John 20:24-31.
But Thomas, one of the twelve, who is called a twin, was not with them when Jesus came. Then said the other disciples unto him, We have seen the Lord. And he said unto them: Unless I see in his hands the marks of the nails, and put my finger into the marks of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it. And for eight days his disciples were there, and Thomas with them. When Jesus came, and the doors were shut, he entered into the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he unto Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and put it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. saith Jesus unto him, Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that see not, and yet believe. Also many other signs did Jesus before his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life in his name.
This history happened on the eighth day after Easter, and is a true Johannine history, who has a special regard for all the preaching and miracles of the Lord Christ, which belong to the doctrine of faith. Therefore, although the other evangelists report nothing about it, John did not want to leave it behind as a special example: first of a great deep unbelief in the disciple Thomas; then of a glorious confession of Christ, that the unbelieving Thomas not only believes that Christ has risen from the dead, but praises him as the right and true God. Both of these pieces serve to teach us and comfort us, whether we have been unbelievers or are still weak in faith, that Christ does not throw us away because of this, but takes care of us in the most gracious way and brings us to the right and true God.
Faith (if we want differently ourselves) want to help.
(2) Now someone might wonder, first of all, why the apostles wrote their own sin and disgrace in this way, and that the church then arranged it in such a way that such histories were placed and preached on the apostles' days, which were written in small honor of them. For the apostle Thomas has a bad reputation, that he was so stubborn and hard in unbelief; so that on St. Jacob's Day one reads how he and his brother wanted to be the most distinguished, and on St. Bartholomew's Day that the disciples themselves quarreled among themselves and each wanted to be the best; item, that Matthew was a tax collector and a public sinner. It seems that it would be better to remain silent than to write and preach about it.
(3) But it has a far different opinion. For we are not concerned, as in the papacy, that the saints be highly honored and praised; from this we will have little benefit nor comfort: but that we may learn from them how God is gracious and merciful, and will bear with sinners; and we may see from such examples that in what we are by nature there is little difference between us and the dear apostles, since they as well as we were sinners, and often erred, and enjoyed only that Christ is gracious and merciful. That whether we find such or greater weakness and infirmities in ourselves, we may not therefore despair nor despair; but take comfort in their example, and hope that Christ will also bear with us, not punishing all things in us that are to be punished, but overlooking and helping us to come out of sins and become more godly.
(4) For this reason, the dear Thomas is cried out in all the pulpits today, how he was in a terrible unbelief and no one was able to lift him out of it. He was there and confessed with Peter when he said, Matth. 16, 16.He has not only seen the great miraculous works of Christ, but has himself performed great miraculous signs at his command and in his name. He has often heard Christ preach how he is the truth and the life, how he will give up his life and take it again, and how he will rise from the dead on the third day. Therefore (which is the most serious thing) first the women, then Peter, and after Peter the two from Emmaus came and said that they had seen Christ, that he had risen from the dead: the one who neither believed nor wanted to believe it was Thomas. And it did not help that the other ten apostles, who had been with one another at night on Easter Day and had seen the Lord, all bore witness together to the women, to Peter, and to two from Emmaus, saying that Christ had risen, that they had talked with him, that his wounds were in their hands, and that they had seen him again.
seen in the body. All together it was in vain: Thomas could not and would not believe it. This may be a strong unbelief, which is just as bad for an apostle, as that Peter even denies him and says that he never saw him.
005 What thinkest thou then that Christ should begin and do with such a disciple? Is it not true that your opinion is that if Christ were to leave him in such unbelief and let him perish, it would not do injustice to the stubborn head, since he considers all the others to be fools, who gladly let themselves be persuaded, and believed that this was basically a lie and a fair fable? For these were actually Thomas' thoughts: Let it be thought of JEsu, my Master, as it may, that he has done such great miracles; but now it is over with him, just as with other men; what once comes down to the earth, that will not come again: therefore my companions are vain great fools, that they let themselves be thus persuaded by women, and their eyes be deceived by ghosts. Let no man persuade me, except I see in his hands the marks of his nails, and put my fingers into the marks of his nails, and put my hand into his side: then will I believe it, and not otherwise.
(6) This may be unbelief, and a hard head that thinks Christ must make it for him as he wills, or he will not believe. Just as if so much depended on what he believed or did not believe. Then, I say, consider what thou thinkest that Christ should begin with him, and what is the cheap reward of such unbelief? For here are many sins. The first and greatest, that he does not believe in Christ more than in other prophets who were bad men. The second, that he despises his fellow disciples as fools and considers himself the only wise man. The third, that he thinks Christ must do as he pleases, or that he does not want to see him believe.
