Prove It – April 18, 2023

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
John 20:27,28

Prove It

You have to see it to believe it! Animals with two heads, products that range from the novel to the absurd, amazing abilities and little-known scientific facts. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not has over three dozen museums and attractions where you can find all kinds of oddities that are strange, but true (or so they claim).

Of course, just because something is in a museum or on the internet does not mean it is true. In this digital age, so-called evidence can be easily altered to “prove” events that never happened or the existence of things that never actually existed. It can be wise to be skeptical.

Jesus’ disciple, Thomas, wasn’t going to get sucked into the hysteria. He wasn’t going to put his life on the line for something that seemed so unlikely. He had to see it to believe it. It wasn’t enough that his close friends said they had seen Jesus with their own eyes, and others claimed to have touched and walked with him. He wanted to see and touch the wounds in Jesus’ hands and side for himself.

And then it happened. One week after Jesus rose from the dead, Thomas was there when Jesus appeared to his disciples. Jesus was alive, standing there in the flesh right in front of him.

Perhaps Thomas thought about how slow he had been to swallow his pride and believe the truth! But Jesus showed the scars in his hands and in his side to assure Thomas that he paid the price for his pride, doubt, and all of his sins. A living Jesus was proof that Jesus defeated the devil and overcame death. Seeing his living Savior, Thomas joyfully confessed, “My Lord and my God!”

Do you have doubts about God’s love? Are you worried that God couldn’t forgive you? The risen Jesus proves that God loved you enough to give his life for you. Proof that death is conquered, and life is yours. Believe it!

Prayer:
Jesus, forgive my fears and doubts. Help me confess with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!” Amen.