Doubting Thomas
Unless I see, I will not believe
This story mentions the wounds from Jesus's crucifixion.
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He died on a cross on Friday. Now he is alive.
- The disciples: Jesus's closest followers. They were Jewish, like Jesus. Thomas was not with them the first time.
- Thomas: One of the Twelve, Jesus's chosen inner group. He was also called Didymus, which means "twin" (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
Setting
- A room with the doors locked, probably in Jerusalem. John does not say whose house it was.
When
- About 2,000 years ago. First on Sunday evening, the same day the tomb was found empty. Then eight days later.
Before the Story
Jesus died and was buried. On Friday he was crucified. His body was laid in a tomb in a garden (19:41-42).
That morning, Mary Magdalene saw him alive. She ran to the disciples and told them, "I have seen the Lord!" (20:18).
Thomas was brave and honest. When Jesus went back toward danger, Thomas said, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him" (11:16). At the Last Supper he told Jesus, "We do not know where You are going" (14:5).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Jesus is alive, and locked doors will not keep him out.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Behind locked doors | 20:19 | The disciples hide. Jesus stands among them |
| 2. Hands and side | 20:19-21 | Jesus shows his wounds and sends them |
| 3. The breath of Jesus | 20:22-23 | Jesus gives the Holy Spirit and the work of forgiving |
| 4. Thomas was not there | 20:24-25 | Thomas says he needs to see for himself |
| 5. Eight days later | 20:26-27 | Jesus comes back for Thomas |
| 6. "My Lord and my God!" | 20:28-29 | Thomas believes. Jesus blesses the rest of us |
| 7. Why John wrote this | 20:30-31 | John tells us why he wrote his book |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 7Behind Locked Doors
It was Sunday evening. The disciples were together in a room.
The doors were locked. The disciples were afraid.
John says they were afraid of "the Jews." In John's Gospel, this often means the leaders in Jerusalem who had opposed Jesus. It does not mean all Jewish people. The disciples were Jewish. So was Jesus. So was Mary Magdalene.
On Friday, Jesus had been killed on a cross. One likely reason for their fear: they thought they could be killed too.
Earlier that day Mary Magdalene had told them, "I have seen the Lord." But they still hid behind locked doors.
Scene 2 of 7Hands and Side
Then Jesus came and stood among them. The doors were still locked.
"Peace be with you," he said (20:19).
He showed them his hands and his side. The nails had gone through his hands. A soldier's spear had pierced his side (19:34). These were the marks of the cross.
It was really Jesus. The disciples were full of joy when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said it again. "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you" (20:21).
These were the same disciples who had run away when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:50). Jesus did not scold them. He gave them peace. Then he gave them a job.
Scene 3 of 7The Breath of Jesus
Then Jesus breathed on them. "Receive the Holy Spirit," he said (20:22).
At the very start of the Bible, God breathed life into the first person (Genesis 2:7). Now Jesus breathed on his frightened disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit.
Then Jesus told them, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven" (20:23).
He also said that if they held back forgiveness from anyone, it would be held back. Jesus was sending the disciples out to tell people that God forgives their sins.
Scene 4 of 7Thomas Was Not There
One disciple missed all of this. His name was Thomas. He was one of the Twelve.
The Bible doesn't say where Thomas was that night. It says only that he was not with them.
The other disciples told Thomas, "We have seen the Lord!" (20:25).
Thomas answered. "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" (20:25).
The other disciples had seen Jesus alive. Thomas had not. The Bible doesn't say how Thomas felt. But Thomas had missed what the other disciples saw.
Scene 5 of 7Eight Days Later
Eight days later, the disciples were inside again. The doors were locked again. This time Thomas was with them.
Jesus came and stood among them. "Peace be with you," he said (20:26).
Then Jesus spoke to Thomas. Jesus used the very words Thomas had used.
"Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe" (20:27).
Jesus did not tell Thomas to go away. He offered Thomas the very thing Thomas had asked for.