What does Christ do to the poor unbelieving man? Does he also leave him in such unbelief? No; that would be contrary to his manner and office; for he compares himself to a shepherd, who is a shepherd to the unbelieving man.
He follows the sheep until he finds it. He does the same here. Although Thomas does not want to believe the other apostles, Christ is not interested; he is satisfied with the fact that he hears so much about Thomas that he wants to believe when he sees and grasps him. Therefore he does not delay long, comes to them through closed doors, and lets himself be seen and grasped. And the greatest of all, he also lets himself be heard with extremely friendly words and says: "Peace be with you. Include in such a word also the poor great sinner Thomas, that he may have a merry heart, and not think that he is there to punish and rebuke him on account of his unbelief. No, dear Thomas, peace be with you too, do not be afraid, I am not angry with you or with any man. Thou hast said that thou wilt not believe until thou seest my nail marks, and puttest thine fingers therein: now therefore, dear Thoma, put forth thy fingers, and take hold of my hands, and put forth thy hand, and lay it in my side; only that thou be no longer faithless, but believing.
(8) Let us diligently consider both these things: first, the great unbelief that Thomas has in him, and second, the great and excellent kindness that Christ has toward unbelieving Thomas. There we will have to confess that our dear Lord Christ does not have an angry heart against sinners. He has a compassionate heart that the devil holds them so captive. Therefore try and do everything together that is possible for him, so that he may bring them out of the devil's snares and sin and convert them.
(9) Therefore this is a very comforting example, from which we may learn how kind a heart our dear Lord Christ has toward sinners. For if he does this to Thomas, who is so deep in unbelief, what do you think he will do to sinners who recognize their sins, would gladly be rid of them and free, and desire mercy? He will not tarry long, nor long endure the afflicted poor hearts; but, as is seen from time to time in the Gospel, even so
Soon we can reach for help and mercy, as soon as we can ask for it.
(10) We should be diligent and mindful of this. For it is not natural in our hearts that God should be merciful to sinners. Thus the devil, when he sees that consciences are struggling with their sins, always wants to lead them and persuade them that they should not show any mercy to God. Therefore, when sin has really set into the heart, one does not want to be comforted, but is afraid of God and flees. But if God's heart would be like this towards sinners, then Christ would be different towards Thomas. He sees well that his heart is ill-satisfied, fearful and timid because of unbelief and other sin. This is the nature of sin, it cannot be otherwise. But Christ, our dear Lord, is there to ward off sin and to comfort our hearts with God's grace. That is why he speaks this word and says: "Peace be with you"; so that everyone may learn that he is there where our hearts cannot be satisfied because of sin, that he wants to satisfy them so that they will not be afraid of God, but will know that God is merciful and has given and forgiven sin through Christ.
For this reason Christ became man, for this reason he died on the cross and rose again on the third day, so that our hearts, the devil and the whole world of sin might cry out against us and over us, that we are at war, that God does not want us to be at war, that he might say to us: No, not so, but peace with you, that he may say to us, "No, dear man, not so, but peace with you, God is not angry; therefore do not fear, for I have paid for your sin, I have strangled death; so comfort yourself that I have brought it about, and there will be an end to strife and peace.
(12) So this history serves us primarily to learn how Christ will not cast us away for our sins, but will gladly accept us in grace, bringing us out of unbelief and sins to the forgiveness of sins and righteousness. This is his ministry, which he carried out on earth, as this and other histories testify, and still carries out today through his word.
For that holy baptism is not denied to anyone who desires it, the gospel of the forgiveness of sins is preached publicly, and the precious treasure, the body and blood of Christ, is offered up for our sins and shared with us as often as we desire it: this is an indication that there is no strife between God and us, and that for this reason we should be of good cheer and joy, and take comfort in His grace, and not be afraid because of sins. This is the first thing we are to learn from this history.
The other is from the confession of Thomas. For the evangelist Thomas emphasizes unbelief so well: this is not because we follow such unbelief, but because we should recognize the kind and gentle heart of our dear Lord Christ toward sinners, and also take comfort in such grace. For there will be no lack of sins among us. Therefore, fear and terror will not remain outside. It is impossible to have any comfort except this, which we see here in the Lord Christ. After that we must follow the example of Thomas, when he sees and hears Christ, that he immediately comes over another heart and says: "My Lord and my God! Follow, therefore, the heartfelt admonition which the Lord gave him, saying to him, "Be not faithless, but believing."
