Several years ago I got into a Bible study with a non Christian named Lon. Lon was a financial analyst who might spend hours at work tracking down one mistake on a financial report. When he watched television, he carried that same attitude with him. He always asked questions and looked for errors or mistakes. And he applied this same skeptical approach to faith. Often when we studied the Bible together, we’d only make it through two or three verses before Lon would ask several questions that take the rest of our time to answer. And he was rarely satisfied with my answers. He always took the skeptic’s approach and kept pressing and prodding. After studying with me almost weekly for an entire year, Lon decided he did not want any more. He really didn’t believe Scripture. He didn’t want to become a Christian. He had too many doubts and reservations. Some non Christians have a lot of doubts.
And some Christians do as well. A friend of mine started a church from the ground up and helps coach other church-planters. He’s one of the most intelligent and godly people I know. Yet he has confessed that he is, in his own words, a congenital doubter. All his Christian life he’s had doubts, questions, concerns, and issues with the Christian faith that just won’t go away. Belief has never come easy for him. It’s never been simple.
New Testament Scholar D. A. Carson has spent a lifetime talking to people about faith and doubt. He writes that our spiritual doubts can have many causes.[1]
- For some, doubt is grounded in ignorance. They simply haven’t learned enough to fuel any faith or what they have learned, in error, keeps faith from growing.
- For others, doubt is grounded in a moral quandary. That is, their doubts have more to do with some moral or ethical quandary than any real intellectual challenge. For example, Lynn Anderson, in his book If I Really Believe, Why Do I Have These Doubts? tells of George.[2] George complained for years that he could not get over the intellectual barriers that stood in the way of a full-hearted faith in God. But then George admitted, “I had latched on to the intellectual barriers because I feared some of my major advertising clients would dump me if they found out I was a believer.” Some of us doubt because of the moral or ethical cost of believing.
- For others, doubt is a rite of passage. It is a stage they must go through on their way to a more solid and mature faith.
- Further, sometimes doubt is generated not by one huge philosophical choice but by ten thousand small choices. Small compromises or tiny intellectual choices along the way can eventually erode faith.
- Finally, doubt may be generated by crisis—the loss of a loved one, for instance, or the memory of abusive parents, or some other great suffering.
In this Sunday morning series we are exploring three sources of doubt. Some of us doubt because of the people of faith. We look around and see the flawed people of faith and think to ourselves, “If that’s what Christianity produces, I have serious doubts as to its legitimacy.” We explored that source last Sunday. Next Sunday, Easter Sunday, we’ll explore the issue of pain. Sometimes the pain of life is too great and it leads us to doubt God’s existence. But this morning we take up the issue of proof. When it comes to Christianity we may doubt because of a lack of proof. We may have had faith early on but then lost it because there didn’t seem to be enough proof to sustain our faith. We may have never had much faith because we couldn’t get enough proof to lead us to faith.
This is, in fact, one of the driving forces behind what is called “the new atheism” in America. CNN reported on some of the major players in this new atheism.[3] They include Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, Sam Harris, author of Letter to a Christian Nation, and Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great: The Case Against Religion. Dawkins reports, “We cannot, of course, disprove God, just as we can’t disprove Thor, fairies, leprechauns and the Flying Spaghetti Monster. But, like those other fantasies that we can’t disprove, we can say that God is very, very improbable.” Harris claims it is “too embarrassing” to believe in God. The doubts of these new atheists are fed by the conviction that there simply isn’t enough proof to believe.
This morning’s text allows us to wrestle with this issue of proof. This morning we focus on Thomas. Here is how John describes the heart of Thomas’ struggle to believe: 24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (John 20:24-25 ESV). Perhaps there have been times when Thomas was full of faith. But in this text, he is not. In our text this morning we find Thomas at one of his low points. Faith is gone. Doubt is dominant: Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.
Thomas doubts in spite of the proof of the tomb. Peter, John, and Mary must have shared with Thomas what they had found at the tomb. The stone which blocked entrance to the tomb had been taken away. The linen clothes which covered the body of Jesus were there, as was the cloth used to cover Jesus’ face. Two angels were seen by Mary. The resurrected Jesus spoke directly to Mary. Peter, John, and Mary tell Thomas all of this. But not even this proof from the tomb is enough for Thomas.
Not only that, but Thomas doubts in spite of the proof of the room. One that same day, Sunday, when Thomas and the others must have heard the reports about the tomb, something dramatic takes place in a locked room: 19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. (John 20:19-20 ESV). We are told in the next verse that Thomas is not present at this gathering. We must assume that at least the other ten disciples are present (the twelve minus Thomas and Judas). Jesus appears before them and shows them his hands and his side—the very thing Thomas says he needs in order to believe. And those present in the room are convinced. John reports, “the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” According to verse 25, these disciples then tell Thomas what happened. They present the proof from the room. But Thomas remains unmoved. “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Thomas doubts in spite of the proof of the tomb and the room.