Scene 6 of 7"My Lord and My God!"
Thomas answered.
"My Lord and my God!" (20:28).
John does not say that Thomas touched the wounds. John tells us only what Thomas said.
No other person in John's Gospel calls Jesus "my God." Thomas called Jesus Lord. And he called Jesus God.
Jesus answered, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed" (20:29).
Then Jesus spoke about people who were not in that room. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (20:29).
Jesus was talking about people like you. You have not seen him with your eyes. You can still believe.
Scene 7 of 7Why John Wrote This
Then John stopped and spoke to his readers.
Jesus did many other signs in front of his disciples. They are not written in this book. A sign is a miracle that points to who Jesus is.
"But these are written 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" (20:31).
Thomas needed to see Jesus. You can come to know Jesus through John's book. It was written so that you, too, may believe.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "For fear of the Jews" (20:19) | Here it most likely means the leaders in Jerusalem who had opposed Jesus. The disciples were Jewish too. This does not blame the Jewish people. |
| "Peace be with you" (20:19) | A common Jewish greeting. When Jesus said it, it was also a gift. Before he died he had promised, "My peace I give to you" (John 14:27). |
| "He showed them His hands and His side" (20:20) | The risen Jesus still had the marks of the cross. He was the same Jesus who died. |
| "As the Father has sent Me, so also I am sending you" (20:21) | Jesus gave his followers a job. They would carry his message to the world. |
| "He breathed on them" (20:22) | God breathed life into the first human (Genesis 2:7). Jesus's breath brought the Holy Spirit and new life. |
| "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven" (20:23) | Jesus gave his church the work of speaking God's forgiveness. Lutherans call this the Office of the Keys. |
| "Stop doubting and believe" (20:27) | Many scholars say the Greek words are closer to "Do not be unbelieving, but believing." Jesus was inviting Thomas into faith. |
| "My Lord and my God!" (20:28) | The strongest thing any person in John's story says about Jesus. John's book began the same way: "The Word was God" (John 1:1). |
| "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (20:29) | God's favor rests on people who believe without seeing Jesus with their eyes. That includes every reader since. |
| "Signs" (20:30) | Miracles that point to who Jesus is. In John, turning water into wine was the first one (John 2:11). |
Back Then
Thomas and Didymus are the same name. "Thomas" comes from a Hebrew word for "twin." "Didymus" is the Greek word for twin. The Bible never says who his twin was. (Easton's Bible Dictionary)
Jesus was nailed to the cross. Thomas speaks of the nail marks in Jesus's hands (20:25). John also says a soldier pierced Jesus's side with a spear (19:34). (Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Nail" and "Crucifixion")
"Eight days later" probably means the next Sunday. People back then often counted both the first day and the last day. So Sunday to Sunday was "eight days."
Christians have long gathered on Sunday. Jesus rose and came to his disciples on the first day of the week (20:19). Early Christians met on that day to worship (Acts 20:7).
Literal Reader Alert
Does "the Jews" mean all Jewish people? No. John often uses "the Jews" to mean the leaders in Jerusalem who opposed Jesus. Jesus was Jewish. So were Mary Magdalene, Thomas, and all the disciples in that locked room. For centuries, many Christians used words like these to blame and hurt Jewish people. That was wrong. The ELCA has said so plainly. Read our note on this.
Is "Doubting Thomas" in the Bible? No. The Bible never calls him that. It is a nickname people gave him much later. The Bible calls him "Thomas called Didymus" (20:24). It also shows Thomas as brave. He was ready to die with Jesus (John 11:16).
Did Thomas touch Jesus's wounds? John doesn't say. Many famous paintings show Thomas touching them. John tells us only that Jesus offered, and that Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" (20:28).
How did Jesus get through locked doors? The Bible doesn't explain. It says the doors were locked and Jesus stood among them. His risen body was real. He had wounds you could touch. But it was also new in ways we don't understand yet.
