Men As Christ
Where Iron Sharpens Iron / Proverbs 27:17
Unless We See
John 20:19-31:
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.
Blog:
How often have we said that we’d believe a story shared with us only if we had seen it with our own two eyes? It’s so much easier to believe something if we’ve seen it for ourselves – if we were first-hand witnesses to it. While we are designed in the image of God, we are not God and cannot be everywhere at once. We can’t be eyewitnesses to everything – nobody can. That’s why judges and juries in a public courtroom in this world require witnesses to be brought before them to share what they’ve seen, what they know, and/or what their opinion is. After Jesus’ Resurrection, not everyone got to see Him first-hand – but thank God, there were a lot of eyewitnesses – including the Apostles. If we ever find ourselves “not” Believing in Jesus, God, Heaven, etc. in a moment of normal doubt, we simply need to Pray and seek Him and directly and/or indirectly, God will reveal Himself to us – He Promises to. St. Thomas is a great reminder to us that even one of Jesus’ closest, earthly Friends had doubts – and we will, too. So, like St. Thomas, let’s do our best to seek and find our way Home to the Truth only found in Jesus Christ – the Resurrected King of Eternity.
Men As Christ 
Love this. If we would have had to see it, we certainly would be in a pickle. Since JESUS died for our sins over 2000 years ago.
Praise the LORD, we believe without seeing. Praise HIS Name.
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