Seeing Is Believing

By Rev. Heidi L. Barham |  April 12, 2026

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Read John 20:19 – 31 (NIV)
 
Easter Sunday or Resurrection Day as it is known has come and gone once again… however, according to the Liturgical Calendar, we are still very much in the season of Easter and today it is the Gospel of John that calls for our attention. 
 
It is there that we find the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples… who, according to the Scriptures, were locked together behind closed doors… because they were worried and fearful about the Jews… after all, if they had just crucified Jesus… who knows what they might do to the disciples.
 
Now, as we look at this text, I need to pose a quick question.  If the grave could not hold Jesus down… what would make the disciples think that a locked door would not have been enough to keep Him out?
 
Who knows?  So, despite the disciples being locked away in hiding, it is really not all that surprising that Jesus was able to come and stand among them and greet them… saying, “Peace be with you!”
 
And after extending a greeting of words of peace that were meant to allay their fears… the text informs us that Jesus showed the disciples His hands and His side… as if to make sure they knew that it was Him. 
 
Then after having seen Jesus… as well as the evidence that it really was Him they were seeing… the text says that the disciples were overjoyed.
 
And it was in the midst of their rejoicing that Jesus repeated His greeting, “Peace be with you!” 
 
Only this time, He had something more to tell them. 
 
Jesus reminded the disciples that He had been sent by God… and, in turn, He was now going to be sending them.  At which point, Jesus breathed on them… telling them to receive the Holy Spirit as He revealed their mission… to preach the Good News about Jesus so people’s sins would be forgiven.
 
Now it’s not really clear why… but Thomas was not locked in the room with the other disciples when Jesus appeared.  So, they made a point of letting Thomas know what he had missed… telling him all about how they had seen the Lord.
 
But there is a little-known fact that most people may not know about Thomas… he was originally from Missouri, you know, the “Show Me” state. 
 
Which explains why Thomas told the disciples, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”  And who could really blame him?
 
After all, as they say, SEEING IS BELIEVING.
 
Now, the scriptures do not tell us where Thomas had been at the time Jesus first showed Himself to the disciples… and it is kind of pointless to speculate.  But what the scriptures do tell us is that a week later, Thomas was in the room where it happened… locked behind those same closed doors with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them again.
 
And just like before, without regard for a locked door… Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 
 
Now apparently Jesus… or maybe it was Alexa… was eavesdropping on Thomas and the disciples, because Jesus told Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
 
And, thanks to this declaration from Jesus, Thomas has been known ever since as “Doubting Thomas.” 
 
Now, to be honest, I think that Thomas gets a bad rap for simply wanting to see for himself what the others had been able to see first-hand… and in his defense, I feel compelled to add that Jesus showed the disciples His hands and His side before they had even asked for any kind of sign or proof that it was really Him. 
 
That’s probably because, having been with them for the past three years, Jesus knew His disciples.  Which means Jesus already knew that they were going to be skeptical as to whether or not it was really Him they were seeing. 
 
Keep in mind, these were the same folks who thought they were seeing a ghost when Jesus came walking toward them on the water during a storm. 
 
And so, before we come down too hard on Thomas and let the other disciples off the hook… perhaps we should take a look back to the beginning of this 20^th chapter in John’s Gospel. 
 
It is there that we read about Mary Magdalene going to the tomb, seeing that the stone had been rolled away and finding out that the tomb was empty. 
 
She went running to find Peter and John and told them that, they [whoever “they” were] had taken Jesus’ body out of the tomb… and that she, and the other women who were with her, did not know where they had taken Him. 
 
And that is when Peter and John went running to the tomb to see for themselves… they did not just take Mary at her word.  They went to the tomb to look with their own eyes… you know that old SEEING IS BELIEVING thing.
 
Now, the scriptures tell us that John looked in from outside the tomb, while Peter… impetuous as always… went right on in… seemingly without hesitation.  And that is when he saw the strips of linen lying there… with the burial cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head folded up lying next to the linen strips. 
 
Then John finally summoned up the courage to go inside the tomb himself… which is when, according to the scriptures, “He saw and believed.”
 
So, clearly Thomas was not the only one for whom SEEING IS BELIEVING. 
 
