- When he heard that Lazarus of Bethany was ill, Jesus stayed two more days before going to Bethany. Bethany was a village close to Jerusalem, and the Jewish authorities were trying to kill Jesus, so going there was as dangerous as suicide.
- The disciples were astonished at this and asked, "Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, are you going there again?" (John 11:8). But Jesus did not give up.
- While the other disciples were hesitating, Thomas was prepared to follow the Lord to Bethany even if he died. “Let us also go, that we may die with the Lord” (John 11:16). It was Thomas who gave courage to the hesitant disciples.
(2) Thomas who heard the great answer
- Jesus was saying goodbye to his disciples. And Jesus said, "Wherever I go, you will know the way" (John 14:4), saying that this is not the end but a new beginning. The impatient Thomas said, "Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" asked the question.
- Thomas was an honest man, so he asked the right question to understand the word of the Lord. Doubt is different from doubt. It was natural to have doubts in order to have a firm faith.
- Jesus answered Thomas' question clearly (John 14:6). Thomas' right question led him to gain the right faith.
(3) From Doubt to Confidence
- Thomas was not present on the night that Jesus first appeared to his disciples after his resurrection. He did not expect that Jesus would rise again and appear where the disciples were.
- The disciples explained the fact that Jesus had appeared and told them about the wounds of the nail marks. But Thomas said, "Unless I see the marks of the nails on his hands, and put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" (John 20:25). Thomas fell into extreme suspicion and tried to choose only the empirical method that he had to see and confirm for himself.
- Jesus came to Thomas and gave him an opportunity to experience the living Lord firsthand.
-Thomas' old doubts were turned into convictions by the living presence of the Lord. After that, Thomas was said to have been martyred while preaching in India.
- It is important for us to have an experiential faith to experience the living Lord.
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Thomas
(qwma'", Thomas)「Twins」