There is a day that is etched in my memory. I was a young child of around 8.  Little did I expect that my actions that day would result in a defining moment in my life. Little did I know that my decisions that afternoon would follow me for the next 26 years.  It was a normal afternoon, I think a Saturday.  My family was getting ready to eat lunch.  A lunch made up of two items: one that I loved -- grilled cheese sandwiches and one that I hated -- tomato soup. Not really a big deal, as a kid what you do is eat what you like and either try or weasel your way out of what you don’t like.  But for some reason that afternoon my parents had decided that neither was an option. I was to eat the soup. I did not want to eat the soup and thus a contest was joined.  The debate went on for many hours and soon the afternoon had transformed into evening and at its conclusion there was no clear victor.  The soup uneaten, the day wasted, me in trouble and my parents and I definitely not happy with each other. Sure I didn’t eat the soup that day, so you may think “Yes, Bil you did indeed dominate that afternoon.  You get bragging rights and have mad not eating tomato soup skills.”  But that’s only half the story, because now years later my parents still refer to that afternoon as an example of my stubbornness.  If I had known that afternoon that I’d have to live the rest of my life with the results of that minor act of rebellion – well I wouldn’t have done it.  That day became a defining moment in my life and to my parents I forever became, “the son who won’t eat tomato soup.”  It was a moment of stupidity that I’m now labeled by forever. 

       And I wonder does Thomas feel the same way.  You can’t mention the apostle Thomas without attaching the word doubting to his name, because of his defining moment recorded for all time in scripture.  Doubting Thomas – image how he might feel to have that label attached to him.  Imagine how you would feel to have an adjective permanently attached to your name, one based on what admittedly wasn’t a stellar moment in your life. Stinky Timmy, or Lazy Lucy. Based on what else we know about Thomas, this is a label that wasn’t even fair to give him.  Why do I say that?  Well today we’re going to learn about Thomas, his celebrity what else he had to say in scripture, from this what we know of his character, what it took to convince him and kill his doubts and how he lived a life of faith and followed Jesus not only after this story, but before it.

      First Thomas’ celebrity.  He’s known because he’s in the Bible, but Thomas is so associated with this story that many people don’t know anything else about him, so here’s his background.  He’s mentioned eight times in the Bible.  Three times is just in the list of the twelve apostles, which actually is a pretty big accomplishment already.  I mean there are only twelve apostles (fourteen if you count Paul and Matthias, Judas’ replacement), but he was one of the original twelve.  Now when compared to the big three – Peter, James & John, Thomas doesn’t do much in the Bible, but when contrasted with the “silent apostles” – Bartholomew, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and others Thomas actually seems chatty.  You see of the other five times he’s mentioned (all in John’s gospel) he speaks four times.  Two are in the story of his doubting and two are not.  But of the 4 statements Thomas makes we remember only the one, “I will not believe it!”

But Thomas didn’t always doubt.  Let me explain a bit about Thomas’ character.  The first time we here from Thomas is in chapter 11.  Jesus and the apostles have found out Lazarus is sick and Jesus, knowing that Lazarus has died tells the apostles to follow Him into Judea - hostile territory. The apostles are reluctant – “Jesus remember last time we visited Judea? They tried to kill you!”

       Jesus is insistent – “Let’s go! Quit your whining. Lazarus is dead and I’m gonna do something about it.”  Thomas then steps up and tells the others “Let’s go with Him, so that when He dies we can die with Him.”  Sure this sounds like a Peter statement, but it’s Thomas.  And it’s a statement of faith. Okay so it’s not exactly the stereotypical statement of faith, but it isn’t doubt.  Thomas has enough faith and has been with Jesus long enough to know that he is ready to be loyal to Jesus and to even face death with Him.

       The next time Thomas is mentioned is in John 14 at the Last Supper.  Jesus has dismissed Judas to his treachery; he’s prophesied Peter’s betrayal and now tells his disciples that He is leaving.  But He is preparing a place for them and that they know the way to where He is going.  Thomas confused by this speaks up, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?”  Thomas is also dedicated.  And both these examples show us that Thomas is determined to follow Jesus.  He is willing to follow into danger and into the unknown. 

       Which brings us to the final two points where Thomas speaks, John 20. Ten of the remaining eleven apostles are together Jesus comes in and talks to them.  He shows them his hands and side – then they rejoice.  Jesus leaves and Thomas at some point returns. The disciples explain what has happened. And Thomas says his famous line which will follow Him forever –

“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 it.”

       Now keep in mind that this isn’t a totally outrageous statement.  Most likely this narrative is not an exhaustive account of what happened in the room.  So it is possible that the exchange was more than “Hey Tommy, we saw Jesus! He’s alive!” and then Thomas says, “What that’s impossible!  I won’t believe unless I touch His wounds” and the others all say “Ewwww!”  It’s very possible that the debate went a little deeper.

Apostles:            “We saw God!”

Thomas            “What I don’t believe that’s impossible!  He’s dead!”

Apostles            “That’s what we thought. But He came here and talked to us!”

Thomas            “You must be imagining things – HE’S DEAD! He was crucified. Maybe it was someone else. Maybe His ghost”

Apostles           “That’s what we thought, but it was Him.

