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As the saying goes ‘seeing is believing’. If I can see something with my own eyes, then I can believe what I see. One problem with this of course is can I really trust what I see? We now live in a world in which videos or photographs regularly appear that seem to be amazing and unbelievable, only for us to later realise that they are the products of A.I. and they really are unbelievable. For us the question of what we can believe has become even sharper. Seeing is no longer believing.

But what about for things that we can never see? What does it mean to believe in that case?

The Apostle John wrote his gospel so that we might believe something that we cannot see. John was a follower of Jesus. In fact, he was also probably Jesus’ closest friend. What a privilege for us that he wrote down his eyewitness testimony to Jesus in this gospel account. John tells us exactly why he wrote the book.  He wrote so we might “believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing have life in his name.” (John 20:31). The historical events of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were public events with many eyewitnesses, and so like any historical event we know what we know by assessing the testimony of those that were there. We listen to them. In a very real sense for Christians, it’s not ‘seeing is believing’ but ‘hearing is believing’.

The climax of this theme is in John 20 as Jesus talks with the apostle known to posterity as Doubting Thomas. That is a bit of an unfair description of Thomas as the whole point of the interaction is that he comes to belief. In fact, this is one of the definitive moments of belief in John’s gospel. We should probably call him ‘Formerly Doubting now Believing Thomas’, but that is a little less catchy.

We are in the days immediately after the resurrection, but Thomas had not been present with the other apostles when Jesus appeared to them. Thomas had simply heard their testimony, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But he was not willing to trust their testimony, he wanted to see it for himself – “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.”

A week passes by with Thomas remaining in his unbelief, but then Jesus once again appears to the disciples, and this time Thomas is present. Jesus knew Thomas’ doubting heart and so graciously invited him to do precisely what he wanted to do, not just see but touch his crucifixion wounds. Jesus commands him, “Stop doubting and believe”. And this is precisely what Thomas does as he falls to his knees in worship of Jesus as his Lord and God.

Thomas saw and believed, but the key insight for us is what Jesus says next. He turns to all the gathered disciples and tells them, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). Straight away John reminds us as his readers that this is precisely why he wrote his gospel. So that we might be those who did not see but nevertheless have heard and believed.

Some of us might long for a tangible and visible sign like Thomas had. Would that perhaps strengthen our belief? No doubt. But the promise for us is in the words of Jesus. We who have not seen but have trusted the written testimony of the apostles and eyewitnesses, we are even more blessed than Thomas. Do we believe that?

This Easter hear again Jesus’ encouragement – “Stop doubting and believe”. Not because you have seen but because you have heard.

Jesus knew Thomas’ doubting heart and so graciously invited him to do precisely what he wanted to do, not just see but touch his crucifixion wounds. Jesus commands him, “Stop doubting and believe”.