Devotions this week are based on Week 1 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 20:24–27 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though 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; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas has often been remembered as “doubting Thomas,” but his story is more honest than dismissive. He is not rejecting faith; he is wrestling with uncertainty. He has heard the testimony of others, but secondhand belief is not enough for him. He wants something solid, something tangible, something he can hold onto when everything else feels unstable.
There is something deeply relatable in that. Many people today live with similar tension. They want to believe, but they also want assurance. They want faith, but they also want clarity. And when life feels fragile or confusing, doubt often becomes louder than hope.
What is remarkable in this passage is not that Thomas doubts, but that Jesus meets him in his doubt. Jesus does not rebuke him for asking for evidence. He does not distance Himself from honest questions. Instead, He invites Thomas to come closer. He offers His wounds as evidence. The very marks of suffering become the foundation of belief.
This confidence through evidence is what Jesus spent 40 days after his resurrection proving and showing. Those that would lead the proclamation of the Gospel he desired to be convinced of the authenticity of the Gospel and the One they proclaimed. Acts 1:3 says, “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
As a result, the resurrection is not presented as wishful thinking but as a reality confirmed by witness and encounter. Jesus is not threatened by investigation. He is the proof Himself and he knows all the evidence will support and point to the truth of his person, message and mission.
This allows you and me to have doubts too. There is a profound truth here for those moments when faith feels fragile. Jesus does not ask you to ignore your questions. Instead, He invites you to bring them into His presence. The wounds that caused doubt in Thomas also became the evidence that restored his faith.
Doubt, when brought into the presence of Jesus, is not the enemy of faith. It can become the place where faith becomes personal and real.
Are there places in your walk of faith where uncertainty has made it difficult for you to trust? Instead of hiding that tension, bring it honestly before Jesus. He is not distant from your questions. He is present within them and is eager to present the proof to dispel our doubts.
Reflect: What doubts or uncertainties tend to surface in your relationship with God? How might Jesus be inviting you to bring those questions into His presence rather than away from Him?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you are not afraid of my questions or my uncertainty. Help me to bring my doubts honestly before you and to trust that you meet me there. Strengthen my faith through your truth and your presence. Amen.