The Apostle Who Went Further
Than Them All
by Ian Johnson
(Identity Network)
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Thomas the Apostle is one of my gospel heroes. He thrust his arm into eternity when he was asked to do so by Jesus, "put your hand in my side." I had one of the biggest encounters of my life when I came into contact with Thomas, at the entry point of the gospel in India.
It was here I experienced apostolic fire and gospel power unlike anything else I had ever seen. This was in 2005, having just returned from 6 weeks in India and seeing firsthand the impact that Thomas had and is still having on that land I wanted to find out who Thomas was from a biblical point of view and discover some of his motivations. What drove this man so far from Jerusalem?
It seems fairly clear from historical evidence that Thomas was in India from 58AD until he was martyred in 72AD. The Church in Southern India was founded by Him, and He was buried in modern day Chennai at the Church of St Thomas on Marina beach.
So what was it that drove Thomas to leave all He knew and travel a vast distance and even die for the cause? He is often labeled doubting Thomas, but the evidence in India would suggest He doesn't deserve this label.
I had the privilege to go to 5 of the seven churches he established in Kerala, I claimed the mount where he received his instructions to go to the other side of India, I visited his final resting place and I went up a little mount in Chennai to the place where he was murdered for the cause of Christ. It is a very high hill where he used to go and pray, He also lived in a cave nearby. From a strategic point of view there would be no better position to pray from, as you can see the entire region.
So what was the deal with the Apostle Thomas? I've gleaned as much as I can from the 3 times He is mentioned as speaking in scripture.
Was He Thomas the Doubter or Thomas the Doer?
It seems to me He wasn't a doubter but he was; willing to risk his life. Willing to ask the hard questions and willing to accept the truth
1. Thomas was Willing to Risk His Life (John 11:1-16)
The first time that we see the nature of Thomas mentioned is found in the passage about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead -
John 11:1-16 - A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, the one you love is very sick." But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this."
Although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days and did not go to them. Finally after two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go to Judea again." But his disciples objected. "Teacher," they said, "only a few days ago the Jewish leaders in Judea were trying to kill you. Are you going there again?"
Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. As long as it is light, people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. Only at night is there danger of stumbling because there is no light." Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up."
The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, that means he is getting better!" They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was having a good night's rest, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. Then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I am glad I wasn't there, because this will give you another opportunity to believe in me. Come, let's go see him." Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too - and die with Jesus."
The disciples have a good point here. They tell Jesus that isn't such a great idea going to Jerusalem, You know there are people out there who are trying to kill you. Jesus insists that they still go.
Verses 11 and 12 are a bit humorous if you ask me. Jesus trying to be kind says that Lazarus is sleeping and the disciples respond with don't wake him up. Then Jesus has to say, ok he is not sleeping he is dead. Verse 16 is what we're going to key in on.
Thomas said, "Let's go too - and die with Jesus." Thomas, the one who we always refer to as doubting Thomas, makes the bold statement "I am willing to follow with you, Jesus, even if it means death." Thomas was willing to put it all on the line. In his mind there was a strong chance that he would be killed if he went to Judea.
Thomas was willing to risk death to follow Jesus. Do you have the same boldness to follow Jesus?
In India I was challenged with similar feelings - my ministry companion did not want to go into an area controlled by the communist Laxelights who had been kidnapping and killing people for their cause. Yes it was dangerous. Yes we could have been caught and killed. But I was confronted with this one thing...Will I obey Christ even if it means death or will I play it safe? We went in and we were protected.
The fruit was an amazing outpouring of power and grace and many where saved, delivered, healed and set free. Thomas confronts us with this question - Are we willing to obey even unto death? He did...and we should to.
2. Thomas was willing to ask the questions that we all were wondering about, but too afraid to ask.
John 14:1-6 "Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.
And you know where I am going and how to get there." "No, we don't know, Lord," Thomas said. "We haven't any idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."
Jesus just gets done giving the disciples some comfort. Let us be honest, if this was the first time you heard about all this you would be confused too. I can see the disciples sitting around and shaking their heads and pretending they understand what Jesus was talking about. I get that look from time and time when I am preaching, I say I don't think you understand what I am saying but people smile and nod anyways.
Thomas raises his hand and says Lord I don't get it. I am confused. Help me understand, what a bold question.
Notice Jesus did not rebuke Thomas, Jesus did not make fun of him for his honest question Jesus used a different way and expanded on some things to answer the questions that Thomas and the rest of the disciples had in their mind. I am sure they were saying thank you Thomas for asking that question
What can We Learn from this?
