Talk about “too good to be true!” Thomas said he wouldn’t believe it. Not til he saw it with his very own eyes. And then Jesus was standing there, right in front of him, inviting him to put his fingers in the wounds in His hands and His side — and see for himself that it was true.
Then Jesus said, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.”
That’s you and me.
It reminds me of a scene from Prince Caspian, the sequel to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. In the story, a small remnant of Narnian creatures eagerly await deliverance from the foreign oppressors who conquered their ancestors. These true believers have been driven underground for hundreds of years, during the occupation of their homeland. Some begin to lose hope that they will ever be free again.
When their savior, the great Lion Aslan does not appear immediately in response to their desperate appeals, the dwarf Nikabrik questions the truth of the old stories. He suggests that perhaps Aslan never really rose from the dead and that much of what the Narnians have believed is nothing more than myth or fairy tale.
Ever since the cross, unbelievers have brought those same accusations against Christians. Matthew 28:11-15 tells us how the soldiers who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection conspired to say that He did not rise from the dead – that His disciples merely stole His body: “And this story has been widely circulated…to this day.” But the Apostle Peter insisted, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)
To those of us who did not have the opportunity to walk with Jesus as he and the other disciples did – and yet still believe, Peter said, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)
One day, just like the faithful creatures in Lewis’s story, we will have the privilege of meeting the One in whom we have believed face to face!
It won’t be long now…
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This Week’s Assignment:
If you’re participating in our Virtual VBS for GrownUp Girls Summer in the Son : This is our last week, Week 9 — way to go! If you’ve missed a few posts (or even a few weeks) that’s okay… I probably would have, too, if I wasn’t writing them :) They’ll be here on this site, any time you want to go back and check them out. The important thing is what you DID do, that you wouldn’t have otherwise. And that you finish strong!
Read John Chs 20-21.
Memorize John 20:21.
***Don’t miss the very special announcements in Friday’s post!***
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Today’s Question: How have you experienced the One you love, but have never seen? How have you “seen” Him at work in your heart and life?