Thomas            “I  know you’ve been through a lot lately.  These last few days have been very traumatic.  It’s okay to see things, hallucinations.  You wanted to see Jesus, so you did.  No big deal, but don’t draw me into it. It’s just your imaginations working overtime.

Apostles            “That’s what we thought, but it was Him.  He even showed us His

wounds.”

Thomas            “I can’t believe it! I won’t believe it.  Not unless I can actually touch His

wounds with my own hands”

Apostles            “Ewww”

       We can’t know for sure but this model has all that the Biblical account does.  And can we blame Thomas for being skeptical.  Can we blame him for doubting?  What would you do in that situation?  Sure we say we’d believe.  We say that we’d trust Jesus.  But really what would you do?  Thomas doubted, because like a scientist he needed more evidence and I can’t fault him for it.

       His fourth and final speaking role is later in that chapter.  Jesus appears offers proof and Thomas says, “My Lord and my God!” This is one of the strongest statements of faith in the Bible. In the gospels it’s even bigger than Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah.  And it’s from Thomas, Doubting Thomas.

       What changed him, what was it that convinced him?  What made him go from doubt to faith?  Again this is not an exhaustive account so we know the important details, but not the exact ones.  Thomas said he wouldn’t believe until he actually touched Jesus’ wounds.  Jesus heard Thomas’ statement.  He knows what Thomas has said and He knows exactly what according to Thomas it will take to turn Thomas from doubt to faith.  And he gives it to him.  “Here I am Thomas, here are my hands, here is my side. Touch and believe.”  Jesus is willing to take Thomas’ doubt and give him a chance.  Jesus is willing to take our doubt and give us a chance.  But we must be willing to have our doubts removed.

       And Thomas was. He had his request. And Jesus honored it.  God is not a god that places himself above questions.  He’s not a god that is offended by doubt.  He’s a god of reason and logic.  God made us with rational minds and wants us to use them.  When Luke records Paul’s interactions with the Bereans in Acts 17 he says they have a more noble character then the Thessalonians.  It’s interesting because the Thessalonians loved Paul and ate up everything he said.  As far as they were concerned if it came from Paul it was truth.  The Bereans though eagerly listened to Paul and then checked it out with scriptures.  They wanted evidence and refused to blindly follow just anything.  Luke thought that was better quality. And we’d probably all agree - evidence is a good thing. The question is how much is needed and are you willing to do what the evidence demands?  When Jesus shows up and in essence answers his prayers – Thomas is convinced.  The cool thing is that Thomas may have needed less evidence than it seemed.  He said he’d have to touch Jesus’ wounds, but all scripture records is that Thomas sees Jesus and calls Him, “My Lord and my God.”  And Jesus even says, “Because you have seen me you believed.”  Not touched and believed, but seen and believed.  I’m the first not admit it’s not conclusive, but it can be argued that Thomas had a list of what would move him from doubt to faith, but when push came to shove he needed less evidence than he’d estimated.  He’s scientific Thomas, and as such he’s willing to change his mind when the evidence supports a new idea.

       In the movie O Brother Where Art Thou the three heroes, for lack of a better term, have been on the run from the law.  Eventually as things come to a close they receive a gubernatorial pardon.  Once safe from harm they return to Everett’s (George Clooney’s character) home to retrieve something for his wife and are captured by a sheriff who hasn’t received news of the pardon.  Apparently the punishment for their crimes is to be death and this lawman is ready to give it to them.  As their execution is prepared Everett prays to God for salvation, promising to be a better and more faithful man if He will deliver them from impending doom.  His two companions who found God earlier in the movie are shocked by his sudden transformation, but welcome his faith.  As he prays Everett notices a tiny trickle of water at his feet. Then abruptly the entire forest is flooded and the three heroes find themselves floating in a field of debris amidst the treetops.  One of Everett ’s companions mentions his promises to God and that this surely must be a sign.  But Everett  insists that it couldn’t be from God, this flooding was government ordered and had been planned for months, it was just a coincidence he claims.  He had laid down his stipulations, given God a request and God proved faithful.  He however did not. The evidence was not enough and he was not willing to move from doubt to faith. 

       But Thomas is the opposite of Everett .  Everett got exactly what he asked for and refused. Thomas was offered what he asked for and changed his doubt to belief.  Thomas was asked to swallow an amazing story.  Sure he’d seen Jesus raise people from the dead, but never anyone so brutally beaten, never someone he’d personal confirmed was dead, never seen Jesus do it to Himself.  It can be a hard story for some to believe today.  And I think part of the reason it is recorded is because it is to help us with our unbelief. We are all at one point Thomas, unable to accept that this could be true, wanting to see with our own eyes and touch with our own hands. And because Jesus has ascended we do not have that opportunity, but we have Thomas and we have the proof that convinced Thomas. 

       We don’t know exactly what happened to Thomas, he’s mentioned twice more in scripture, fishing with Peter in John 21 and among the list of the apostles in Acts.  Tradition teaches that he eventually went as a missionary to India and Africa and it’s likely that the man we call “Doubting Thomas” died a martyrs death contending for the faith.  Because he was convinced that Jesus’ was God.  If you believe as he does, what does your faith move you to do?