John 20:25-31
‘Thomas…was not with them, when Jesus came. The other disciples…said to him: “We have seen the Lord!” But he said…: “Unless I see in His hands the nailprints…, I will not believe!”… After eight days…came Jesus…, and said to Thomas: “Stretch out your finger here, and behold My hands!”… Thomas answered…Him: “My Lord and my God!”… These (things) are written that you might believe that Jesus is…the Son of God…; that you might have life!’ John 20:24-31.
Calvin comments: “Thomas…was not merely slow and reluctant to believe. He was downright obstinate!… Christ again allows them (His disciples) to see and to feel Him as before. This a new help — testifying…Christ’s resurrection was given not only to Thomas, but to us!…
“‘Stretch out your finger here!’… Christ…readily yields to the wrong request of Thomas, and of His Own accord invites him to feel His hands…. We learn how earnestly thoughtful He was, for our faith…. For it was not of Thomas only, but of us too that He was thinking — so that there might be nothing lacking to confirm our faith!
“Thomas…was not content with the mere sight of Christ, but wanted to have His hands also as witnesses of Christ’s resurrection…. He did not come to his senses, before he was convinced by touching… Thomas wakes up, and…exclaims in wonder: ‘My Lord and my God!’… Such…shows that faith was not entirely extinguished in him — though it had been smothered….. Thomas
confesses that Christ is his Lord, and then he goes higher and calls Him also God…. When Thomas had acknowledged Him to be the Lord, he was…carried on to His eternal divinity — and justly….
“We cannot know Christ aright as our Lord, without the knowledge of His divinity immediately following…. This confession should be common to all believers, when we see that Christ approved it. He certainly would never have allowed honour to be taken from the Father and thoughtlessly transferred to Himself. But He plainly ratifies, what Thomas said….
“‘Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed!’ Here Christ commends faith, on the ground that it acquiesces to the simple Word — and does not depend at all on the senses and reason of the flesh…. ‘These (things) are written, so that you may believe!’ He (John) means…he committed to writing what should satisfy us…. No other use is here given to miracles, than to be aids…of faith. They serve to prepare men’s minds, so that they may give greater reverence to the Word…. Faith does not stick at miracles, but carries us straight to the Word!”
Calvin also said in his Institutes I:13:11 & III:2:6: “Thomas, by addressing Him as his Lord and God, certainly professes that He was the only God whom he had ever adored…. John points to this same fountain of faith in the following words: ‘These are written, so that you might believe!'”
Believers have everlasting life – because written, through the name of Jesus! Do you?