Why? We’re not told for sure. But we can speculate. In John 10, Jesus and the Twelve are in the wilderness near the Jordan River. Word comes to them from Bethany, a village close to Jerusalem, that a good friend named Lazarus has died. To return to the vicinity of Jerusalem and tend to this death would be dangerous. The last time Jesus and the disciples were there, they were almost killed. Still, Jesus decides to make the trip to Bethany. As they head out, John reports, So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (Jn. 11:16 ESV) Thomas has a certain perspective. He sees what’s happing—the hostility from the Jewish leaders, the talk from Jesus in John 10 about how he will lay down his life for the sheep—and he’s reached a conclusion. Thomas knows without a doubt how this story’s going to end. It’s clear to him that this tale is going to be a tragedy. Jesus is going to die. There’s no way around it. And that’s going to be the end of it. Thomas has no hope-filled belief that when Jesus dies he’ll come back. No. Jesus is going to die. And the story will end. So Thomas seems to say, “Well, let’s get this over with. If we head to Bethany, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem will be there. They’ll kill Jesus. They’ll kill us too. We may as well all go and die right now. Because once Jesus is dead there’s no reason to live.”
Thomas has a certain perspective that colors the way he interprets everything else. In Thomas’ mind, the undeniable fact is that Jesus will die and he will not come back. Jesus’ death will not only be the end of Jesus, it will be the end of the Jesus-ministry and the Jesus-mission. Thus when Mary, Peter, and John report to him what happened at the tomb, Thomas disbelieves. And when the ten disciples report to him what happened in the room, he disbelieves. Thomas doubts because his perspective overshadows the proof. He believes he already knows how this story goes. And no amount of proof can change his mind.
Thomas’ story reminds me of another man named Antony—Antony Flew. Thomas was a doubter because his perspective kept him from seeing the proof. The same was true for Antony Flew. For years, this British philosopher was one of the most infamous proponents of atheism. One of his earliest writings about atheism, which he presented while a student at Oxford in the hearing of C. S. Lewis, became one of the most widely reproduced documents on atheism. Antony had a certain perspective. He knew how the world worked. He knew that faith was a joke. And no amount of proof would change his mind.
But in 2004 Antony Flew stunned the religious world by announcing that he was now a believer in God. Eventually, he reported, the proof for the existence of God became overwhelming. Eventually the proof overshadowed his perspective. He wrote a book entitled There is a God in which he documented the kinds of proof that led him to reverse his disbelief. In one place, Flew wrote, “I now believe that the universe was brought into existence by an infinite Intelligence. I believe that this universe’s intricate laws manifest what scientists have called the Mind of God. I believe that life and reproduction originate in a divine Source. Why do I believe this, given that I expounded and defended atheism for more than a half century? The short answer is this: this is the world picture, as I see it, that has emerged from modern science.”[4] In other words the proof of science finally overcome his former perspective. In another place Flew wrote, “Although I was once sharply critical of the argument to design, I have since come to see that, when correctly formatted, this argument constitutes a persuasive case for the existence of God.”[5] Flew had dismissed evidence in the past. But eventually he came upon evidence which he could not dismiss. As far as he was concerned, the proof now overwhelmed his former perspective.
Flew was a long ways from accepting Christianity when he died last April. But his is a remarkable story of a person who spent a lifetime doubting faith because of his own perspective and then being led to faith because of overwhelming proof.
This is what happened to Thomas: 26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:26-28 ESV). Thomas reviews the proof of the tomb and proof of the room for seven days. From Sunday to Sunday God and Jesus allow Thomas to stew in his disbelief. They leave him alone. They let him wrestle with what others told him about regarding the tomb and the room. But the following Sunday, however, they wait no more. Jesus appears. The proof is staring Thomas in the face. He can no longer ignore it.
And suddenly Thomas believes because the proof overshadows his perspective. Thomas moves from “I will never believe” to “My Lord and my God!” Thomas doesn’t merely exclaim, “Lord and God” but “my Lord and my God!” This is a personal confession. This is a personal faith. Something deep within Thomas has changed.
Thomas’ confession here is the last of a series of confessions found in John’s Gospel. John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the Son of God (1:34). Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel’ (1:49). The Samaritans said, ‘we know this man really is the Savior of the world’ (4:42). The man born blind confessed, ‘If this man were not from God he could do nothing,’ (9:33, 35–38). Martha said, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world’ (11:27). And the disciples confessed, ‘This makes us believe that you came from God’ (16:30). Finally, we hear Thomas’ confession. It is not only the last confession; it is the climactic confession of John’s Gospel.[6] No other confession in John rivals this one. The greatest confession of faith comes from one who once had some of the greatest struggles with doubt. “My Lord and my God!”
