D. Scott Meadows
Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
John 20:29
It has long been said that “seeing is believing,” which means that only physical or concrete evidence is convincing. The axiom probably arises from this story of Thomas seeing the risen Lord Jesus Christ. The curious thing is that this story disproves the axiom. Hearing is believing when God is the speaker and the hearer is not prejudiced against Him.
Jesus’ saying on this occasion is full of profound truth—especially the second line. His theme is the soul’s act of believing, particularly in the religious realm. He speaks first of Thomas’ faith, then of the faith of countless others who were to come after him, a people pronounced blessed by Christ.
The Faith of Thomas (v. 29a)
The Twelve apostles were devoted followers chosen by Christ (Luke 6.13) to be eyewitnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1.22). The only exception on both counts is Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ and committed suicide before Jesus had risen from the dead.
The Apostle John records that the risen Jesus appeared first to all the surviving apostles except Thomas: “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came” (v. 24). This led to his famous interchange (v. 25):
The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto 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.
A week later, Thomas did see, and he did believe. We do not know whether he touched Jesus in this holy moment, but the Lord invited him to do so (vv. 26-27). Then he made the great confession about Jesus: “My Lord and my God” (v. 28). Years later by the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10.9 ESV).
Further, Jesus said Thomas believed because he saw. The Lord mercifully stooped to Thomas’ unwarranted skepticism about the credible testimony of his fellow apostles and granted the confirmatory sight.
Careful students of the Bible are not surprised. From earliest times God has given signs accompanying His Word to assist His foolish children in our halting faith. Anticipating Israel’s unbelief about God’s promise, Moses received three miraculous signs for confirmation—a rod to serpent, a leprous hand, and water changing to blood (Exod 4.1-10). Scripture contains many other examples like this. The Lord condescends to human weakness, and Thomas is typical among his brethren according to the flesh (1 Cor 1.22).
The Faith of the Saved (v. 29b)
Our risen Lord only showed Himself a few weeks longer before He ascended to heaven. Decades later, Peter wrote to scattered Christians and characterized their relationship to Jesus this way (1 Pet 1.8-9):
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Our love for Christ makes it easy to understand why we could wish that we had seen the Lord Jesus Christ like Peter and the other apostles, but in the wisdom of God, it is better for now that we haven’t. We have Christ’s special benediction pronounced upon us: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” This is tantamount to saying that future Christian believers are in God’s special favor and destined for salvation.
A thoughtful reader asks why people today who believe in the risen Lord without seeing Him are so very blessed.
First, Jesus seems to intend a deliberate contrast between us and Thomas. The juxtaposition of “seen” and “not seen” implies that. While Thomas’ faith by the sight of Jesus honored Him, faith by His Word alone honors Him more, and so makes such a believer more blessed.
Suppose I bought my son the car of his dreams as a gift. How would he respond if I broke the news to him verbally? “It’s out there in the driveway, my gift to you.” If he had a very high view of my credibility, he would celebrate immediately. Otherwise, he might say, “I’ll believe it when I see it,” and look out the window.
When we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ preached without having personally witnessed any miraculous signs (as do all real Christians today), we glorify Christ more than Thomas did, because we more clearly imply the credibility of His Word, and therefore His Person. What, then, of unbelief?
Second, a living faith that Christ is risen and that He is “my Lord and my God” is proof that the one who has it is in God’s special favor and destined for salvation. “All men have not faith” (2 Thess 2.3). Only those have faith who are chosen by God for salvation (2 Thess 2.13), regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Tit 3.5), and given faith as a gift of sovereign grace (Eph 2.8; Phil 1.29). It is impossible to say “Jesus is Lord” as a believer does except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12.3).
So do you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth? Do you really believe that Christ died for our sins and that He rose again, physically, from the tomb, on the third day after He was crucified? Do you believe this solely on the basis of credible apostolic testimony, as Thomas should have done, without seeing the living Lord with your own eyes? If so, then rejoice greatly, because Jesus Christ pronounces you blessed! Your faith shall become sight soon enough (1 John 3.2; Rev 1.7; 22.3-4). Ω