And if we were to take a look over at Luke’s Gospel, we would find this account (Luke 24:36 – 43):

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.  He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?  Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”   When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.  And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish,  and he took it and ate it in their presence.

“And while they still did not believe it…”  And y’all want to talk about Thomas?
 
And if we look over at Matthew 28 (18-20), we find what is known as the Great Commission, when Jesus explained to the disciples that all authority had been given to Him by God.  He said this just before He commissioned them to go out into the world to make more disciples. 
 
But, in the verses immediately before we get to the Great Commission (16-17), we read, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.”
 
Some… not just one… not just Thomas… the scriptures say some doubted…
 
But the question is, why did they doubt? 
 
The fact that they were on the mountain in the first place would suggest that they must have believed the message the women had given them after finding the empty tomb… that Jesus had said for the disciples to go to Galilee where they would see Him…
 
And if they believed the women when they said that Jesus wanted them to go to Galilee to see Him, why did they doubt when they actually did see Him?
 
I mean, we keep saying that SEEING IS BELIEVING?
 
Could it be that having doubts is just a part of who we are by nature?
 
And if the other disciples had their own moments of doubt regarding Jesus, why is Thomas the only one forever labeled as a doubter? 
 
After all, back in John 11 (16), when Jesus was getting ready to go back to see Lazarus at a time when going to Judea was a dangerous and potentially lethal proposition… it was the other disciples who tried to dissuade Him from going.  While  Thomas was the one who said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 
 
And over in John 14, Thomas was the only one willing to step out and ask the question that was likely going through everyone else’s mind after Jesus said they knew the way to the place where He was going… “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
 
Clearly, Thomas had figured something out that we would do well to understand… which is this… Jesus is big enough to handle all our questions AND our doubts. 
 
So, when we hear the name “Doubting Thomas” it should serve as a reminder that even those who walked with Jesus and talked with Jesus on a regular basis had doubts.  And we will, too.
 
You see, questions and doubts are nothing new to God.  They don’t catch the Lord off guard when they arise.  On the contrary, God honors our honesty and vulnerability when we are willing to say, “I’m not so sure, Lord…” or “I don’t understand Lord…”
 
Remember the story of Job? 
 
He pretty much lost everything – his possessions, his children and his health.  Job was a good man, a man that God Himself described as being “blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil’ (Job 1:8).  And yet, Job was also a man who suffered much and could not figure out why. 
 
Despite being a man whom God called “blameless and upright,” … despite being a man who refused to curse God and die… Job still had doubts and questions. 
 
In fact, in Job 23, we find Job saying things like, “If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!” (Job 23:3).  And, “If I go to the east, he is not there; if I got to the west, I do not find him” (Job 23:8). 
 
Seeming to doubt that God was anywhere around or that He could be found, Job went on to deliver a discourse that was several chapters in length.  And by the time we get to chapter 30 (20-25), we read:

I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer; I stand up, but you merely look at me. You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me.  You snatch me up and drive me before the wind; you toss me about in the storm.  I know you will bring me down to death, to the place appointed for all the living.  Surely no one lays a hand on a broken man when he cries for help in his distress.  Have I not wept for those in trouble?  Has not my soul grieved for the poor?

And in chapter 31 (35), we find what appears to be Job’s closing argument where he said, “Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.”
 
Then following a speech from Job’s friend, Elihu, we see that the Lord Almighty did indeed answer Job.  The Lord’s response to Job is recorded in chapters 38 – 41 and it leaves no doubt as to Who is in charge and Who holds all the answers. 
 
Having heard all that the Lord had to say to him, Job finally understood… and he responded from a place of humility saying, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.  Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
 
It could be said that even for a man who was as blameless and upright as Job… SEEING IS BELIEVING. 
 
Now, it is important for us to take note that despite Job’s questions and doubts about where God was in the midst of his suffering… God still honored Job.  In fact, in Job 42:12 we read, “The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.”  And that really is good news for us today.  Job’s questions and doubts did not cancel out God’s blessings.  And I dare say, neither will ours.
 
But Job wasn’t the only one with questions and doubts.  Remember King David? 
 
