THOMAS
MEETING WITH JESUS
CHRISTIANITY
24Now Thomas,
one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the
other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to
them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger
into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never
believe.”
26Eight days
later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the
doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “PEACE BE WITH
YOU.”
27Then he said
to Thomas, “PUT YOUR FINGER HERE, AND SEE MY HANDS; AND PUT OUT YOUR HAND,
AND PLACE IT IN MY SIDE. DO NOT DISBELIEVE, BUT BELIEVE.”
28Thomas
answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29Jesus said to
him, “HAVE YOU BELIEVED BECAUSE YOU HAVE SEEN ME? BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE
NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED.”
JOHN
20:24-29
COMMENTARY
Modern critics express
apprehension with the gospel attributed to John the Apostle, or the 'beloved
disciple', although it is not really known who this famous disciple is (John
21:20, 24), not only because of his variants with respect to the synoptics ,
but also because in the narratives of Matthew (Mt 28:10-16) and Mark (Mr.
16:7), Jesus sends his disciples to meet him in Galilee, along with the other
Christians who were not in Jerusalem during the crucifixion; while the Gospel
of John recounts intermediate apparitions, taking more than a week (John 20:26)
from the resurrection in Jerusalem, and mentions a Galilee encounter after a
while casually and without any mention to the Great Commission (John 21:1).
But apart from
this, this story contains a very important lesson, and it is a call to exercise
Faith in GOD, accepting the resurrection of Jesus, and the final triumph of GOD
and Jesus over death and the evil intentions of the world.
According to
this chronicle, the Lord JESUS began from the very day of his resurrection, to
appear to all those who had been with him at his crucifixion, thus
demonstrating his resurrection from the dead and confirming the faith of his
apostles and followers (John 20: 19), who were still afraid and hiding, and
were even beginning to doubt the resurrection of Christ (Luke 24:36-48).
But on that
particular day, Tomas, was not with them, and apparently, he was the most
discouraged, and flatly said:
'If I do not see
in his hands the mark of the nails, and I put my finger where the nails were, and
put my hand on his side, I will not believe.'
After a week or
so, Jesus appeared to his disciples again, and this time, Thomas Didymus was
present, and our Lord knowing the thoughts of his heart, he said to Thomas,
'Come and see the mark of the nails, and touch my side where the spear pierced
me, and BELIEVE, DO NOT BE AN UNBELIEVER' (Paraphrasing).
This
restlessness of Tomas reflects the natural incredulity of the human being in
the face of defeat, and not because he doubts the power of GOD, but because he
doubts the mission that was carried out, as apparently happened with this
apostle.
Tomas doubted
not the power of GOD, but the mission of Jesus, which, apparently, had ended in
defeat, because they killed him and that's it.
BUT no one
counted on the fact that GOD YAHWEH could not allow evil to get away with it
and overshadow the work of his beloved son on earth.
If JESUS had not
risen, all the miracles that He did, and his message, would have remained only
in words, because what would remain forever would be the memory of this
defeated messiah, executed by Rome, putting Roman paganism and human violence
over the holiness and righteousness of Jesus.
BUT it was not
so, GOD raised his Anointed from the dead where Satan and his minions had sent
him, and in this way, HE demonstrated the veracity of JESUS' work, overcoming
what no one can overcome in the entire universe, OVERCOME THE TIES OF DEATH,
demonstrating his ALMIGHTY POWER, and demonstrating it in favor of JESUS, HIS
ONLY BEGOTTEN SON.
But this result
was announced by Jesus many times (Luke 9:22, Matthew 17:23, and others), and
it was the logical consequence of the Lord's redemptive work. Jesus could not
finish his ministry, reproached, harassed and executed as a loser, discrediting
himself and all his work, especially when his words to rise again on the third
day would come to be false. If Tomas ever really thought that JESUS spoke and
acted in the name of GOD, he should not have doubted this, but his humanity got
the best of him, and I doubted the mission of JESUS, despite having seen how
Jesus raised several dead during his earthly life, which the devil cannot do.
But in his
mercy, Lord JESUS CHRIST, decided to confirm his beloved apostle in the faith,
and gave him the evidence he wanted to believe, just as GOD YHWH many times
confirmed with miracles the divine origin of his words, to the men of the old
covenant (Judges 6:36-38).
Faced with this
portentous miracle, seeing the Master whom he had deserted a few days before,
and having doubted the divine origin of his mission and message, Tomas
exclaimed and said:
"MY LORD
AND MY GOD"
In the midst of
ecstasy, acknowledging his guilt and showing repentance, recognizing the vision
as the genuine Jesus, and repentance before GOD YHWH, for having doubted the
divine mission of his beloved son.
And then JESUS
told him, "HAPPY THOSE WHO HAVE BELIEVED WITHOUT HAVING SEEN", those
who have been able to understand that without this resurrection my mission came
to nothing and trusted that GOD would raise me from the dead, confirming his
work in me, and giving glory to his Name.
Omar Flores.
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