The Apostle Thomas

In the Revolutionary War, there was a young soldier who was appeared to be headed for greatness. He was wounded twice. He helped to defend Fort Taikanderoga. Was risen, promoted to Captain and then cited by Congress and was promoted to General. Good, great promise seemed to be one of the brightest soldiers in the Revolutionary time. But all of that is forgotten now because this young soldier began compromising with the British, sharing with the British colonial forces strategy and today his name Benedict Arnold is equated with being a traitor. His name is synonymous with being a traitor. It is very true that sometimes all we remember of someone is a major failure in their life. And all of that which they may have done good is wiped off and we remember the failure in their lives and their name is forever changed because of maybe one failure. Well of no Bible character is that more true than Thomas. In fact many people probably grew up thinking Thomas was his middle or last name. What would his first name be? Douding. We just call him Douding Thomas. Douding Thomas. Douding Thomas. Why is he named Douding Thomas? Obviously the blood on his record of doubting the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But I think it's unfair to Thomas to color his whole character and his whole career with that one failure. And I'm not really sure that it was as deep a failure as sometimes we paid it to be or at least not anymore so than any of the other apostles. So tonight I want us to take a little different look at Thomas, a little closer look maybe at this apostle. The Bible record portrays them actually quite differently than he's often painted in our minds. In fact the Bible record portrays him as a devoted disciple of Christ and as an example of allegiance and devotion to Christ. He's mentioned eight times in the New Testament. Four of those are just the lists of the apostles in the gospels and the list in the book of Acts. One of those in John 21 is when he is referred to as being one of the men who went with Peter back to fishing after the resurrection. But there are three other references of Thomas found in the gospel of John all of which opened up a little bit of a window into his character and into his life. Those are the passages I want us to look at this evening. So let's begin in John chapter 11. John chapter 11 where we find one of the three characteristics of a devoted disciple, one who is truly devoted to Christ. The first characteristic we find of him that paints that picture is a genuine display of courage. John chapter 11 verse 16, then Thomas called Didamus, which by the way means twin. Thomas evidently was a twin. It would be interesting to know who his twin was, brother, sister. We don't know. There are speculations that maybe one of the other apostles was a twin. But the Bible doesn't tell us. But anyway we know he was a twin. Thomas called Didamus said to the rest of the disciples, let us also go that we may die with him. Now in order to paint the background of this statement we need to see the times that this statement was made in. And it was a time of crisis. What I think we see here is that times of crisis call for courage. Thomas found himself in a time of great crisis toward the end of Christ's ministry. Jesus had been to Jerusalem for one of the feasts and chapter 10 tells us that it was a very tense and dangerous time for the Lord because of some things that happened there on that occasion. Chapter 10 verse 31, after Jesus had made some statements to the Pharisees, the Bible says in 1031, again the Jews picked up stones to stone him and looked down at verse 39. Again they tried to seize him but he escaped their grasp. Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. He was here, he stayed and many people came to him. So Jesus is in danger, humanly speaking, because his statements have finally aroused the wrath of the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders to the point that they're trying to kill him. It is not time for him to die yet. Jesus knows that. He's operating and moving according to the Father's timetable. But the Jews are trying to kill him. Twice on this trip to Jerusalem. They tried to seize him and put him to death. So Jesus removes himself from Jerusalem and from Judea, goes back across the Jordan River and begins to minister in that area and will stay there for most of the last few months, three or four months of Jesus' ministry. It is a very, very dangerous time. While Jesus is ministering in Korea, he gets word that a very close friend has died. That friend's name is Lazarus. And word is sent from Mary and Martha. First of all that he is sick and Jesus stays where he is for a few days. Then the word comes that he has died and Jesus decides we're going to go back to Judea in verse 7 of chapter 11. He says, then he said to his disciples, let us go back to Judea. Now note their concern in verse 8. But Rabbi they said, a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you. And yet you are going back there. You see the disciples are fearful of Jesus going back to that area because of the danger that he's in. But Jesus insists that he's going back. Look at verse 11. After he said this, he went on to tell them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him. Then in verse 15 he has told him in verse 14, Lazarus is dead and for your