Doubting Thomas

It was the worst patrol aboard the submarine that many of my shipmates ever experienced. We knew of the developing storm called Hurricane Hugo before we got underway from Charleston, South Carolina. The city was hit hard by that storm and all communications from home ceased for several weeks. Due to all the damage, only official messages from our shore command were sent, nothing else could be. The US Navy did all it could and handled the crisis as well as anyone could expect. For me, I had only an apartment and two cars to worry about. These were things that I cared about but they were just things that could be repaired or replaced. For many of my shipmates, however, they had a wife and children in Charleston.

Those days of not knowing what was happening back home were exceedingly stressful. Life on a nuclear submarine could be stressful in itself, but this multiplied the anxiety that particular patrol. Imagine being underwater for a couple months, knowing that a category five hurricane hit your home town and for several weeks you haven no idea how your wife, children and home were impacted. It was stressful.

Finally the day came when we started to get personal news. They were called “family grams.” It was limited to one sentence from a family member or friend who submitted it. I remember seeing a few shipmates, tough men who served in a hazardous environment, shed tears of gratitude when they finally got word that their family was okay. I didn’t get a message for another couple weeks. It wasn’t until my roommate, who served on a different submarine, returned from patrol about a month before we did and told me that the apartment was fine. He said it stank, however, because the meat in the freezer had rotted with no electricity for a month. Even more amazing, the tree that our three cars were parked around was gone but only one of the cars had received any damage and that was limited to a small dent on the roof; I still cannot figure that one out. Like I said, the possessions in the apartment and parking lot were just things. Still, when I got word that all was well, I was relieved. I believed my roommate’s witness of the situation and my mind was put to rest.

In the Bible we read of one man who received the witness of several very close friends following a traumatic experience, but for over a week he did not believe them. Even if you don’t know the account from the Gospels, you’ve heard about him from the expression, “doubting Thomas.”

Let’s begin with the situation that started all of this. One week earlier, Jesus had entered Jerusalem to the shouts and praises of the masses who had gathered for Passover. The town and surrounding area were abuzz with a couple things Jesus had recently done. One was restoring sight to blind Bartimaeus, and the other was raising Lazarus from the dead. Both of these miracles were witnessed by many people, and both Bartimaeus and Lazarus were up and walking around, so people were able to talk to them. In fact, the Jewish leaders who wanted Jesus dead sought to kill Lazarus also because he was a living witness to Jesus’ power and authority (see John 12:10). Jesus entered Jerusalem that week with people shouting, “Hosanna to the King!” But the Jewish leaders were jealous of Jesus and had been plotting to kill Him for some time. They worked their twisted schemes throughout the week and as Passover approached their plan was realized.

We must remember, however, that the evil plotting of the Pharisees and other leaders did not overpower the plan and purpose of God. It was, in fact, the Father’s will that Jesus, His Holy Son, would die in just that time, place, and way in order to accomplish our redemption. The Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Peter shortly after Jesus’ ascension, assures us that all of this was intended by God. Acts 2:22-24 record the words, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know; Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

Jesus was crucified. Isaiah said it this way, “Surely He has born our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5). Jesus died on the Cross so that we could be forgiven and redeemed to God. We were dead in sin but through accepting by faith Jesus’ death we are healed, our spiritual life is restored (see Romans 6 and Ephesians 2).

Jesus rose from the dead. Through trusting in His resurrection we receive new life now and eternal life when we pass from this one. The Spirit through Peter said it like this, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 3-5).

That brings us back to Thomas and the other disciples. Jesus was crucified and three days later He rose again from the dead. It was now the first day of the week, Sunday, the day of the yearly Feast of Firstfruits (see Leviticus 23:9-14). This Feast was held the day after the regular weekly Sabbath after the yearly Passover. It signified the new harvest to come. It was on that Feast day that Jesus rose from the tomb. The Spirit makes this connection obvious through Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive, but each one in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.”

Jesus appeared to ten of the Disciples. Judas the betrayer was obviously not there, and neither was Thomas. The ten were gathered together for fear of the Jewish leaders (see John 20:19-25). Jesus came and stood among them, spoke with them and gave peace to them. He also commissioned them to go by the power of the Holy Spirit and be His witnesses. He then departed. Later, the Disciples tell Thomas that Jesus had come to them and he said, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). He doubted, even denied the testimony of his trusted friends and of His Saviour as well, for Jesus had told His disciples on multiple occasions that He would rise from the dead three days after being killed (see Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34).

Jesus appeared again to the Disciples eight days later, and this time Thomas was present (see John 20:26-29). Jesus again stood in their midst and He invited Thomas to see and touch the nail prints in His hands and the place in His side where the spear had entered. In response, Thomas confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Jesus replied, “Thomas, because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29).

You and I have not seen Jesus in the flesh, but blessed are all who believe in His sacrificial death on our behalf, His burial, and His glorious resurrection to life. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins…for God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you  have been saved” (Ephesians 2:1, 4-5).

On the submarine one day, I received a message from my friend, testifying that things at home were okay. I believed him. He didn’t send pictures or a video; that was impossible. He simply sent a message, one sentence, testifying that all was well. On that day of the Feast of Firstfruits, Thomas’ friends testified that everything was okay. He did not believe their testimony.

You have testimony from God Himself in His Word, the Bible, that Jesus died for you and rose again three days later. And by the way, God also testifies that His Son, Jesus is right now interceding for you at the His right hand, “But He (Jesus), because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:24-25).

Right now I know the faith of many is being tested. Fear over covid19 added to the many other struggles of life are making some people question God. Let me assure you, God is still on the Throne, still sovereign over all things and He still loves you. All of that was true when my shipmates and I went for weeks not knowing what was happening back in hurricane-torn Charleston. All of that was true at the time of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, and when the Jewish leaders plotted and accomplished killing Jesus on the Cross. All of that was true when Jesus rose from the dead. All of that was true during the week that Thomas doubted.  God was on the Throne, sovereign over all things and loved us when Jesus stood with the doubting disciple saying, “Look Thomas, see the scars?” Situations like these are times when your faith is tested. Do you trust God no matter what, or not? You should. He always does the right thing and He loves you. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection prove it.

Grace, Peace and Boldness,

Pastor Mark

A note on why we are not meeting this Easter:
As you know, services this Easter Sunday have been postponed. God says we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together according to Hebrews 10:25. He also says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves” (Romans 13:1-2). There have been times when human governments have given commands or enacted laws that contradicted the Word of God. The current ban on gathering in person due to covid 19, however, falls within the God-ordained purpose of government which includes protecting its citizens. Thus, the government’s restriction upon gathering is not a violation of the God given authority it possesses. Nor are we forsaking assembling since we have every desire to gather but cannot due to the God ordained authority’s legal and temporary restriction due to the virus.

We will hold our Easter 2020 services at the first opportunity. Until then, we will continue communicating as we have been since the restrictions were put in place.

May the Lord bless and encourage you today.