Moving from Doubt to Belief

Good morning everyone. On Easter, i told you that we would begin to look beyond Easter to the events after Jesus resurrection leading to Pentecost.

Easter is a day of victory and we can boldly proclaim, He is Risen. Easter is exciting. It’s exciting when we first give our lives to the Lord.

For the disciples. Easter didn’t immediately erase their fear, uncertainty, or questions. They had seen the empty grave, but they still struggled to understand what it all meant. One of them, Thomas, wasn’t there when Jesus appeared to the other disciples. When they said, We have seen the Lord! Thomas refused to believe. He needed proof.

Thomas reaction is often criticized, but if we will be honest, haven’t we all wrestled with doubt? Haven’t we all faced moments where faith is difficult. Of course we have.

Today as we begin the journey towards Pentecost Sunday, we will look at the encounter in John 20:19-31 where Jesus appears to his disciples and in his grace, meets Thomas in his doubts.

As we look at this passage today, we will find that doubt is not the end of faith; it’s often the beginning of a deeper faith in Jesus… a faith that has been tested.

John 20:19–31 NLT

19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! 21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” 24 One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. 25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” 26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” 28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. 29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” 30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

I want us to look at …

1. The Fear of the Disciples

John 20:19 NLT

19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.

The disciples were afraid and were basically hiding. Now, as many of us can attest to, fear cab be paralyzing. It can keep us locked away, isolated, uncertain, and hesitant to move forward.

That’s exactly where the disciples were emotionally. Just days earlier they had witnessed the crucifixition of Jesus. It shattered their world. Now, they’re gathered in a locked room, afraid that they too might be arrested or even killed. Grief, doubt and uncertainty filled this room.

Then without warning, in the middle of their fear and doubt, Jesus comes to them. he just appears in the middle of them and speaks some words they desperately needed to hear.

Peace be with you.

Imagine the flood of emotions… shock… joy… and maybe some guilt for having run off and abandoning him in the Garden. But instead of rebuking them for that, Jesus offers them assurance. He shows them His hands and side as proof of His resurrection, confirming that he is indeed alive.

But Jesus does more than calm their fears. He gives them an ongoing purpose. He calls them to move beyond fear… to get unstuck.

Look what Jesus says in John 20:21

John 20:21 NLT

21 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

Don’t miss this. Jesus is shifting their focus from fear to mission. Then he breathes on them and says,

John 20:22 NLT

22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

This is not Pentecost, but it is a precursor for Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4 when the Holy Spirit will empower them fully for the mission ahead. It also echoes Genesis 2:7 where God breathes life into Adam symbolizing a new life for the disciples in Christ.

Develop and talk about when God moved me into ministry… getting me unstuck from the fear of making that move. How God got me unstuck

Jesus presence transforms fear into faith. This same promise is here for us today. When we are locked in fear, Jesus comes to us. He offers peace, renews our purpose ands empowers us through the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

No matter what kinds of uncertainties we may face, we can trust that Jesus meets us where we are, speaks peace into our hearts, and call us to move foreward in faith. As awesome as this is… as awesome as this reality is, too many of us still wrestle with doubt and uncertainty.

2. Thomas’ Doubt and Honest Struggle.

Faith is not always easy. Even when we know the truth, there are moments when doubt creeps in… especially when we feel like we’ve missed out on an encounter with God. That’s exactly where we find Thomas.

In our passage, we find that Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus first appeared to them. We don’t know where he was, we just know he wasn’t there when Jesus decided to pop in. We do know that when the others all told him the news… We have seen the Lord … he refuses to believe them without seeing for himself. And his response was a strong one. Look at John 20:25

John 20:25 NLT

25 They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Now Thomas for centuries has been labelled as Doubting Thomas but that’s not fair. What if he is not rejecting faith, but wrestling with faith. He was honest about his struggle, just as many of us are when we face suffering and unanswered prayers… or seasons of uncertainty. thomas goes on to be a bold disciple and is martyred for it.

with all that said, look at this… Thomas does not walk away from the other disciples. He does not allow his doubt to move him into isolation. He stays. This is an important lesson.

Faith struggles best in community.

When we wrestle with doubt, one of the worst things that anyone can do is to withdraw and isolate from other believers. Scripture reminds us in Heb 10:23-25

Hebrews 10:23–25 NLT

23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Even in his doubt, Thomas stayed connected. And because he remained with the other disciples, he was in the right place at the right time when appeared to them again. I think his story reminds us that

God is not afraid of our questions.

When we bring our doubts to Him instead of running away, we out ourselves in the position to encounter His truth in powerful ways.

3. Jesus meets Thomas where he is

God is not distant from our doubts - He meets us in them.

One week after Thomas had expressed his struggle to believe that jesus was alive, the disciple were gathered again, and this time Thomas was with them. John 20:26

John 20:26 NLT

26 Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said.

Here we see Jesus speak words of comfort when he said Peace be with you. He spoke the same words as before so that Thomas could here them.

