“Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ He said. Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Put your hand into the wound in My side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!’ ‘My Lord and my God!’ Thomas exclaimed” (John 20:26-28 NLT)
For many today the Resurrection of a dead man is very hard to grasp and believe. It was for those who knew Him. Thomas is often singled out as the loan doubter, but Matthew reminds us in Matthew 28:17, after Jesus had been with the disciples and others for forty days, Matthew writes: “Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshipped Him – but some of them doubted!” Obviously, they were able to work through their doubt, because each of the doubters ultimately laid down their life in death rather than deny Him. What will it take for you and me to work through our doubt?
A self-proclaimed atheist has responded to some of my articles, so we’ve communicated back and forth a number of times. She has referred to Jesus as my “Imaginary Friend”, so I recently shared with her that I believe my “Imaginary Friend” (her term for Jesus) may have created me for the express intention of allowing me to become her imaginary friend. I asked her how she knew I existed? “You’ve never seen me or even heard my voice. The only way you know I exist is because you’ve read words you believe are from me and based on those things you BELIEVE I exist.” Where is her “proof?” Yet, she wants me to prove Jesus exists, that He lived and is alive today, though He’s more real to me than the air I breathe.
And you may be thinking, “Yes, she could track you down and come to your house.” Maybe, but the reality is, she may find someone who has the same name, but there’s no way to verify I’m the one who has communicated with her unless she has access to my computer. And even then, someone claiming to be me could have communicated with her. Our relationship is based entirely on faith, belief that I exist!One of my last communications said, “I love you, invisible friend, and I hope to see you in heaven one day.” The only way to verify that someone is real is to stand in their literal presence. That’s why Jesus made the effort to allow Thomas to have his doubts removed by allowing him to stand in His literal post-resurrection presence, the same presence in which we will one day be privileged to stand.
Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that until that day “we live by believing and not by seeing.” Is it hard for you to imagine Jesus lived, died, and rose again to pay the penalty for our sin? Faith is sometimes very hard, but love is real and transformational. I believe, not because I’ve seen the Lord, except with my eye of faith, but because His love has transformed me. His presence is as real to me as the sunshine on my face.
In John 10:27 the Lord said: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for My Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
My security in Jesus isn’t simply based on the fact I’m in the Father’s hand, my security rests in the fact that I’m in the Father’s heart, and so are you, beloved child of God, if Jesus is your Lord and Savior by faith in His risen life. The truth is, I haven’t seen Him with my physical eyes, but I communicate with Him every day. I hear His voice clearly and He’s as visible to my spiritual eyes as the sunset on a cloudless night.
He’s real! He’s alive! And He loves you! Do you know Him? If you don’t, please open your heart to Him today by tapping on anewstory.com and allowing Ron Hutchcraft to walk you through a simple, easily understandable way to place your faith and trust in our Risen Lord and begin your journey with Him today.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 