sake I am glad I was not there so that you may believe, but let us go to him. You see the resolve in his voice, the insistence that he will go back to Judea. He will go back to that area of Jerusalem. And it is in that context that Thomas makes his statement. Now before we consider the statement of Thomas, I would remind you that we find time of crisis as well in our own lives. And times of crisis call for courage for us as well. It may not be staring death in the face like Thomas was convinced and the disciples were convinced they would be doing in Jerusalem. But it may be simply living faithfully for Jesus Christ when we are called upon to stand for him in the office or in the place where we work when no one else is standing for Jesus. When everybody else is ridiculing what is right, when everybody else is speaking against Christians, when we are asked our opinion, when Christ is ridiculed, when the church is ridiculed, when people say things that mean you are going to be standing alone if you stand up for what's right or you stand up for the Lord Jesus. It is times like that. It may not be facing death, but times like that, times of crisis that calls for courage. In those times we find that it is devotion to Christ which brings forth courage. And that is what the statement of Thomas shows, devotion to Christ, verse 16, when Jesus has expressed, I'm going, let's go. Thomas is the one who speaks up, not Peter. He is not the one who speaks up on this occasion. It is Thomas and Thomas says, let us also go that we may die with him. Now often that has been interpreted as kind of a pessimistic gloomy view of Thomas. Well, if he is going to, if he says that insisted on going, we might as well go also, although it will probably mean all of us will die. And a lot of times it is interpreted that way, but that is not the way Thomas said it. The reason I know that is because of one little word in verse 16. The word that, let us also go that we may die with him. The word that is the Greek conjunction hymn, which means in order that or for the purpose that we may die with him. Thomas was not saying, let's go and probably going to all of us die, but let's go. I'd rather go with him than, no, he wasn't saying that. He was saying, if Jesus is this determined to go, then let's go and we will die with him. If it comes to that, we will go for that purpose. We will go. If it results in death, we will go. I think that was a statement of courage, not of gloom and doom, pessimism. So here is Thomas expressing what maybe the other apostles were too fearful to express. Thomas is a courageous disciple. And even staring death in the face, he says, if Jesus is going to go, then we will go with him. In order that, we can die too. I'm ready to lay down my life with him and for him. The highest courage is not the absence of fear. The highest kind of courage is when you proceed in spite of fear. Sometimes we think that real courage is being fearless. It's not having the butterflies in your stomach when you're the only one at work that stands up for Christ. It's not having the cottonmouth when you're not sure what you should say. We're thinking if we were bold and fearless, we wouldn't have any of that. If we were courageous, that wouldn't be there. But real courage is not the absence of fear. Real courage is proceeding in spite of fear. And convinced that Thomas felt like all the other apostles. Lord, you mean you're going to Jerusalem? I mean, the Jews just tried to kill you and you're going to go back up there. But courage is proceeding in spite of fear. What are you afraid of tonight? What are you afraid of? Is it something at work, something in a relationship, something that you're not doing well at in your Christian life, maybe a witness to a neighbor and you're just fearful about that thing in your life that you're confronting? Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the dog of persistence in spite of fear to go on. And that's exactly what Thomas did. When we must take a biblical stand that brings ridicule. When we must stand for Jesus, even though others will think that we're weird if we do. And that is the case. Courage says, regardless of how fearful I am, I will stand with and for my Savior. That kind of true devotion on the part of Thomas is the kind of courage that is displayed here. I think it's also the kind of courage that we find in the Old Testament story of the three friends of Daniel in Daniel chapter 3. Remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and the Bednego? Remember the story of how there was a decree made by Nebuchadnezzar that everybody would come at a certain time and he had built this huge image of himself made of gold. And when the music started and the pressure was on and the great crowd is bowing down, everybody is supposed to bow to that image. And there are three men who know that to bow that image would be to deny their faith in God and they will not do it. They even said to the king, our God is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace that you promised will be our punishment if we don't bow. Our God is able to deliver us whether or not he does, we don't know. It's up to him, his choice. Even if he doesn't, we will not bow. Now I'm sure there were butterflies in their stomach. I'm sure they looked around, saw everybody bowing and thought, oh my, this is tough. But they stayed resolute in spite of whatever fear they may have felt. They were courageous to stand for their God. Thomas had a genuine display of courage. Mark of a devoted disciple to Christ. But there is a second mark of a devoted disciple that Thomas displays. And it's in chapter 14. It's associated with one of the most well-known verses of the New Testament. The mark that Thomas displays here of a devoted disciple is that of a transparent thirst for knowledge. A transparent thirst for knowledge. Look at verse 5, chapter 14. