By Dwight Moss
Columnist
In the gospel of John, we see that Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples (see Jn. 20:24). When they told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, Thomas could not accept Jesus being alive as a reality. After all Jesus had told them to be aware that others would come in his name saying that they were the Messiah. In Matthew 24:4,5, Jesus responded to the disciples about his returning. His words; “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name claiming, I am the Messiah, and will deceive many.” When Jesus was present in bodily form with the other disciples, he asked them; “Why are you troubled and why do doubts rise in your mind?” We could say doubting disciples.
Thomas wanted to be sure that if someone came claiming to be Jesus, that it truly was Jesus. Humanity has given Thomas the identity of doubting Thomas. The Apostle John did not put this title on Thomas. Neither did Jesus when he said, “stop doubting and believe.”
As we take a closer look at Thomas, we can see that he truly loves Jesus and that he is truly a warrior willing to die with Christ. As Jesus was explaining his identity with the Father, the Jews picked up stones to stone him to death (see Jn. 10:31), and they tried to seize Jesus when he said; “the Father is in me, and I in the Father’ (Jn. 10:39).
A friend of Jesus was deathly sick and Jesus had decided to go to him. This was in the vicinity of Judea. When Thomas saw that Jesus was going back to the place where the Jews tried to stone Jesus, he was the first to say let us go with him. The other disciples questioned Jesus’ decision as they tried to stop him (see Jn. 11:8,12,13). We can see the severity of the situation in the words of Thomas as written in John 11:16. “Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples. Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Thomas had enough faith in Jesus and his teachings that he was willing to die for Jesus.
It is apparent in the gospel of John that Jesus is soon to die. In John 12:27, we can see that Jesus is deeply troubled. So, when Thomas said “let us also go that we may die with him,” there was a good chance of conflict and death. I write these words in defense of Thomas. I believe that the term doubting Thomas is a disservice to his legacy. He is a warrior!
Jesus is not finished with his visit back to earth. Next, we find Jesus walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Several of the disciples are fishing a little off shore. They have fished all night and they have not caught a fish. I envision that a night out in the boat gave these men some relief from all that had happened. In an instant their world had been turned upside down. The only thing that they truly know is that life would never be the same. Sure, Jesus had returned, but now he was different and he would suddenly come into their presence, and then he just seemed to disappear. Next, God prepares breakfast.