Unlike Job, David was not exactly someone who would be considered as blameless and upright.  He was an adulterer who arranged for his mistress’ husband to be killed in battle (2 Samuel 11).  He ordered a census to be taken that was not in accordance with God’s plan (1 Chronicles 21).  And he was prevented from building the temple of the Lord because he had too much blood on his hands (1 Kings 5:3).
 
And yet, even with all of that… David was a man who seemed to have no qualms about questioning God. 
 
Throughout many of the Psalms which David wrote, we can read things like, “My soul is in deep anguish.  How long, Lord, how long?” (Psalm 6:3).  Or “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?  How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” (Psalm 13:1-2).
 
Despite knowing just flawed and sinful he was… David had the audacity to question God.  But beyond that, David had the nerve to ask for the Lord for favor.  Just look at Psalm 51. 
 
After acknowledging his sins, his transgressions and his iniquities… David asked God to give him a clean heart, a pure heart, and to renew a steadfast or right spirit within him (v. 10).  And the best part is that God honored David’s prayer.
 
David’s questions did not cause him to forfeit God’s blessings. And his sins did not cause him to lose favor with God.  In fact, the scriptures declare that David was a man after God’s own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).
 
Now, while there are many instances throughout the scriptures that seem to support this idea that SEEING IS BELIEVING… it is in Psalm 27 that David helps us to see the flip side of that… which is BELIEVING IS SEEING. 
 
As David writes in Psalm 27:13, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”  He believed that he would see...
 
This reminds me of the story about the man who was born blind found in John 9 (1-7).  The disciples questioned whether it was the man’s own sins or the sins of his parents that had caused him to be born blind. 
 
Jesus told them it was neither.  The man’s blindness was not a matter of cause and effect… rather it was an opportunity for the disciples to witness God’s hand at work.
 
So, Jesus made a mixture of mud and saliva and put it on the man’s eyes and told the man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.  And apparently, trusting that Jesus knew what He was talking about, the man went into the water blind… and by believing… the man came out seeing.
 
And so, what does this mean for us today?  What can we take away from any of this… the stories of Thomas and Job, of David and a blind man?
 
Well, simply put, we are living in a time that is filled with uncertainty, chaos and confusion… and if we are being honest with ourselves, there are times when we have more than our fair share of questions and doubts. 
 
There are times when we will need to be like Thomas… not simply taking someone else’s word about Jesus, but seeing for ourselves.  Because at the end of the day, we cannot depend on somebody else’s faith for our salvation… we must have faith in the Lord for ourselves.
 
However, there may be times when we are feeling more like Job… trying to understand where God is in the midst of our trials and tribulations… questioning why we are going through so much suffering.  Then prayerfully, like Job, we will see God’s hand at work and believe that we will come out even better on the other side of the storm.
 
Then there may be times when we find ourselves channeling our inner David… wondering how long we will feel like God has forgotten about us… understanding that although we are the ones responsible for making the poor choices that have gotten us off track… we are still believing in the hope and promise of seeing God’s goodness and mercy.
 
And then there will be times when we will find ourselves like the man who was blind from birth.  After hearing Jesus’ directions for where to go and what to do… we will have to step out in blind faith… trusting that there is a blessing waiting for us just ahead.
 
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been credited with saying, “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”  And it was the Apostle Paul who, taking his cue from Jesus, wrote in his letter to the Corinthian Church, “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
 
For Thomas as well as for some of us, SEEING IS BELIEVING.  But we need to remember what Jesus told Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
 
We are those who have not seen and yet are called to believe.  Because we have the Word of God, we have access to everything we need to know about Jesus so that even without seeing, we can still believe. 
 
As the closing verses in our text tell us:

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

And once we believe and receive life in His name, we are called to go and spread the Good News about Jesus and encourage others to do just as Jesus told Thomas, “Stop doubting and believe.” 
 
And the joy is that when we believe, we have the promise that we will not only see the Lord for ourselves one day, we will get to spend eternity with Him.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
 
And that is truly an amazing gift that has been given to us… the promise of eternity that comes with the Blessed Assurance that it will be ours to see if we will only believe…
 
And it is with that thought in mind that I want to invite us to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: Blessed Assurance #543
 
Amen.

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