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you're going. You know how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Now a transparent thirst for knowledge requires openness in our relationship with God. That's exactly what Thomas displays in verse 5. He has a refreshing, almost childlike openness of his heart and of his questions in his relationship with Christ. Again the context is important to understand what's happening here. Jesus is in the upper room with the disciples. Chapter 13, he's washed their feet. He's begun to explain to them that he must leave and go away. He's even told them that one of them will betray him and the disciples are confused. They do not understand what is happening. If you look back in chapter 13 at verse 36, Simon Peter asking, Lord, where are you going? Jesus replied, where I'm going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later. Peter asked, Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you. Then Jesus answered, will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth before the rooster grows. You will disown me three times. So Jesus is talking about leaving and they don't understand yet what he's talking about. So in chapter 14, he makes it a little clearer. He says, I'm going to go back to the Father and I'm going to prepare a place for you. And then I'm going to come back and get you at a certain time so that you can be with me. And he says in verse 4, you know the way to the place where I'm going. And I'm convinced, I don't know this obviously, but I'm kind of convinced that Jesus paused after verse 4. Just waited for it to sink in. And you know, I kind of expect, and please, there's a little sanctified imagination going on here, I understand. But I kind of think that these men were not unlike most of us. And probably most of the disciples in the room were nodding their heads. You ever done that when maybe you were in a classroom and the professor said something, or maybe you're in a class here at church, teacher says something, you have no clue what they're talking about. But you want them to know, you want them to think, you understand everything. Oh, you're right with them. Oh, how deep that is. Yes. I kind of expect some of that may have been going on with the disciples. And as Jesus is talking about, I'm going back to the Father's house. They're all sitting. Yeah. Yeah. And Thomas, however, will not let that go. Thomas will not sit there and think, or try to give the impression that he's right with everybody. And he doesn't want to appear to be foolish or a dummy. And so he's not going to ask anything. So Thomas will not let that go. He has a transparent thirst for knowledge. He will not let that statement stand and hang in the air when he doesn't fully understand it. And so he's going to ask the question. And so he's bold enough to ask the question, Lord, we don't know where you're going. So how can we know the way? Now, I like that. There's something about that that I wish I had more of. He's not trying to impress people with the idea that, oh, I understand fully. He is too open in his relationship with the Lord to pretend that he grasps something when he doesn't. So it doesn't matter whether he looks dumb. He's going to ask the question. He's going to find out. He's going to make sure. He's too earnest to try to impress anyone with some pious notion that he is with the program. He doesn't understand. He doesn't know. And if everybody else in the room knows, I don't know. So I'm going to ask the question. There's something refreshing and open about that. It's kind of like a child who's three years old. And all they do is ask why. You know why children who are three years old ask why? They don't care if they look dumb. They don't care if somebody thinks they're a dummy. It's when we get a little older and we have an image to protect that we don't want to be asking the question that we think everybody else in the room probably knows the answer too. Well, Thomas has a childlike openness in his relationship with the Lord that I think we would all do well to cultivate and ask God for. We desperately need this in our relationship with the Lord. We desperately need the kind of honesty that just pours out our fears, our doubts, our questions, our anxieties that looks at heaven and says, God, I don't understand. I don't understand what you're doing. Just like Thomas said, I don't know where you're going. How can we expect it another way? We don't know where you're going. There's something refreshing about not trying to cover ourselves before others, but being honest with God and saying, God, I have some honest questions. I'm going to get them out. I've got to ask them. You know, God does not mind questions. Read the book of Job. And you will see that God doesn't mind honest, sincere from the heart kind of questions, because Job asked a lot