When You Hear Him Call Your Name

Personally, I’m quite thankful for the brief accounts and mentions of the disciple Thomas in the biblical account of Christ’s life on our planet. I’m thinking of the eleventh chapter of John when Jesus informs the disciples that He is going to return to Judea in order to respond to Mary and Martha’s call to save their dying brother Lazarus. In the minds of the disciples, returning to Judea would mean sure death. But, Jesus did so, anyway, a couple of days after the sisters originally called for him. As a matter of fact, Lazarus had already died by the time Jesus arrived in Judea. But, regardless of the deathbed circumstances of Lazarus, Thomas was more concerned with his own survival and in following the plan that made him to feel more secure. You seen, none of the disciples realized at the time that Jesus first mentioned returning to Judea that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. In fact, Thomas declared, with skepticism for Jesus’s plan fully in tact, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

How often to we take note of the pain, fear, and questionable circumstances happening in our lives and in the world around us and struggle to understand why? Thomas clearly had his doubts about Jesus and he was standing right there with Him in the flesh!

Jesus was very intentional in the timing and action of returning to Judea and, despite his concerns, Thomas went with him.

Do you ever pause or hesitate before deciding to go along with God’s plan? Are you hesitating now?

Jesus was well aware of Thomas’s doubts, but, He died for Thomas and the rest of us who question Him anyway.

It was in the twentieth chapter of John that Jesus, already-resurrected, said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at my hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.

Thomas then responded, “My Lord and my God!”

When we see so much pain, selfishness, greed, and evil in the world around us, it is certainly tempting to lose hope. But, rest assured. Even though the end of our lives here on this planet may come, our faith is eternal and it will be rewarded as Jesus indicated in verse 29 when He said:

“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”