Beyond Doubt: Finding Eternal Life in the Risen Christ (John 20:24-31)
Doubt is a universal human experience that often feels like a lonely, isolated road. For many, the word "doubt" carries a heavy weight of shame, as if questioning one’s faith is equivalent to losing it. We live in a world where skepticism is often seen as a mark of intelligence, and the claims of Christianity—ranging from a 2nd-century book to a man rising from the dead—can feel like huge claims that invite scrutiny.
However, doubt does not have to be the end of faith. Instead, it is often the very battleground on which our faith is fought. Through the story of the disciple Thomas, we find that while death appears final in our broken world, we can receive eternal life in the Risen Christ.
The Four Faces of Modern Doubt
To understand how the Risen Christ meets us, we must first identify the types of doubt that pull us in separate directions. Doubt often leaves us standing at a crossroads, hesitant due to fear or confusion. In our current cultural landscape, doubt typically manifests in four primary ways:
1. Intellectual Doubt
This is the doubt that asks, "Is this actually true?". Intellectual doubt questions the reliability of ancient manuscripts and the scientific possibility of miracles. We live in a world where "dead men stay dead," and we have never personally witnessed a resurrection. The intellectual doubter struggles to reconcile biblical claims with a modern worldview that prides itself on skepticism.
2. Emotional Doubt
Emotional doubt arises from the friction between a good and powerful God and the reality of a fallen world. When we encounter suffering, disease, and death, we are left to wonder if God can truly be trusted. It is the doubt that surfaces when the "brokenness" of life seems to outweigh the promises of Scripture.
3. Spiritual Doubt
Spiritual doubt is the feeling that heaven is empty. You may believe the Bible is true and know much about God, yet when you pray for healing, restoration, or guidance, it feels as though no one is responding. This silence can lead to a profound sense of spiritual isolation.
4. Moral Doubt
Finally, doubt can be moral. In a world with values contrary to Christian standards, the exclusive claims of the Gospel—such as salvation coming only through Christ—can "rub people the wrong way". Moral doubt asks, "Do I even want the Bible to be true?" because its absolute claims on marriage, sexuality, and forgiveness feel restrictive or offensive.
Rehabilitating "Doubting Thomas"
For centuries, the disciple Thomas has been saddled with the nickname "Doubting Thomas," perhaps the worst nickname of all the faithful disciples. While others have glorious titles like "The Rock" or "Sons of Thunder," Thomas is defined by his moment of skepticism. However, a closer look at the Gospel of John reveals a man who was loyal, honest, and deeply committed to Jesus.
A History of Loyalty
Before his doubt in chapter 20, Thomas is introduced as a man of immense courage. In John 11, when the disciples feared for Jesus’s life in Judea, it was Thomas who stepped up and said, "Let us also go that we may die with him". This is not the language of a cold skeptic; it is the language of a devoted friend willing to follow his leader to the grave.
A Commitment to Honesty
Thomas was also a man who refused to go along to get along. During the Last Supper, when Jesus spoke of going to prepare a place, Thomas was the one to admit, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?". He brought his confusion into the light rather than hiding it. Even in his moment of greatest doubt after the crucifixion, he did not abandon the community; eight days later, he was still "with them," showing that he hadn't left the other disciples despite his struggle to believe their testimony.
The Mercy of the Risen Christ
The turning point for Thomas—and for every seeker—is not his own effort to believe, but the mercy of Christ's response. When the other disciples told Thomas they had seen the Lord, he set a high bar for evidence: "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails... and place my hand into his side, I will never believe".
Jesus did not meet this demand with a rebuke or a lecture on faith. Instead, he met Thomas with profound tenderness. Eight days after the resurrection, Jesus appeared behind locked doors and spoke directly to Thomas's specific needs.
Grace in the Wounds
Jesus invited Thomas to "Put your finger here and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side". This is the ultimate act of grace: the Creator condescending to meet the creature in the middle of his skepticism. The marks of the crucifixion, which once represented the burial of Thomas's hopes, were transformed into trophies of his victory over death.
Christianity is not built on vague spirituality or myth, but on a physical resurrection that could be seen, heard, and inspected. The tomb was truly empty, and the wounds were truly there.
The Crown of Confessions: "My Lord and My God"
Upon encountering the risen Christ, Thomas's doubt did not just dissipate; it exploded into worship. He offered the crown of confessions in the Gospel of John: "My Lord and my God".
For a first-century Jew, this statement was radical and even unthinkable. Every Jew knew the Shema: "The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). To call a man "God" was blasphemous unless that man truly was the "God of Israel... the great I Am". Thomas wasn't just acknowledging a historical fact; he was making a personal, life-altering commitment. He didn't just say "The Lord," but "My Lord and my God".
The Purpose of the Signs
John's Gospel is not merely a collection of historical facts to be learned for a game of trivial pursuit. John admits that Jesus did many other "signs" that weren't even recorded—so many that the world itself could not contain the books. However, he selected specific signs for a singular purpose: "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name".
Signs as Pointers
We can use an analogy of a highway sign for a destination like Buc-ee's. You don't camp out under the sign; you follow it to the destination. In the same way, every miracle in John is a sign pointing to Jesus's identity:
Water to wine points to Jesus as the true bridegroom.
Feeding the 5,000 points to Jesus as the true bread of life.
Healing the blind points to him as the light of the world.
Raising Lazarus points to the one who is the resurrection and the life.
The ultimate goal of these signs is to lead us to the "true life" found only in Him.
What Does it Mean to Have "Life"?
The "life" John speaks of is not just an endless existence or a promise of survival after death. According to Jesus in John 17:3, eternal life is relational: "This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent".
This life is found through faith alone—not through moral achievement, self-improvement, or religious institutions. It is a gift for dead sinners to receive life through the living Christ. In this life, we are:
Forgiven in His name.
Justified and reconciled in His name.
Adopted and kept in His name.
The Security of the Believer
One of the most comforting truths in the story of Thomas is that our salvation is not grounded in the strength of our ability to have faith. It is not our "grip" on Christ that saves us, but "His grip on us". If you belong to Him, no one can snatch you from his hand.
We may stumble, we may grieve, and we will certainly wrestle with questions. But the risen Christ does not lose His sheep. He is the one who holds galaxies together by his word and yet stretched out his arms upon the cross so that sinners could be reconciled to a holy God.
The Great Inversion: Turning Doubt into Glory
God loves "inversions"—turning death into life and weakness into glory. This inversion began at the cross, where the great evil of the crucifixion of the only innocent man was used for the greatest good of all sinners.
If God can use the death of His Son to bring about life for the world, He can certainly use your seasons of doubt for His glory. Thomas's struggle was not hidden to shame him; it was recorded to magnify the glory and grace of Jesus. Your story, like Thomas's, is still being written.
Conclusion: Do Not Disbelieve, but Believe
The message of John 20:24-31 concludes with a direct call to the reader: "Do not disbelieve, but believe".
If you are a skeptic, this passage invites you to stop viewing Jesus from afar and trust Him.
If you are struggling with doubt, you are invited not to hide in the dark, but to bring your questions to the Risen Christ.
If you are a believer, you can rest in the assurance that you have eternal life, regardless of your shifting emotions or circumstances.
We may not have stood in that room 2,000 years ago, and we have not touched the wounds of Christ, but Jesus has a special blessing for us: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed". Like Thomas, may we look upon the Risen Savior and declare with all our hearts: "My Lord and my God".