Suddenly

In the Scriptures there are many things that happened suddenly. God’s breakthroughs often come in an unexpected moment and can radically change our lives. Perhaps you have had experience of God breaking into your life suddenly, when you weren’t expecting it. Certainly, I do. Today’s verse describes one such ‘suddenly’. In fact, the story has several ‘suddenly’ incidents.

Most of the disciples had been together on the first Sunday after Jesus’ death. They had been very afraid, so they had taken refuge behind a locked door, concerned about what actions the religious authorities might take against them. They were, no doubt, a bit confused about what would come next. They were clinging together, sharing their grief. It’s what we most often want to do in times of loss. But they must have had a mixture of feelings, frightened – yes - but hopeful too, because Mary Magdelene had seen Jesus, risen and alive, that very morning. Then ‘suddenly’ Jesus was with them, and everything changed, He spoke peace over them and breathed on them saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). They were certainly amazed, but so comforted.

However, Thomas was not with them on that occasion, and I can’t help but wonder what had kept him away from the gathering on that Sunday evening. Surely, he had heard what Mary Magdalene had told all the disciples earlier in the day (verse 18). She was certain she had seen and spoken with Jesus. Could Thomas have dismissed this as just some wishful thinking, the fantasy of an overwrought woman? Was he so disheartened that he couldn’t even bear to join the others as they tried to make sense of what had happened? Where was he? What could be more important than sharing together, and trying to remember what Jesus had told them about the events around His death on the cross?

For whatever reason, Thomas was missing, and perhaps, during the following days, he felt even more depressed and distressed, grieving, fearful, and anxious. Maybe it was all too much for him to fathom. He clearly didn’t really believe what the disciples had said about the ‘visitation’. They were confident that they had seen Jesus and He was alive again (verse 25). Could Thomas really have thought that their intense grief had somehow effected a corporate hallucination? Was it some clever trick to confuse them? He was determined that he would not be gullible or deceived, so he issued a challenge. He would require proper proof it was Jesus, something that no one could refute. But God was listening. God knew why Thomas hadn’t been there the last time, how Thomas was feeling about it all, and He loved Thomas, so He engineered a breakthrough into Thomas’s life with another ‘suddenly’.

The following Sunday, Thomas joined his fellow disciples, as they again met behind closed doors. Then, suddenly Jesus was there. He immediately spoke, “Peace to you”, and I wonder if he looked directly at Thomas as He said those words. “Peace to you, Thomas”. Did His eyes say, “Thomas I’ve come to still your confusion; the storm of your doubt; the anxiety of missing out; the fear of being deceived”? Then Jesus showed Thomas the irrefutable evidence that he had requested, but I wonder if by then it wasn’t really necessary. Thomas had suddenly believed.

Thomas had to see evidence to believe that Jesus was risen, He was alive for ever, and He was Lord. But Jesus wants everyone, not just Thomas, to know that He rose. And the witness of Scripture reassures us that He is our risen Lord, who was, and is, and always will be, the Victor over death.