My Lord and My God
John 20:28-29 · Fresh Start: When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn
Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied, “Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.” — John 20:28-29 (CEB)
All week we’ve been sitting with Thomas in the waiting — the missed moment, the stories fear tells, the loneliness of being the one who can’t get there yet, the courage it takes to name what you need, the grace that was working when nothing seemed to be happening. And now this: Jesus walks through the locked door, offers his wounds, and Thomas responds with the highest confession of faith in the entire Gospel of John. “My Lord and my God.”
Not doubt’s defeat — doubt’s destination. Thomas didn’t believe less because he struggled. He arrived at a deeper place precisely because he refused to pretend. His honest wrestling produced the words nobody else in John’s Gospel speaks.
Jesus doesn’t scold him for needing proof. He shows up, offers himself, and meets Thomas exactly where he asked to be met. Then he adds a blessing for every person who would come after: “Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.”
That’s us. We’re the ones Thomas’s story was written for — people who believe without touching the wounds, trusting the testimony of those who came before us. The waiting wasn’t wasted. It never is.
God who meets honest doubt with open hands, thank you for Thomas’s story — and for writing ours into it. Christ, you came back for the one who struggled most. Holy Spirit, turn our wrestling into worship. Amen.