So . . . almost done . . . approaching the end of this year’s reading plan . . . finishing off Job, the Minor Prophets, John’s Gospel, and Revelation . . . and a lot of good stuff to take in! This morning, it’s Thomas in John 20 who’s got me thinking . . . well, not so much Thomas as Jesus’ revelation to Thomas.

There is no question as to John’s purpose in writing his gospel . . .

” . . . but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:31 ESV)

Pretty clear . . . pretty simple. John’s objective? . . . the “mission statement”? . . . “That you may believe.”

If you’re counting, in the ESV you find some form of the word “believe”, at least once, in 85 verses. And I can’t help but be in awe of the lengths to which Jesus goes so that “you may believe.”

In this case, Thomas is told about the resurrection of Jesus and his response is, “I don’t believe it! Nope. Once bitten, twice shy. I’ve put too much of my life into Him already and what good did it do? Remember the cross? Not too glorious . . . not much victory there. Uh, uh! Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (20:25)

You can’t blame him . . . he and all the disciples had given up a lot and been through a lot . . . and life over the past few days wasn’t making a lot of sense. Kinda’ hard to keep on “believin’ the dream.” And, really, you wouldn’t blame Jesus if He said, “Fine . . . be like that! You’re not getting anymore than anybody else to go on . . . there’s a lot of people who, in the future, will have far less “eye evidence” than you have had to base their faith on. You’ve had your chances to believe.” But that’s not my Savior . . . that’s not His voice . . . that’s not His heart.

The Great Shepherd cares so much for the ones given to Him by the Father that He will love them to “the uttermost” and go “the extra mile” in order to fuel their faith. Isaiah says of Jesus . . . the prophesied Messiah . . . God’s holy Servant . . . “A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench” (Isa. 42:3). Thomas was hurting . . . confused . . . disillusioned . . . he was a broken reed . . . his candle was flickering and almost completely out. And Jesus, the risen Son of God, comes and stands before him and says, “Peace to you! . . . Draw near to Me . . . and believe.” (John 20:26)

My Lord doesn’t chastise him . . . doesn’t give him the old “what for!” No, instead He strengthens this crushed reed . . . He fans into flame the flickering candle. The resurrected Christ . . . Victor over the grave . . . comes into a closed off room and stands before a man of wavering faith and He says, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe” (20:27).

And I think of the lengths Jesus goes to so that we may believe. I recall how often Jesus has met me in my doubt . . . how, from time to time, He has seen my struggles and frustrations and unbelief . . . and instead of giving me a slap on the back of the head and saying, “Get with it” . . . He, in grace abounding, gently and tenderly reveals something of Himself to me and says, “Peace be with you! Come near. Touch Me. Let Me touch you. Believe.”

Oh what a premium He places on faith . . . how committed He is to His mission . . . “That you may believe”.

Then Thomas answered Him (and Pete does too) . . . “My Lord and my God!”