But this time, his message was specifically for Thomas. Jesus turns to Thomas and invites him to do exactly what he demanded 8 days before.

John 20:27 NLT

27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”

Notice what Jesus doesn not do. He doesn rebuke Thomas for his doubt. He doesn’t shame him for asking questions. Instead, he meets Thomas where he is and offers him the very proof Thomas had demanded.

This moment is a powerful reminder that

God is not afraid of our honest struggles.

The bible says in Isa 42:3

Isaiah 42:3 NLT

3 He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.

Jesus is compassionate toward people who wrestle with their faith. He doesn’t demand blind belief. He reveals himself to all who seek him.

Thomas Declaration of Faith

Upon encountering Jesus, Thomas doesn’t hesitate. He moves from doubt to declaration… John 20:28

John 20:28 NLT

28 “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.

This statement is HUGE! Its the clearest recognition Jesus divinity from one of his own disciples. Thomas no longer sees Jesus his teacher… Now he sees him as God himself.

This story teaches us that honest doubt can lead to deeper faith. Some of the greatest believers in Scripture wrestled with uncertainty—Abraham, Moses, Job, and others.

But God doesn’t lower the boom on them, He met each one in their struggle and strengthened their faith.

Look at how God dealt with Abram (Abraham).

Genesis 15:1–6 NLT

1 Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” 2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. 3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” 4 Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” 6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Abram was both afraid and had doubts. First the Lord addressed his fear when he told him, don’t be afraid, I will protect you.

Then he promised him so many heirs that he could not ever count them.

God met Abram right where he was, and then it says, “Abram believed the Lord and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. Abram had already been demonstrating his faith through his actions, but it was His belief, not his actions that made Him right with God.

Look at how God dealt with Moses. God had called Moses to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Exodus 4:1 NLT

1 But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”

He was afraid that the people would not believe that God sent him. We often build up events in our minds and then panic over what might go wrong. God does not ask us to go where he has not provided the means to help. Go where he leads, trusting him to supply courage, confidence, and resources at the right moment

So God gave him something to show them that He really did appear to Moses.

Exodus 4:10–12 NLT

10 But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” 11 Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”

Moses was had a fear that many of us have… speaking in public. He was afraid he would say the wrong things and embarrass himself and even God.

God saw it differently. Who better to help you say the right things that God who gives us the ability and the words to say? So God helped Moses. And He will help you as well.

If God is asking you or I to do something, he will give us the help we need to get the job done. He will help our weak areas and give us the ability where needed. We just have to be willing to allow God.

Take a look at how he dealt with Job.

Job 42:1–6 NLT

1 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”

Job’s friends had been trying to get him to admit to some secret sin. Here we see Job repenting to God, but not for the secret sins his friends thought he should. He repented for questioning God’s sovereignty and justice. Job repented of his attitude and acknowledged God’s great power and his justice.

We don’t sin if we struggle. We do sin if we angrily ask, If God is in control, how could he let this happen? We are locked into time and cannot see the bigger picture, so we have to learn to trust the Lord because he holds the future.

Even the one Jesus called the greatest person ever born, John the Baptist doubted.

Matthew 11:2–6 NLT

2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, 3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” 4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.”

John had already baptized Jesus and was now in prison about to be executed, but he had doubts. Jesus didn’t say, Oh man… He told john’s disciples to go back and tell him what they saw. He gave John evidence of who he was.

As we move past Easter and go towards Pentecost, we need to learn to

Trust the Process with God.

Conclusion

I want to point out that though Thomas demanded proof of who Jesus was, but he got much more than that. He had an encounter with the risen Jesus.

And in that moment, his doubt turned to devotion, his uncertainty to belief. And in return, jesus spoke a blessing that reached far beyond that room, extending to every Believer who came after the disciples.

John 20:29 NLT

29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”

That blessing is for us. We didn’t stand in that room and touch His scars, but still we believe. We have trusted in the testimony of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul says that we walk by faith and not by sight. And Jesus assures us that our faith is not in vain. He is always near to us, even when we struggle to see him.

So what do we do when we wrestle with uncertainty?

We need to stay connected to the church

Thomas stayed with the disciples, even in his doubt. He didn’t isolate himself. In the same way, we need to stay connected to people of faith and not isolate ourselves.

The church is a place to ask questions, to grow, to find strength in community.

We need to be honest with God about our struggles

Like Thomas, we need to be honest with God and bring our doubts to Him, knowing He welcomes our struggles and responds with grace not judgement.

Now, we may not see Jesus in the flesh, but we have seen him at work in our lives and in those around us.

Faith is not about having every answer, but it’s about trusting the One who does have the answers.

If you are struggling with doubt this morning, I want you tell you this… Jesus is not disappointed in you. He loves you and he is patient. He invites you come close and to see the evidence of His love for you. He invites you to believe.

And for those who already believe, let this passage remind you of the blessing that comes from trusting in the risen Christ—even when we cannot see Him.

Prayer