of them in that book. He had a lot of doubts about what was going on. So he asked a lot of questions of God. He didn't understand what was happening. And at many times in sheer anger blurted out his frustration with God. He said some very strong things. God never rebuked Job for that. You know who you're rebuked? The end of the book. He rebuked the friends who had all the right answers, but didn't really understand the question. He rebuked the friends who had easy answers who said, well, Job, you're suffering, you must have sinned. I mean, that's basically what their response boiled down to. Not ever really listening or asking the tough questions. God is not afraid when you ask him tough questions. He's not afraid of that. He can handle that. He's big enough to take that. What God really can't stand is when we spout out very simple spiritual sounding answers that really do not come out of any experience of a deep walk with God. That's what God doesn't want. So I think the Lord was glad to hear Thomas' question. And his response, and I'm glad Thomas asked the question because not only does a transparent thirst for knowledge require an openness in our relationship with God, it receives an answer from the Lord. And verse 6, is that wonderful answer? I'm glad Thomas was transparent enough to ask the question because he provoked one of the greatest statements in all the New Testament. Jesus' response was, well, Thomas. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes under the Father by me. And so he responded in a way that Thomas knew where he was going. He was going back to the Father. He's going back to heaven. But he also responds with that clear statement of the gospel that he is the only way to heaven and to the Father. You know, we learn much in our relationship with God by asking questions, by being honest with God, about our fears and anxieties and questions that we have. It was the verse in James chapter 4 where James says, what causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come for your desires at battle with you? And then he goes on to say, you have not, verse 2, you have not because you ask not. And then you ask and have not because you ask a mis, that it may be consumed on your lusts. But that statement, you have not because you ask not. You know, sometimes we don't receive enlightenment from the Lord, understanding from the Lord because we don't ask the questions. We're too smug and self-satisfied and we don't ask the questions. I wonder how much spiritual insight and blessing we miss out on because we don't have an open enough relationship with God to ask him some hard questions. When you ask God hard questions, you will find answers. You come to God with the right spirit, not hurling questions at him out of cynicism, but asking him from the heart, honest questions, then you'll receive an answer. God will answer you. Such a thirst and an openness in our relationship with God, I think, is a clear mark that we are devoted to Cyphe. Certainly was with Thomas. And then there's one other mark, and that is a proper handling of doubts. I think Thomas is often criticized for his doubt in John chapter 20 and not commended for the way he handled those doubts. So let's take another look at that. There is no doubt that Thomas had some doubts. That fact is sure. But you know, Thomas's doubts were no different than any of the other disciples. Really, when you think about it, no different than any of the other disciples. Before we look at the passage in John 20, look at these verses on the screen from Luke chapter 24, where the other disciples see Jesus the first time he appeared to them, the day of his resurrection. Jesus says, look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself. Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones. As you see, I have. When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it, because of joy and amazement, he asked them, do you have anything here to eat? And so as the passage goes on, they gave him some fish, and he demonstrated that he was real by eating something. But you see, even when the other disciples saw him for the first time, they didn't believe it was Jesus either. And Jesus had to offer them the same proofs that he would later have to offer Thomas. So if we're going to criticize Thomas as being doubtous, let's talk about doubting Peter and doubting John, doubting James and doubting Philip as well. None of the others believed it was Jesus either. So with that background and perspective, let's take a little different look. And by the way, all of us have doubts. Everyone in this room has doubts sometimes. I would say without a question, everyone in this room has a doubt at some time. Maybe for some of you, you're doubting your salvation. You question. You wonder if it's really real. It's really true at times. Or maybe for you, you doubt God's goodness at times. You may not ever express it. You may not say it to anyone else, but deep in your heart, you wonder how can a good God allow this to happen? Maybe your doubt is goodness. Maybe for you sometimes you doubt his wisdom. Does he really know what is right to do in my life? Does he really understand what's happening to me? Maybe for some of you, you doubt his word. You come across some passages in the word that just don't seem to fit your experience. And for a flicker of a moment, you doubt the word