##DailyDevotion More Blessed Are You Who Believe Without Seeing

John 20: ²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, who was called Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, “We saw the Lord.” “Unless I see the marks of the nails in His hands,” he told them, “and put my finger in the marks of the nails and put my hand in His side, I won’t believe it.”²⁶A week later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace to you!” He said. ²⁷Then He told Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands — and take your hand and put it in My side. And don’t doubt but believe.”²⁸“My Lord and my God!” Thomas answered Him. ²⁹“Do you believe because you’ve seen Me?” Jesus asked him. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

So it seems Thomas gets a bad rap for not believing the disciples’ report to him that they had seen the risen LORD. But the other ten were just as unbelieving when the women came and told them they had seen Jesus risen from the dead. Thomas though is the only one whom we have these words about what he will need in order to believe. Maybe the others had said something similar but we don’t know. We do know what Thomas said.

So it appears Thomas would need to put his finger into the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and put his hand into Jesus’ side to believe Jesus is risen from the dead. It’s a good thing Jesus didn’t get rid of those marks when we rose bodily from the grave or else how would we recognize him.

Well Jesus appears to the eleven again when Thomas is there. The doors were locked but Jesus just appears before them. Jesus speaks the same word of peace he did the previous week. It’s a wonderful thing to receive the peace from Jesus because it tells us everything is going to be alright. Well Jesus affords Thomas the opportunity to do what he said he needed to do to believe, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands — and take your hand and put it in My side. And don’t doubt but believe.” Well Thomas just shouts out, “My Lord and my God!” It is one of clearest statements about who Jesus is. If he is risen from the dead he is no ordinary man. He is the LORD and God of the Old Testament. He now believes because he has seen Jesus and knows it is Jesus because of his wounds. It is important for us though that Thomas and the other ten disciples along with Matthias and the approximately 500 other disciples saw Jesus risen from the dead. They are our witnesses that Jesus is raised from the dead and he has fulfilled everything written about him in the Torah, the Writings and the Prophets.

It is true as Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” We have believed without seeing the risen LORD Jesus Christ. The disciples could have been more blessed if they had believed without seeing, just hearing the report. They did however need to see the risen LORD to be witnesses of his resurrection. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. All we will get is the report of the witnesses. If we believe we have what Jesus has promised us, eternal life and the resurrection to eternal life on the Last Day. We will inherit the New Heavens and New Earth. We will then have resurrected bodies like Jesus; we will be raised whole, undefiled, with a glorious, immortal, imperishable body like Jesus. We will recognize Jesus when he comes because he will show us it his hands and his sides, the marks of his glory.

Heavenly Father, grant us faith in the witnesses who have come before us that Jesus Christ, your only-begotten Son is risen from the dead and be blessed by him with a resurrection of our bodies unto eternal life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.