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Because You Have Seen Me, You Have Believed

Jim McDonald


“He is not here, but risen” (Luke 24:6). These were the words spoken by angels to the women that early Sunday morning immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus. And, He had been dead. When soldiers approached Jesus’ cross to break His legs which would hasten His death on that afternoon, to their amazement they found Him already dead. However, one soldier took his spear and thrust it into Jesus’ side, from which came blood and water (John 19:34). Unwittingly, the soldier was active in fulfilling earlier prophesies made by David (Psalm 22:17) and Zechariah (12:10) who had written, “I may count all my bones” and “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” Thus, as the women told the apostles their glad news, the gospel message was complete, fulfilled and ready to be preached uncountable times over the centuries and millenniums which stretched before them.


During the course of that day Jesus made several appearances: Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18); Peter (Luke 24:34); two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-31); and, the eleven as they ate (John 20:19-23). However, Thomas who was one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus appeared. Happily, the ten who saw him told him what he had missed by being absent: he had missed seeing the risen Christ! Predictably, Thomas responded, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hands into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).


Thomas was skeptical, yet he believed in Jesus and followed Him. A few weeks earlier when the Lord had been informed of the sickness of Lazarus and then, after waiting a day or so, told the disciples they were going back into Judaea, the disciples protested, “Rabbi, the Jews were now seeking to stone thee; and seekest thou to go there again?” (John 11:8). Jesus told them Lazarus was dead and He was going to “Awake him from his sleep” (John 11:11). Resignedly, Thomas said, “Let us also go that we may die with him” (John 11:16). Of whom did Thomas speak when he said “die with him” — Lazarus or Jesus? It makes more sense to assume that Thomas spoke of Jesus. Either way — skeptic, cynic, or whatever — Thomas was committed to following Jesus, even if he expressed negative thoughts.


When the other disciples told Thomas they had seen Jesus, Thomas answered as you would expect him to — doubtful. But Jesus had been raised, had appeared to the ten, then eight days later appeared to them again. However, this second time there were eleven of them: Thomas was there! Jesus knew Thomas’ doubts and what he had said, so He said to Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger and see my hands and reach hither thy hand and put it into my side and be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27). Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God” and Jesus said, “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:27-29). Of the three times Thomas expressed his negative thoughts (John 11:14, 20), this is the single time in which a measure of rebuke was administered by Jesus. Thomas’ doubts served a purpose: all of these eleven men were not gullible, were not easily deceived. Thomas showed that even those who were negative in nature found the proof of Jesus’ death and resurrection compelling and believable!


Our generation has not seen Jesus either before or after His resurrection, but the evidence given all men through the testimony of eyewitnesses who walked with Him, ate with Him, and touched Him after He was raised from the dead is significant. Their testimony is one of many valid reasons why it is not unreasonable to confidently believe He was raised from the dead.


At the conclusion of this exchange between Jesus and Thomas (John 20:26-29), John wrote, “Many other signs and wonders there did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book, but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life in his name” (John 20:30-31). Had the book ended with these verses, it would have been a perfect ending.


The evidences Jesus offered of His resurrection is convincing, and the behavior of those men who saw these signs and heard His words is also compelling. They were convicted, so convicted in fact that they were willing to make extreme sacrifices, even to the point of death to affirm what they had seen and heard. These men gained nothing material from the choices they made, and they paid a sacrificial price to do what they did. Paul wrote of the sacrifices the earlier apostles had made, as well as his own sacrifices, when he wrote, “For I think that God hath set forth the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto this world, both to angels and men …” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13). Through the testimony these gave of what they saw and heard, untold millions been blessed. And today their testimony is still so vibrant and strong that millions today also believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. They believe that He died, was buried, and that He rose again on the third day. Jesus, in His rebuke to Thomas, spoke of us when He said “… blessed are they that have not seen, yet believe.”

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Oxford Street Chapel - 1890
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Brighton, Sussex
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