of God. Maybe for some of you, you doubt his leading and you question whether or not God really is interested in your future of what's happening to you. But I would say that somewhere along the line, every one of us in this room doubts something about God. So again, we're going to talk about doubting Thomas. Let's talk about doubting John, doubting Sue, doubting whoever, all of us express and have doubts at times. The important thing is that we know how to handle them. And I think the story of Thomas doubting the resurrection really is more a story about how to properly deal with doubt rather than just stopping it to the fact that he had doubts. So let's see how he dealt with it. Three things he did. First of all, he honestly admitted his doubt. So honestly admit your doubts. Verse 24 of John chapter 20. Now Thomas called Diedemus, one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord, but he said to them, 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 a lot of people have speculated why was Thomas not with the twelve the first night. Let's really use list to speculate that. We don't know why he wasn't with the twelve. So we can't be too critical of him. So let's see Thomas was in the depths of despair overall that had happened that weekend. You know Peter was absent for a couple of days as he went out and wept bitterly. Maybe Thomas was still trying to struggle with what had happened. So there's no need to judge his motives and character here based on what's said in verse 24. The important thing is he does finally join up with him and the other disciples tell him, we've seen the Lord and Thomas says, I won't believe it unless I can see the nail prints in his hand unless I can put my finger where the nails were, put my hand into his side. I'm not going to believe it unless I see and feel the evidence. It's a very strong statement of doubt, but at least he's honest with it. At least he honestly admits his doubt. The first step to recovery, the restoration, to certainty, to assurance when we have doubts is to honestly admit them. Not try to just hope they'll go away or sweep them under the rug, but honestly admit the doubts. As long as we cover them up, we will never be forced to deal with them. So Thomas honestly admitted his doubt and that's the first step to assurance and recovery from doubt. The second step is to persist in spite of doubt. I love verse 26. A week later his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Thomas was with them. I like that because even though he doubted he didn't give up. Even though he had some doubts, he didn't quit. He stuck with it. He was still with the disciples a week later even though he had doubts. After sometimes when we begin to struggle with questions and doubts, that's when we turn our back on the Lord or the church or God's people, that's the time when we need God's people the most. So follow the lead of Thomas when you're having doubts, don't shy away, don't stay away from the band of Christians, stick with it. That may be the very place where God answers your doubts. If Thomas hadn't been there the second Sunday night, I wonder if his doubt would have been not ever addressed. But he was still there. He was still with the disciples. By the way there's another side to that coin too. The flip side of that coin is the other disciples had not given up on Thomas either, even though he doubted. They went for a whole week. I'm sure every day trying to convince him of what they had seen and for a whole week Thomas said, I don't believe it. I don't believe it. I will not believe it. And they never gave up on him. They ever chased him away. What do we do with people who struggle and doubt? Do we drive them away? Do we shy away from them? Or do we embrace them and say, this is where you need to be? This is where you need to be. What do we do with people who deny or doubt even the existence of God or the veracity of his word or everything about the Christian faith? What do we do with people like that? Do we say, we don't want you around here? No. This is the place where we want folks like that to be because this is the place at some point God willing. He will meet them in their moment of doubt and reveal himself to them in a way which is unmistakable. So we want doubters and questioners here. Obviously, this is not a circle of the secret society of the informed and people who have it all down and who have all the questions answered and who have it all together. None of us has it all together. So we ought to welcome people who have doubts and not be afraid of that. Listen, I am as convinced as the fact that I'm standing before you right now breathing, living, human being. I am just as convinced that I'm alive that this is God's word and God is true and what He says is right. I have no fear of that. I don't have any fear of someone questioning that. I know it's right. And so we ought not to fear people who are shy away from people who may have honest questions and doubts. This is the place for something like that. And if what we have is really real, it shouldn't bother us. If people come with doubts, he persisted in spite of doubts and the disciples stuck with him in spite of his doubts. It just loved that statement in verse 26. Thomas was with them. It's a great statement. So he persisted in spite of doubts. But then thirdly, he accepted the Lord's rebuke for his doubts. Look at what happens at the end of verse 26. