Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
- John 20:19-31
Thomas is one of the most relatable characters we encounter in the New Testament. We’ve all had moments of doubt like Thomas. Moments when we are not sure what we believe or question something we thought was true. Times when we stubbornly refuse to believe something unless we can have physical proof that it is true. This is a very human reaction. As rational beings, we are predisposed to use our senses to tell us about the world around us. Through our senses, we understand what is real and what is fake. We learn to trust our senses and our experiences and doubt anything that goes against what we think we “know.” Just like Thomas, we want to be able to touch and see something before we believe in it.
Yet while Thomas is famous for being a doubter, we often fail to give him credit for his reaction upon seeing the Risen Jesus. Rather than reaching out and touching the nailmarks, Thomas immediately responds, “My Lord and my God!” Without hesitation, he recognizes Jesus as God. Even though he had spent years following Jesus, listening to Him teach and witnessing His miracles firsthand, it is this moment when Thomas finally realizes who Jesus truly is. This is Thomas’s moment of recognition and encounter
What does it mean to have an encounter with Christ? It is that moment of realization in which you see Jesus not just as some distant figure, but as a real person with whom you can have a personal relationship. These moments can come when we least expect them and can happen at any point in our lives. And like Thomas, when we come upon these encounter moments the important thing is how we respond. Do we try to hide from these moments and ignore them or do we respond like Thomas with trust and faith? Do we respond, “My Lord and my God?”