“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 20:29).
TEXT — John 20:24-29
Message
Two believers once visited a man in their neighbourhood to introduce Jesus Christ to him. As they began the discussion, their host abruptly raised his open palm and told them not to waste their time. He said, “I have gone beyond the level of believing; I am now at the level of knowing.” He thought that he sounded sophisticated and enlightened in the things of the Spirit. But it was all a misplacement of priority.
In the text, Thomas was absent on the day Jesus visited the disciples after His resurrection. When informed later about the Lord’s visitation, he vehemently insisted that unless he saw the nail prints on His palm and poked his finger into the wound on His side, he would not believe that Jesus had visited.
Eight days later, Jesus returned when Thomas was present and invited him to examine his wounded palm and put his finger into the wound on His ribs. He urged him not to be faithless but only to believe. Upon hearing this, Thomas fell down and worshipped and declared Jesus as: “My Lord and my God.” Jesus then rebuked him for waiting to see before believing in Him, saying, “Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.”
Sometimes, people wait until they can see signs and wonders before believing in Christ. In reality, they do not need any other proof that Jesus is Lord. He rose from death not as a spirit but as a human being who was seen, touched, spoken to; who ate food and prayed for His disciples. Waiting for any other sign would, in the end, not make Jesus any more real to you. Instead, it would prolong your unbelief and might even lead to damnation in hell.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
I would like to know more about God and be impacted with his words.
I would like to know more about God and be impacted with his words.