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you. Then He said to Thomas, put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and put it into my side, stop doubting and believe. I want you to see exactly what Jesus did. Jesus very carefully, tenderly rebukes him for his doubt, but in a way that demonstrates he understands. In fact, Jesus repeats every element of Thomas's doubt. Did you notice that? If you compare verse 25 with verse 27, in verse 25, Thomas had said, unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were. And notice what Jesus says. Thomas put your finger here, see my hands. Okay, he answers both of those aspects of Thomas's doubt. See my hands, touch them with your fingers. He knew exactly what Thomas had said the week before, even though he wasn't there. In verse 25, Thomas had said, and unless I put my finger where the nails were. Look at verse 27, put your finger here, see my hands. Touch where you said you wanted to touch right here. And then look again at what Thomas said in verse 25, and put my hand into his side. When Jesus sees him, he says, reach out your hand and put it into my side. And then Thomas had said in verse 25, I will not believe it. Jesus says in verse 27, stop doubting and believe. Everything Thomas had said, Jesus knew, and he presents evidence to answer every question. I think Thomas's response in verse 28 may be more geared to the fact that Jesus repeated everything Thomas had said than just the fact that he showed up. Because Thomas's response in verse 28, Thomas simply says to him, my Lord and my God. By the way, this is the clearest declaration coming from another's lips of Jesus' deity in the whole New Testament. In fact, it is the only time that someone else literally calls him God. I mean, this is an astounding declaration of Thomas. There's no indication that he actually did what Jesus invited him to, that he went over and touched his hands and put his finger in the hole in his side. No, once he saw Jesus and once Jesus had repeated to him every objection Thomas had raised, point by point, said, I'm willing to let you investigate. That was enough for Thomas. And Thomas just declares, my Lord and my God. Greatest declaration from another's lips of who Jesus Christ was in the New Testament. When we truly bring our doubts to God, he may gently rebuke us for questioning him, but he will always answer us. You see what Jesus says in verse 29, Jesus told him, because you have seen me, you have believed. You blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. You know, Jesus was pronouncing a blessing on each of us here tonight. We've not seen him. I haven't seen the nail prints. I haven't seen the scars. I haven't put my hand in his side, but I believe. Most of you in this room do too. Jesus pronounced a blessing on you, because you've not yet seen him, but you believe. It took evidence for Thomas, and for many people it does. That's okay. Jesus is willing to give that. But there's a special blessing for those who by faith trust the record of God's Word. Thomas knew what it meant to handle his doubts. He honestly admitted them. He persisted in spite of them, and he received the Lord's rebuke for them. Well, I think we ought to reevaluate Thomas to be quite honest. I think rather than calling him doubting Thomas, we ought to start calling him devoted Thomas. Really think that would be a better name. Because the record we have of him in Scripture shows intense devotion to God, even in the midst of doubts. He never quit. He was still devoted. He was still there. And while we're reevaluating Thomas, maybe we need to reevaluate ourselves as well. What about your life and what about mine? Am I the kind of devoted disciple that shows genuine courage in a time of crisis? Am I the kind of disciple that has a transparent thirst for knowledge? And I will ask the questions unassainably of the Lord, even though I might end up looking like a dummy. I will ask the questions because I want to know what the Lord has for me. Am I that kind of devoted disciple? And am I the kind of devoted disciple that even though at times I may doubt, honestly, honestly, handles those doubts in a way that will have them answered by the Lord. So let's reevaluate our own lives as well. Those are characteristics of devotion to Christ that Thomas showed we can show as well. Would you join me in prayer? Father, thank you for this man. A man who was flesh and blood just like we are. A man who at times doubted as all the disciples did. And yet a man who was really devoted to you, Lord, I pray that you would help us to be genuine in our display of courage, even when we fear to stand for you, that you protect us, take care of our reputations. Pray, Father, that we would have that genuine thirst of knowledge. It's not afraid to ask the questions, not afraid of how we'll look in front of others, but we'll open to express our anxieties and fears and questions to you and receive those wonderful answers that come from your word. And then Father, help us in times of doubt to honestly deal with those, knowing that you are sensitive to our hearts. You know our frame. You remember that we're but dust. You know our weaknesses. Help us to trust you in times when we doubt, to not give up in times when we doubt. Help us to be like Thomas. We ask in Jesus' name, amen.