Our Lord accepts all sorts of personalities and temperaments. This morning we are going to look at a man who was a born pessimist with a strong tendency to be despondent and depressed. His name was Thomas Didymus (Thomas the twin). There are two other occasions in this gospel of John when statements he made are recorded (11:6 and 14:5) and both reveal this same doubting, despondent temperament.
A. His avoidable absence (verse 24). The risen Lord met with the disciples on the first Easter Day in the evening but Thomas was absent. The first ever Lord's day. The fact that the Bible calls attention to his absence and the fact that he missed a very great blessing by being absent, indicates it was an inexcusable, avoidable absence.
Thomas' bad habit is spreading rapidly in the UK these days. Many professing Christian disciples stay away from gatherings of the church on the Lord's day without good excuse or reason, in spite of the appeal in Hebrews 10:25. It's all part of the spiritual malaise afflicting the church in our land and is a million miles away from the zeal which you find in Acts 2:42-47 and which you find in parts of Africa and India where believers just love to meet together and walk for miles to do so.
B. His dreadful doubt (verse 25). During His ministry Jesus had said that he would rise from the dead (e.g. Matthew 16:21) but Thomas doubted the Word of the Lord. The other ten disciples assured him that they had seen the Lord, but Thomas doubted their testimony. We can be full of doubt and unbelief. The devil knows full well that a doubting Christian is a poor advertisement for the Christian faith so he assails us with doubts.
Even true Christian disciples, like Thomas, can pass through times of doubt and darkness (see Isaiah 50:10, Matthew 11:3).
C. His remarkable restoration (verses 26-27). On the following Sunday the disciples were together once more and the risen Lord came and met with them again. This time Thomas was there. The Lord obviously came that second Sunday mainly to meet with Thomas. He knew all about Thomas and his doubts, even the words he had spoken, which he quotes almost verbatim in verse 27. Yet, knowing all about him Jesus was he was willing to meet with him and restore him.
How? He didn't wade in and give him a verbal bashing (Matthew 12:20).
D. His amazing assertion. Thomas was so moved and overwhelmed when the Lord met with him that he cried out "My Lord and my God". In those words he asserts the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus does not disagree with him or correct him in any way (compare Revelation 19:10, Acts 14:11), so you can come to one of two conclusions about that. Either Jesus is truly truly God as Thomas said, or that he was an absolute rogue who accepted titles which were not his, and who allowed men and women to be deceived. Thomas was right. Jesus is God.
Thomas gives his total allegiance to Christ. If Christ is the Son of God who came to this earth and died to bear the punishment of my sin. If he has risen from the dead and has triumphed over sin, death and the devil. If he is the only person in the universe who can save us, then there is only one response and that is to bow before him in adoration and give him our total allegiance. "My Lord and my God".