Wasn't the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost? It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries. John tells about Jesus breathing the Spirit on Easter evening. Luke tells about the Spirit coming at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Both show that the Spirit is Jesus's gift to his people.
Does forgiving someone mean I have to let them keep hurting me? No. Forgiving means you give up the right to pay the person back for the wrong. It does not mean staying where you are not safe. If someone is hurting you, tell a trusted adult.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The disciples | Afraid | Jesus had been killed, and they hid behind locked doors (20:19) |
| The disciples | Full of joy | They saw the Lord, alive (20:20) |
| Thomas | Unsure | He had not seen Jesus, and he could not believe it yet (20:25) |
| Thomas | Left out | The others had all seen Jesus, and he had missed it (20:24-25) |
| Thomas | Amazed and believing | Jesus came back and spoke to him (20:28) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Where are you in this story today? Tap one.
I have big questions
So did Thomas. Jesus did not send Thomas away. Jesus came back for him. Honest questions are welcome here.
I feel left out
Thomas missed the first time. The other disciples had seen Jesus. Eight days later, Jesus came back for Thomas.
I'm scared, too
The disciples locked the doors because they were afraid. Jesus came right into that room and said, "Peace be with you."
I believe, but can't see
That's you in 20:29. Jesus said people like you are blessed.
It's really bad right now
Thomas said honestly what he needed. You can too. Please tell a trusted adult today. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 any time. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines.
You Might Have Heard
"Don't be a doubting Thomas. Real Christians never doubt."
What's true: Jesus did call Thomas to believe (20:27). Faith is trusting Jesus even when we cannot see him.
What the story is mainly about: Jesus came back for Thomas. Thomas did not find his way to faith alone. Jesus came to Thomas and showed him his wounds. Then Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!" (20:28). Doubt is not the opposite of faith. Many faithful people have had honest questions. One father told Jesus, "I do believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24).
Where Jesus is: Standing in the locked room, holding out his scarred hands to the one who was not sure.
Good News
The disciples locked the doors. Jesus came in anyway. Thomas said, "I will never believe." Jesus came back for him anyway.
Faith is not something you have to build up by yourself. It is a gift from God. The Holy Spirit gives it, through the story of Jesus and through his people. Jesus breathed the Spirit on his friends. The Spirit still gives faith today, through God's Word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper.
You have not seen Jesus with your eyes. Jesus already knew about you, and he called you blessed.
Jesus comes through locked doors to people who are afraid and unsure, and he gives them peace.
From the Wider Church
Pope Gregory the Great preached in the 590s. He said that Thomas's unbelief helped our faith more than the faith of the other disciples. Gregory used a comparison. He said that as Thomas touched the wounds in Jesus's body, the wounds of our own unbelief were healed (Homilies on the Gospels 26). Gregory, like many readers, pictured Thomas touching the wounds. John does not say. Christians in India, often called Saint Thomas Christians, trace their church back to Thomas. An old tradition says he traveled there to tell about Jesus.
Big Idea
The risen Jesus comes through locked doors to frightened, doubting people and gives them peace, the Holy Spirit, and faith.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In the Small Catechism, Luther explains the Third Article of the Creed. He writes, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel" (Small Catechism, Third Article, Concordia Triglotta). Thomas could not argue himself into faith. Jesus came to him.
Luther also taught about hearing forgiveness from another person. We confess our sins, and then we receive forgiveness "as from God Himself," not doubting it (Small Catechism, Confession). Many editions of the Small Catechism also print a section called the Office of the Keys. It quotes John 20:22-23. Luther did not write it. It comes from sermons for children by Andreas Osiander, a Lutheran pastor in Nuremberg, in 1533. It is not in the Book of Concord. But it matches Luther's teaching, and Lutherans have taught it for centuries. In Lutheran worship, a pastor still announces forgiveness to the people, because Jesus sent his church to do it.
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. John 20:19-31 is the Gospel on the Second Sunday of Easter, the Sunday after Easter, every year.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.
How did that feel?