In the beginning of John’s Gospel John says no one has seen God, but the unique Son has unveiled him and shown the world who he is (1:18). The literary fulfillment of this powerful passage in John’s prologue is not unveiled until the end of John’s Gospel–John 20:28. While the great confession of the synoptics is Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah, in John’s Gospel the great confession is that of Thomas: “My lord and my God” (Jn 20:28).
While we focus on Thomas’ doubt upon hearing reports of Jesus’ resurrection, he is the hero of John’s gospel. Thomas recognized Jesus as the Word “in the beginning.“ He properly saw Jesus for who He was: God manifest in human existence. It was Thomas who recognizes the unveiled God, and yet all we seem to recognize is Thomas’ initial doubt. Poor Thomas. He got a bad rap.
January 17, 2007 at 1:35 pm
I have never saw Thomas as anyone other than a man who was hurt and bitterly disapointed when Jesus was crucified. Scriptures teach us that the LORD is drawn to the broken hearted and I believe that Thomas’ statement of doubt was born of a misunderstanding and the brokeness that resulted from that.This is what Jesus responded to.
It is a beautiful example (to me) of how much Jesus cares for the individual person. I do not believe He appeared to prove Thomas wrong because of his expression of doubt. He came to reveal Himself to Thomas in such a beautiful way as to heal his broken heart and truly reveal Himself.
Lu 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Thomas received a beautiful revelation!
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