A reflection on Resurrection Sunday's text (John 20:24-29 NET)
Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.”Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!”Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.” Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not recorded in this book.But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. Now this is how he did so.
Presupposing faith: The very real faith of doubting Thomas in a very mischaracterized Jesus
Everyone, even doubting Thomas, has faith. Thomas cared because he had faith. His faith led him to invest in the last three years of his life with this Rabbi. He had faith that the Rabbi he was following was the Messiah. He did not believe that his crucified Rabbi had risen, because Thomas believed certain presuppositions about the Rabbi he had come to believe was the messiah. The object of his faith did not allow for the reality of the resurrection. This faith led him to despair. In short, Thomas' faith needed reformation. His current faith/presuppositions would not allow him to understand the reality of the resurrection that the rest of his friends had been living in. In summary, Thomas' understanding of the times was proper to the object of his faith. It wasn't that Thomas wasn't practicing, "faith seeking understanding", it was just that Thomas' faith was placed in an object whose reality he had misunderstood. As such the only form of understanding consistent to Thomas' faith was a dead Messiah. Thomas is doubting not because he lacked faith, but rather he is doubting because his faith did not allow for the reality of a risen Christ.
Thomas cared because he had faith.
Reformed faith leading to reformed understanding: How Thomas' encounter with the Risen Lord changes everything
Thomas needed another sort of faith; one that no human means can conjure up, one that had to be gifted externally. Though he did not know it himself, what he needed was an encounter with the risen Lord himself - and that is what he got - eight days later (John 20:26). Thomas' encounter with the Risen Lord effectually reformed his unorthodox faith. Such was the reformation of his faith that it led to an understanding that was proper to it. He had come to a right understanding of the rabbi that now stood before him such that he proclaimed "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). This reformed faith allowed him to experience the understanding that his friends were living and telling him beforehand (John 20:25). Thomas now had a personal (experiential) theology that allows him to understand the reality that his rabbi is the risen Lord.
Excursus: Presuppositions and explicating realities
By understand, I mean that Thomas could now explicate the reality that Jesus was once dead but now alive. I do not mean to say that Thomas could now explain the metaphysics of how Jesus came to be resurrected, but rather that Thomas could now understand/ see that the event of a resurrected Jesus fit into reality.
Thomas' faith was as rational as it was reformed both by what he saw and what he heard.
1) He saw: Jesus came and stood among them (Jn 20:26a)
2) He heard: and said, "Peace be with you..." (Jn 20:26b)
3) He deduced: "Put your finger here..." (Jn 20:25&27)
4) He was exhorted: "Do not be disbelieving, but believing." (Jn 20:27)
5) Thus he responded rightly: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28)
The reality of the risen Christ could no more be explained to Thomas any more than the sum of one plus one being two. At some point, the realities under-girding any faith/ presuppositions/ natural laws have to be taken for granted without being further analyzed. For Thomas, his former faith was shattered and reformed by the undeniable reality of a risen Messiah standing before him.
Reformed Understanding Seeking Reformed Joy
If Thomas' prior understanding - one proper to his prior faith - met by the reality of a crucified messiah produced spiritual depression; then his understanding formulated by a reformed faith led him to joy only experience-able within the reality of the Risen Christ standing before him.
Cosmic Joy Grounded in a Cosmic Reality
Joy or sadness is always proportionate to the characteristics/properties of the object it is placed in. As such, it is no coincidence that Thomas's sadness was very real as it was devastating. The high hopes and joys of seeing his Rabbi the messiah who would bring the long-awaited reign and rule of God came crashing down as the reality of him being crucified did not fit any form of his presuppositions of what a messiah would be. As big as Thomas' faith in his preconceived messiah was, it was nonetheless cosmically smaller than who this rabbi truly was. As such, upon encountering the cosmic reality of the risen Christ, Thomas' newfound joy exceeded the sorrow he had experienced. It was not that the substantial object of his faith had changed - it is still the same Jesus - but his faith was clarified, reformed.
The joy that is proper to the reality of the resurrected Christ is a joy whose character is undying and everlasting.
Applications
1) It is very possible to live and learn three years with Jesus and still get him wrong. It is possible to hear correct teaching distorted by our incorrect presuppositions leading to incorrect understanding - encounter with correct doctrine is an encounter with the risen Lord.
2) Not all presuppositions lead to the same understanding of reality
3) An encounter with the gospel of the risen Lord leaves us either in denial (unorthodox presuppositions) or saving faith (orthodox presuppositions).
4) Saving faith is a work of God alone.
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