First Sunday after Easter – Monday

Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. – John 20:29.

But Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  O Thomas!  The other disciples therefore said to him: “We have seen the Lord.”  But he said to them: “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.”  O Thomas!  And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas was with them.  Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said: “Peace be unto you!”  O Thomas!  Then saith He to Thomas: “Reach hither thy finger and behold My hands, and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into My side, and be not faithless, but believing.”  And Thomas answered and said to Him: “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus saith unto him: “Thomas, because thou hast seen Me thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:24-29).

So mercifully did the Savior deal with Thomas, and bring him back to faith.  He also permitted Thomas to see Him, for Thomas was an apostle, and was to be a witness of Christ’s resurrection, an eyewitness.  What about us?  Do we also need to see before we believe?  We are to believe the Word of the apostles, the eye-witnesses; we are to believe the Scriptures, both of the Old and the New Testaments, of the Old Testament, where the resurrection of Christ is foretold, and of the New Testament, where the resurrection of Christ is attested; we are to believe the Holy Spirit, who has given us the Scriptures, the Old and the New Testaments, by inspiration, and who is active in those Scriptures, and mightily and convincingly witnesses that those Scriptures are the truth.  They especially give us “the knowledge of the truth, [that] there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (I Timothy 2:4-6).

PRAYER – Deal mercifully with me, Lord Jesus, and do not altogether quench the smoking flax of my faith, but fan it into a flame by the Holy Spirit, working through Thy Word.  I call upon Thee, Lord Jesus; hear me!  I trust in Thee, firmly believing that, through Thy precious Word, Thou wilt preserve my faith until I shall come to be with Thee in heaven.  Amen.

By grace this ground of faith is certain, so long as God is true it stands.

What saints have penned by inspiration, what in His Word our God commands;

what our whole faith must rest upon, is grace alone, grace in His Son.

—

By grace to timid hearts that tremble, in tribulation’s furnace tried;

by grace, despite all fear and trouble, the Father’s heart is open wide;

where could I help and strength secure, if grace were not my anchor sure.

(Hymn 373, st. 5-6; TLH)