Thomas - John 20:24-29

Another aspect of the mortal wounds staying on Jesus’ resurrected body that I hadn’t considered comes to us from the IM which quotes Elder Jeffrey R. Holland saying, “Even though the power of the Resurrection could have- and undoubtedly one day will have- completely restored and made new the wounds from the crucifixion, nevertheless Christ chose to retain those wounds for a purpose, including for his appearance in the last days when he will show those marks and reveal that he was wounded ‘in the house of (his) friends.’

The wounds in his hands, feet, and side are signs that in mortality painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect, signs that tribulation is not evidence that God does not love us. It is a significant and hopeful fact that it is the wounded Christ who comes to our rescue. He who bears scars of sacrifice, the lesions of love, the emblems of humility and forgiveness is the Captain of our Soul. That evidence of pain in mortality is undoubtedly untended to give courage to others who are also hurt and wounded by life, perhaps even in the house of their friends.”
I had considered the wounds important to prove his identity to his disciples, but I hadn’t thought about the need for the marks to prove who he is to the Jews in the last days. I also appreciate that Elder Holland said that even your friends can hurt you when you’re not a bad person. I had something like that happen to me this week and it’s been painful. I think that it’s been a while since I had to eat a slice of humble pie, but I definitely have had to do it this week. I know that I’m not perfect, but I guess I’ve just been too cocky in my ways. I’m just so tired of all the drama. I don’t think that I’m a dramatic person, but man if it doesn’t constantly find me.
Anyway, when Jesus appeared to his disciples in Jerusalem, not all of them were there, Thomas was missing. The other disciples told him that Jesus had been there and he said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Let’s take a moment here to remember that just a few moments earlier, the other disciples had the same opinion as Thomas and the only reason that they are believers now is because they got to see Jesus and touch him.
Thomas is one of the disciples that we haven’t heard very much about, and while he’s called “Doubting Thomas” because of this instance, let’s remember that in John 11:16 Thomas encourages the other disciples “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” That doesn’t sound like a coward, that doesn’t sound like a man who has given up on the Savior just because he died. The IM says, “Numerous early Christian writings state that after the Resurrection, Thomas preached the gospel throughout Syria, Mesopotamia, and India. Tradition holds that Thomas died as a martyr in India around A.D. 72.”
Eight days after the Savior appeared to the other disciples, all eleven were gathered together again “then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.” I think it’s interesting that Jesus didn’t reappear right after Thomas had expressed his reluctance to believe. It might have been too overwhelming for Thomas or the other disciples to have that much interaction with the Resurrected Jesus that quickly. But I also think that Jesus wanted to give Thomas time to think about it, to hear the others talk about it, to consider the possibility, but maybe also to come to terms with the fact that if Jesus did resurrect, that he appeared to the others even though Thomas wasn’t there. That would be a big deal for me I think, that he came and saw everyone else except me.
When Jesus did appear to the disciples, Thomas’ response was “My Lord and my God.” The IM notes that this is an important statement because “Thomas’s declaration to Jesus, ‘My Lord and my God’, reflects a theme in John- that Jesus was not just a good man, a holy man, or a miracle worker, but He was Deity. He was the Son of God.” Jesus responded to Thomas saying, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” President Howard W. Hunter is quoted in the IM as teaching, “This occurrence stands as one of the great lessons of all times. Thomas had said, ‘To see it to believe,’ but Christ answered: ‘To believe is to see.’” It’s easy to us with our hindsight to look back at the disciples and have opinions on them and their reactions, but I think it’s most important to get out of this that we need to learn to believe without seeing. We need to learn how to understand and grow by using our spiritual senses. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, they “felt” their bosoms burning, they didn’t even recognize the Savior and yet they came to know that it was Him. Let us come to know that it is Him with the truth that we have.