(14) For this is necessary, that as Thomas here casts off unbelief and believes, so also we should confess our sin, forsake it, and amend our lives. For Christ does not want to be gracious to us and forgive sin so that we should continue in sin and not amend, for then we would again fall from grace into the wrath of God: but for this reason he is gracious to us and helps us out of the devil's kingdom through the forgiveness of sins, so that we may remain in the grace and kingdom of God and become blessed. Such a change shall follow with us, as here with Thoma. Before, no one could persuade him that Christ had risen from the dead; he thought no more of him than of any other man. But now his heart and mind are quite different. He believes
not only that Christ is risen from the dead, but he worships Him and calls Him his Lord God.
(15) Then he learned in a moment, which seemed impossible to him before, that he should believe. For then he will no doubt have thought behind him and taken before him the promise of the ancient fathers, when God promised the seed of the woman, which should crush the serpent's head, and deliver all the families of the world from the curse and bless them; and from this he will have decided: Here I see, which I never saw nor believed before. This man dies, and rises again from the dead, that he is a true natural man, and yet in another and eternal life; there can be no other opinion, he must be master of the devil and of death, otherwise they would have held him, and not have let him come to life again. That he died on the cross in all dishonor, that is the bite of the old serpent, which cannot let it go, because it cannot catch him by the head, so it stabs him in the heel; on the other hand, this man steps on her head and takes all power from her. Such a thing would be impossible if this woman seed were no more than a woman seed. He is the Son of God, therefore such power and authority comes to him; and from now on it will be in him: whoever wants to be safe against the devil, sin, and death, let him stay here with this man; there he will find help and comfort against the devil, sin, and death.
(16) Thus Thomas soon became from an unbelieving, unlearned, coarse disciple a very excellent theologian and doctor, who really and well knows the Lord Christ in his person, and afterward also in his office. How then the answer of the Lord is clear, that he says: "Because you have seen me, you believe. What does he believe? Not only that Jesus, the Son of Mary, has risen from the dead and lives again, but also that he is God, and such a God who wants to help against death and sin all who believe in him, and therefore should be worshipped with the true, eternal God. Such faith makes Thomam blessed and us as well, as the Lord said.
says: "Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe", which Thomas believes.
(17) Mark this saying diligently and carefully, not only for the sake of our adversaries, the papists, who call it heresy, when it is preached that one may be saved by faith alone; but also for your own sake, that you may know how you may attain to salvation. For the thought is inborn in all of us, that he who would be saved must not be a sinner, but must have kept the Ten Commandments. And it is true that God did not give the Ten Commandments to be broken, but to be lived by and kept; for which reason every man is obliged to perform such obedience. But whoever does not want to obey, God's wrath comes upon him, as St. Paul says to the Colossians in Chapter 3, v. 6. But this is not the way to salvation. Cause: no one could be saved, for there is no one who keeps the Ten Commandments.
(18) Therefore we should first recognize such disobedience and impossibility, and confess that we are poor sinners, and beware of wilful sins. Then, with St. Thomas, we should not be unbelieving, but believing; that is, we should take comfort in the fact that Christ, the Son of God, paid for our sin with his death, overcame death, and rose from the dead on the third day, and will also raise us to life on the last day. Such faith, Christ says here, is true blessedness. For thus his words are, "Blessed are they that see not, and yet believe." Here he says nothing of the Ten Commandments: not as if you should not do them, but if you do them as much as you can, you will not be saved. But by faith thou shalt be saved.
19 Therefore, if anyone wants to know what to believe, let him hear here what Thomas believes, namely, that Jesus is the Son of God, and is a
Lord of life, who will help us from sin and death to life and righteousness. Such confidence and hope is the right faith, so that one does not only know it, but also accepts it and is comforted against death and sin. Where there is such faith or confidence, there is blessedness, and sins shall not hinder us. For through faith they are forgiven. Again, if there is no such faith and assurance, even though all good works (if possible) are there, one cannot be saved by it. It is by faith alone that we may attain life and salvation. As John very finely concludes at the end of this history, saying:
These signs have come to pass so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through faith you may have life in His name.
(20) This is a bright and clear saying, that we cannot come to life by works and our own piety. It must be by faith that we may know Jesus, the Son of Mary, to be the Christ and Son of God, sent by God His Father to pay for our sins, to conquer death for our good, and to make those who believe in Him eternally blessed. John says that the signs which Jesus did in the presence of his disciples serve for such faith, and he says that they were written out for this reason, that one should believe. For this reason Christ performed such signs, that he might reveal himself and be seen to be not only the Son of the Virgin Mary and a man, but also true God, and that everyone might seek help from him against the devil, sin and death. Thus John concludes the story in a fine way, after his own manner, so that we may learn to believe from it, so that we may be saved. May our dear Father in heaven grant us this through Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.