Believing what we cannot see is hard. All of us are skeptics to some degree. A skeptic is someone who says, “I don’t want to commit yet because sufficient evidence hasn’t been met.” As skeptics we have different motivations. Some can’t risk trusting because, “Hey, I don’t want to be wrong.” Others don’t want to get hurt or even look like a complete doofus so they remain skeptical. They can’t and they won’t believe.
Before we bash being a skeptic or even doubt in general we need to admit that sometimes being a skeptic is wise. “I have some swamp land to sell you in Florida…” is the start of a sentence that underscores the need at times for a good dose of doubt. “Don’t worry. He’s never bitten anyone,” came back to bite me not long ago exactly because I put my skepticism aside and trusted. Not giving someone or something the benefit of the doubt is not always dumb. But as is the case with most things skepticism can also be self-defeating.
My favorite story about a skeptic takes place back in the time of the French Revolution, during the “Reign Of Terror.” People were being executed left and right. Three men were waiting to be executed. The first was a priest. As he was brought to the guillotine, he was asked, “Do you have any last words?” “I firmly believe God is going to save me,” the priest replied. He put his head into place over the basket, the glistening blade dropped, and it stopped a single inch from the priest’s trembling neck. “It’s a miracle, a miracle of God” the executioner shouted! They happily released him.
Another priest was brought to the blade. He too was asked, “Do you have any last words?” “I believe God is going to save me,” he boldly announced. They put him in the block, that razor edged blade dropped again and you can guess what happened, right? Sure enough she stopped a single inch from his neck. Audible gasps were heard. “Good Lord, another miracle,” the executioner exclaimed and the crowd burst into a jubilant singing of the doxology.
Finally, the third man came up. He was an avowed atheist and skeptic. Under no circumstances did he want to be associated in any way, shape, or form with gullible believers. “Do you have any last words?” the executioner asked him. Looking at the guillotine, he said, “Well, I think I see your problem. You see, there’s something jammed in the gear mechanism right about there.” Sometimes skeptics would rather, even at their own expense, appear to be right than take the risk of trusting.
Do you remember the name of the Bible’s most famous skeptic? Early Christians even nicknamed him after his skepticism. They called him “Doubting Thomas.” We see him three times in the gospel of John and he is always expressing some sort of skepticism. It seems Thomas didn’t know what to do with his doubts but Jesus did. Jesus always knows what to do with our doubts. Jesus loves to help us move from doubt to delight in him.
One aspect of doubt gone bad that Thomas illustrates is how it robs us of confidence in Christ. Jesus was on his way to help Mary and Martha in Bethany. Lazarus was ill and in fact was going to die. The disciples tried to talk Jesus out of going back there into enemy terriroty. Jesus, however, insisted. “Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him’” (John 11:16). This isn’t exactly a Dale Carnegie kind of comment that fires a group up with anticipation and energy. One of the metaphors writer Richard Wurmbrand uses to describe faith involves the horizon. He calls the horizon, “the farthest point of our vision for what God can do for us.” This is the place of possibility. Faith is, among other things, embracing our horizon by the Spirit of God. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).
Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he said out loud “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40)? Then he publicly prayed this prayer that Thomas among others heard. “I know that you always hear me Father, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe you sent me” (John 11:42). Then he called back to life a four day old dead man and they took his gave clothes off. Do you think Thomas could see the horizon promised him then in him who is the Resurrection and the Life? What doubts are denying you in seeing heaven as your home or Jesus as your Lord? Take those doubts, friend, and one more time check Jesus out – in Scripture. See if who he is won’t move you from doubt to delight as he sets your horizon again on the hope of heaven in him.
But the depth of Thomas’s doubt occurred after Jesus appeared to the other disciples who were gathered together after the resurrection. All of them were there except Thomas. The disciples were overjoyed and could not wait to tell Thomas. Ten sets of eyes had seen the resurrected Christ. Women who had placed him in a tomb had watched him walk into that room. Thomas had seen with his own eyes the wonder working power of the God man. Thomas had all he needed to believe in the Risen Christ. But here were his now memorable words of doubt, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Notice how Christ turned this doubt into delight in him.
First, he let this twin Thomas sit in his doubt for a week. Jesus will mercifully give you time to take your doubts to him. But in the end, sooner rather than later, bring your doubts to Jesus. Better yet, know that in his Word Jesus will bring you all the evidence you need to stop doubting and start believing in him. For Thomas Jesus did this physically for his own eyes. “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27). Do you remember the rare words any Jew would never think of saying to any man that Thomas actually used to reply to Christ’s request with? “Thomas said to Jesus, ‘My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). He went from doubting Thomas to declaring Thomas all because Jesus was kind enough to give him the evidence his doubt needed to become delight in him.
For you Jesus will do this spiritually by convincing you that believing the evidence of who he is in his Word is better than seeing physically. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). In our day believing is true seeing. Glorious, inexpressible joy comes not by seeing Jesus now, but by believing him. And it is faith sight not eye sight that results in eternal life (John 3:16). Every Christian wants to do what Thomas did. First, get the facts. Then, by the power of the Spirit, confess that Jesus not only died for your sins but rose back to life on Easter to give you forgiveness and the new horizon of heaven as your home.
A little boy stepped on the elevator of the Empire State building with his father. The door went shut and the floor lifted up beneath them both with a frightening “whoosh.” The little guy watched the numbers above the doors light up rapidly. 10 – 20 – 30 – 40 – 50 – 60. The little guy put his hand in his father’s big hand, squeezed it hard, and said, “Daddy, does God know we’re coming?” He knows, my friend, he knows! And thanks to the Scriptural evidence your loving Jesus has given us so do you. Stop doubting and believe.
