"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." -John 20:25
The disciple Thomas is unfortunately more known for his unbelief than anything else in scripture. The famous phrase "doubting Thomas' refers to someone who is a skeptic because of a lack of personal experience. In this case, Thomas doubted that Christ had risen from the dead because of the simple fact that he had not seen (or experienced) the risen Christ. Even though all of the other disciples tried to convince Thomas that Christ had risen, he wanted nothing to do with it. In order for Thomas to believe, he was going to need some real, tangible evidence that Christ had indeed be resurrected from the dead.
It is interesting to note that even though Thomas did not believe, he still hung around with the disciples. In the very next verse, John records that a week after Thomas's famous declaration, Jesus revealed himself to Thomas. But where was Thomas when Jesus revealed Himself? He was with the disciples! I think it is a reminder to believers that even though we all experience moments of doubt, we still should be around other people of God.
But what about if you don't believe in Christ at all? I think the story of Thomas is a testament that if you truly want to know Christ, He will reveal Himself to you. If Thomas really did not want to know if Christ had risen from the grave, he would have left the other disciples. Even during the week before Christ revealed Himself, Thomas must have thought that the disciples were crazy or had a bad dream or even hallucinated that they saw a risen Jesus. Yet, no matter what he thought, Thomas still hung around. There had to be a little something inside Thomas that said, "You know, all of these guys sound crazy and there is no way that Christ could have really risen from the dead. But what if He did...?" I think that this is an important fact for non-believers to take note of. So many people are quick to dismiss the facts of Christianity and the notion that Christ could rise from the dead. But what if? What if Christianity is true? What if Christ really did rise from the dead after being crucified? It could be life changing for you.
Though I am Christian and believe the Bible to be true, there are still moments of doubt. There are still times when I wonder if what I believe is actually true. Though I have these doubts, I don't rest on them. I seek answers. And so far, every answer that I have searched for has led me straight back to Christ. Sure, there are arguments against Christianity that make me stop and think. They make me question what I believe. But every issue deserves a fair look on both sides. If you're struggling with the facts of Christianity, don't just dismiss them. Investigate! Research! Seek truth! Don't just settle.
I also encourage Christians to keep seeking the truth. Just because you believe the bible and what it says, don't stop there. Why are you a Christian? What evidence can you give of Christianity? We need to be able to answer these questions. And when someone raises a fair question that makes you think about your faith, just remember, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him." - Proverbs 18:17.
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