You know one of the biggest misconceptions that we have been taught is, that questions are wrong. Honest questions are not sin. To want a better understanding of a situation is not a sin. There are some things that we do not understand at first. So be willing to ask the questions, be willing to examine things, figure out what exactly is going on.
What are you trying to tell me Lord?
When I was in Goa India, I felt I was somehow missing the mark as far as reaching people for Jesus. I had witnessed to people on a one on one basis but had been unable to break through, I said "Lord I don't understand who you sent me here to speak to."
He just said, "Take the bus to Bangalore." When it was time to leave we booked a bus trip to end all bus trips...13 hours on a bus with no suspension, The answer to whom we had been sent to became clear. Both my companion and myself where given seats next to people whom God had hand-picked for us to speak to.
The result was fruit! Imagine if I had not questioned the Lord about the wisdom of the trip, and him saying there is someone you must speak to. I could have taken matters into my own hands it would have been easy to cancel the bus and take the train or even fly, but the Lord wanted me on that bus.
Thomas was willing to ask the hard questions of Jesus and we need to be able to do the same.
3. Thomas was willing to accept the truth (John 20:24-29).
I am sure that you all remember the famous story of doubting Thomas, that we read in the beginning of this passage.
Thomas gets a bad rap here; we have to understand what had been leading up to this point.
First thing that the disciples know is; Mary came and said "Jesus appeared to her." None of the disciples believed her; if they had they would have not been in the room gathered together hiding in fear.
Now when they were together and Jesus appeared to them, Thomas was not there. Where was Thomas? The Bible does not say. Thomas did not want to blindly accept what his fellow disciples said. He wanted to make sure that everything was correct. So the Lord showed up again and showed him
Thomas makes one of the most overlooked Messianic statements in the Bible - "My Lord and my God."
This statement is amazing. For a Jew to make that statement is incredible. To call a human associate "My Lord and My God" could be considered blasphemy and punishable by death, He saw something in the side of Jesus that turned him around.
Thomas was Willing - What can We Gain from this Story?
First of all understand that doubt is not sin It is not sin to doubt. If it were Jesus would have said why you are sinning against me, he did not say that. We all wrestle with doubt from time to time.
Notice something here, Thomas never doubted Jesus, he doubted his fellow disciples, Once Jesus showed him, Thomas believed, then declared his belief, in the most powerful messianic statement in the NT.
Unbelief and doubt are not the same Unbelief is deliberate denial, disobedience, rebellion, resistance, and is always condemned. Doubt is the sincere question, but unbelief is an unwillingness to hear the answer.
To doubt the resurrection would not be that uncommon, dead people had rarely got up and become alive again. Thomas had just lost his friend Jesus (so he thought) with dashed hope; it is hard to make faith fit in with the painful realities of life; this occurs when: a loved one dies, our children are in trouble, we lose our job - just life really. What is funny is we often doubt that miracles can happen at times like this, but our desire for them is even stronger.
The writer of the Psalms sometimes expresses much anger and sings about doubts and disappointments. However, they always seem to realize in the end that God is God, God cares for them, and God listens to them.
In Kakanada I was faced with a woman who was totally insane. She had been a university graduate who had been indwelt by demonic forces to the point where she was going about saying she was an angel of light and talking with the voice of a man, trying to kill them with a machete. I have to admit when I was confronted with her issues, I doubted for a moment that there was hope!
But then the Lord came through. As I prayed the demons threw the woman to the ground. I commanded them in the name of Jesus to come out, and one by one they came out, the last going with terrible scream. At which point the woman returned to her right mind. She was set free and restored to her family. I saw her again the next day and the transformation was amazing.
Imagine if I had of succumbed to doubt. But I was able to look to Jesus for the answers just as Thomas did. This is all Jesus wants from us, to look to Him.
I hope I have made a good case to stop calling Thomas, "Doubting Thomas." Thomas was not so much doubting Thomas as he was "willing Thomas."
He was willing to risk his life and follow Jesus. In the end He gave his life for Jesus, further away from Jerusalem than any of the others.
He was willing to ask some really hard questions. Those questions caused him to trust so much He went to the other side of the world for Jesus.
He was willing to accept the truth. In the end He was so committed to the truth that he planted many churches in Kerala & Tamil Nadu in India, and established an apostolic stronghold there still operating today.
So be like Thomas. Ask the hard questions of Jesus. Be willing to follow Jesus even unto death. Be willing to accept the truth when confronted with it. Thomas is my apostolic hero, a giant among the Sons of Christ.
Ian Johnson
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