At some point there is evidence enough to overcome our doubt. At some point there is enough proof enough to move us from wondering to adoring, from saying “Are you there?” to “My Lord and my God!” It might come through reading books like Lee Strobel’s The Case for Faith, The Case for Christ, or The Case for a Creator. It might come through the testimony of a trusted and dear friend. It might come through a religious experience while walking, hiking, or meditating. Whatever the proof, Thomas gives hope to those of us who doubt because we don’t think there is enough proof. For those who wrestle with this form of disbelief, there is evidence enough to overcome that perspective. There is evidence enough to lead you to a deep and personal faith. But we must be willing to seek it. And we must be willing to accept it.
But that’s not the ultimate point of this story. Because the story doesn’t end there. It continues: 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 ESV). Jesus is thrilled at how this new proof has helped Thomas believe. In a matter of seconds, this proof has enabled Thomas to shift from “I will never believe” to “My Lord and my God!” But Jesus wants Thomas to know that that’s not the end. There’s another step to be taken.
There is a certain kind of faith, Jesus says, which comes from seeing. Thomas believed because he saw the proof. But there is another kind of faith, Jesus says, which does not require seeing: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Jesus is not saying that the faith that comes through seeing proof is inferior to the faith that doesn’t require seeing proof. But he is saying that the former should grow into the other. Jesus is saying that ultimately we may believe without requiring proof.
One ancient Jewish teacher wrote, “The proselyte is dearer to God than all the Israelites who stood by Mount Sinai. For if all the Israelites had not seen the thunder and the flames and the lightnings and the quaking mountain and the sound of the trumpet they would not have accepted the law and taken upon themselves the kingdom of God. Yet this man has seen none of all these things yet comes and gives himself to God and takes on himself the yoke of the kingdom of God. Is there any who is dearer than this man?”[7] The ancient Jews understood the difference between a faith that is fueled primarily by proof and a faith is that fueled regardless of proof. And they prized the latter. They strove for the latter. They longed to grow into a faith that did not require evidence as a lifeblood.
William Lane Craig in his book Reasonable Faith suggests that there is a difference between knowing something to be true and showing something to be true.[8] All Christians know that God exists. But not all Christians can show that God exists. All Christians believe God exists. But not all can articulate the intellectual arguments that show that God exists. Jesus invites us past what we can show to what we can know.
I think this is a helpful distinction. Jesus is thrilled for us to move from doubt to faith through proof and evidence which can allow us to show something to be true. But what Jesus ultimately desires for us is a faith that knows something to be true, with or without the empirical evidence. For example, I can master all the arguments that show that God exists. I can teach those arguments. I can demonstrate that proof. I can, with eloquence, show that God exists. But that is a very different level of faith from my friend Randy Harris who has spent 40 days in silence at a monastery and experienced the presence of God and became intimate with God. That is a very different level of faith from one of Highland’s saintly women like Ann King who has spent more time on her knees than most of us have spent on our feet and through personal experience knows God intimately. It is truly one thing to be able to show that God exists. It is another to really know that God exists.
Jesus is not saying there shouldn’t be a rationale basis for faith. He’s not saying it’s wrong to seek evidence. He’s suggesting instead that we seek more than just proof—we seek the one behind the proof. He’s urging us to not be content with something we can only show. He’s wanting us to seek after that which we can also intimately know.
Donald Miller, in his book Blue Like Jazz, writes this:[9] I like that scene in the movie Dead Poets Society in which Mr. Keating, an English instructor at an elite preparatory school, asks his students to rip out the “Introduction to Poetry” essay from their literature textbooks. The essayist had instructed students in a method of grading poems on a sliding scale, complete with the use of a grid, thus reducing art for the heart into arithmetic for the head. The students looked around at each other in confusion as their teacher dismissed the essay as rubbish and ordered them to rip these pages from their books. And at their teacher’s loud prodding, the students began to rip. Dr. Keating paced the aisle with a trash can and reminded the students that poetry is not algebra, not songs on American Bandstand that can be rated on a scale from 1 to 10, but rather pieces of art that plunge the depths of the heart to stir vigor in men and woo women. Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, and too little is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe. There are certain things we can understand with our minds. There are additional things we can feel with our hearts. We can chart the reasons for faith on a grid. But there’s so much more to it than that. Jesus offers a faith that is not just arithmetic for the head, but also art for the heart.
[1] D. A. Carson, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus (Crossway Books, 2010).
[2] Lynn Anderson, If I Really Believe, Why Do I Have These Doubts?, 103-104.
[3] http://articles.cnn.com/2006-11-08/world/atheism.feature_1_new-atheists-new-atheism-religion?_s=PM:WORLD.
[4] Antony Flew, There is a God, (Kindle:1087).
[5] Antony Flew, There is a God, 95.
[6] Kruse, C. G. (2003). Vol. 4: John: An introduction and commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (379). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
[7] D. A. Carson The Gospel According to John (IVP, 1991), 660.
[8] William Lane Craig Reasonable Faith, 31-32.
[9] Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz (Nelson, 2003), 205.
