Thomas' Blessing

In John 20:29 Jesus tells Thomas “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We’ve all heard this verse many times, and it’s easy to accept it as a general statement about faith before quickly moving on. But have you ever stopped to ask—what blessing is Jesus referring to? When God commands us to honor our parents in the Ten Commandments, He ties it to a specific blessing: long life. Throughout Scripture, giving is encouraged, and most passages also promise a clear blessing of increase in return. Specific blessings are promised for receiving Jesus as Savior, for baptism in the Holy Spirit, for martyrdom, and more. Yet strangely, I’ve rarely heard anyone even suggest what blessing Jesus promised Thomas if he would believe without first seeing. In order to understand this, I’d like to first explore another well-known story. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11 The Bible doesn’t tell us whether this woman had ever met Jesus before that day, but I believe she had at least heard Him speak. Specifically, I think she had heard Him teach about forgiveness and mercy. I say this because when Jesus asked where her accusers were, she looked up, saw only Him, and confidently declared that no one remained to condemn her. She even said He would not condemn her—then He confirmed it. How did she know? I believe she had heard Him say He came not to condemn but to save, and she trusted His word. Imagine being this woman—kneeling before Jesus, the most prominent and controversial teacher of your time. He has just scattered the crowd that wanted to kill you for sins you know you’re truly guilty of. Now Jesus, righteous and just, stands before you and asks if anyone remains to accuse you. Knowing He would be right if He did, could you still take Him at His word and boldly declare that He will not accuse you? How many of us have struggled to accept forgiveness and move past shame and condemnation even now, after Jesus has already died for our sins? This woman was acting within a blessing that many of us have tried to live in without ever really bothering to articulate and explain it. She was taking Jesus at His word. She did not need to see before she would believe, His word was enough. That is the specific blessing that Jesus promised to Thomas if he would choose to believe before seeing: absolute unshakable confidence in God’s Word. Think back on your struggles—even the hardest and most uncertain times of your life. Did you face financial difficulties that threatened to leave you destitute? What if you had trusted Jesus’ words in Mark 10:29–30 and never wasted energy stressing over what might happen? How much anxiety could you have avoided by simply taking Him at His Word without needing to see the outcome? Have you lost a loved one? How much sorrow could you have been spared if you had fully embraced Jesus’ promise of eternal reward and believed Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians, that we can mourn with hope? Has the Lord given you a calling that seemed too big? Has He asked you to go somewhere, speak to someone, or do something that felt impossible? Imagine the joy and confidence you could walk in if you ignored what your eyes see and rested only on God’s Word. Traditionally, Thomas is called “Doubting Thomas,” but I believe that title is both unfair and inaccurate. Thomas went on to spread the Gospel across the world and ultimately gave his life for Christ. Yes, he relied on sight to believe in the resurrection, but he changed his mind and accepted Jesus’ words that it is better to believe without seeing—to take God at His Word. Thomas lived the rest of his life on that Word. He was a true believer, not a doubter. You didn’t see Jesus die on the cross for you, and yet you believed. You’ve never seen the Holy Spirit, and yet you believe. You may not yet see your healing, your provision, or the path God is opening for your calling… but will you take Him at His Word?