Thomas wasn’t thrown out
A teaching for teens · John 20:24–29
24Now Thomas called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.” 26Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Context
On the evening of resurrection Sunday, Jesus appeared to the disciples, who were locked inside a house out of fear. Thomas wasn’t there. When the others told him, he refused to believe without concrete proof. Thomas wasn’t a skeptic by nature: days earlier, when Jesus decided to go back to Judea, where people wanted to kill him, it was Thomas who called the others to go and die with him. He was loyal, but he needed to see.
What the Bible teaches
Thomas set very specific conditions: to see the nail marks, to touch, to put his hand into Jesus’ side. Many people call that a lack of faith. But notice what happens next: eight days went by, and Thomas was with the disciples. He doubted, but he didn’t leave. And the others didn’t throw him out. His doubt stayed inside the community, not outside it.
When Jesus appears, he doesn’t start with a scolding. He says “Peace be with you” and offers exactly what Thomas had asked for. Jesus takes seriously the questions of people who want the truth. You may have doubts about suffering, science, other religions, the Bible itself. The Christian faith doesn’t ask you to switch off your brain. It rests on an event, the resurrection, that can be investigated.
The result is one of the highest confessions in the Gospels: “My Lord and my God!” The skeptic was the one who called Jesus God most directly. But Jesus also says that blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Not every doubt will be answered with proof you can touch. Sometimes faith means walking with open questions, close to Jesus and close to the community.
In practice
Write down your biggest doubt about faith as honestly as you can. This week, take that question to a Christian adult you trust and ask them to investigate it with you instead of giving you a ready-made answer.
To talk about
What question about God are you afraid to ask out loud, and why?
Prayer
Jesus, there are things I’m not sure I believe. Thank you that you didn’t throw Thomas out and you won’t throw me out. I bring you my questions without a mask. Meet me where I am, give me honest people to walk with me, and lead me to truly know you. Amen.
See also: Thomas sees the Risen One.