Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
John 20:24-25 NIV
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.”
I have talked with many people who said essentially the same thing as Thomas. Unless they see some miraculous sign that has no scientific explanation, they will not believe in the existence of God. And it could be that some of them would then believe. But many still would not. The idea of God is offensive to them. Largely because of the implications for their own personal lives.
But Thomas was not like that. Yes, he was a skeptic. He found it hard to believe that someone who had been crucified and buried could have come back to life. And I am afraid that my reaction would not have been much different. But I suspect he wanted to believe that Jesus had risen. And that made all the difference. When Jesus revealed himself to Thomas, there was no longer any doubt. And Thomas’ relationship with Jesus was transformed from being his teacher to being his Lord and God.
