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 Caravaggio (Italian painter, 1571-1610), "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas" (1601-02), Oil on canvas, 107 x 146 cm, Sanssouci, Potsdam. Larger image. |
When Thomas heard about it he declared his doubt to the other disciples in no uncertain terms:
"Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."1
He'd seen dead people before. And Jesus was dead. Thomas sounds like sophisticated rationalists of the twenty-first century. "It isn't plausible," they would contend. "It didn't happen."
But what if it did happen?
Thomas was convinced when Jesus appeared to him, reached out his hands to Thomas, and said, "Put your finger here."
Thomas dropped to his knees and said, "My Lord and my God!"2
It was self-hypnosis, you counter. The disciples wanted to believe that their Lord was not dead, so they just invented it out of thin air.
Really? Let's look at some of the evidence that supports the resurrection as an historical event.
- Jesus' body was missing. If the Jews could have found it, they could have stilled the preaching of Jesus' resurrection that filled Jerusalem. But they could not.
- The body wasn't stolen. The Romans had no motive. The Jews had no motive. Ah-ha, you say, the disciples stole it. But the tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers.3 And when the disciples first got the news from the women early that Easter morning, they were skeptical.4 This brings me to my third point.
- If the disciples had stolen the body, you wouldn't expect them to risk their lives. People don't die for what they know is not true. But the disciples put their lives on the line, and nearly all were eventually martyred for their faith. They certainly believed it. Thomas himself was martyred in India years later while proclaiming Jesus there.5
- The church mushroomed in size in Jerusalem, the very place he was crucified. Followers of Jesus in the city of Jerusalem grew from a few dozen to thousands upon thousands soon after Jesus' resurrection. They believed it was true.
- Contemporary documents refer to the event. Suetonius, Tacitus, and Pliny all contain references to Jesus.6 Jewish historian Josephus writes about Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.7 They knew something had happened.
Jesus' resurrection from the dead is actually more plausible than any other explanation. That is why we Christians make such a big deal about Easter. That is why we celebrate.
Jesus' resurrection means that death is not the end. That though my body may lie mouldering in the ground, Jesus, whom the Father raised from the dead, gives me eternal life. Ultimately, we Christians believe, our bodies, too, will be raised from the dead.
Since Jesus is not dead, people can encounter him today. You can know him through a personal relationship. Lots of people can testify what Jesus has done in their lives to bring them from the brink of disaster to peace and meaning and joy. Jesus changes people for good.
 Lenten study book Resurrection and Easter Faith |
If you're not sure or can't really say you've met this risen Jesus, this Easter Sunday why don't you slip into church to seek him. And perhaps in the midst of our celebration of his resurrection, you'll find him for yourself.
He's alive, you know. That's what Easter is all about!
1. John 20:25.
2. John 20:27-28.
3. Matthew 27:62-66; 28:4, 11-15.
4. Luke 24:11.
5. Pliny the Younger (about 112 AD), Letters, Book 10, Letter 96 to Trajan; Suetonius (about 120 AD), Life of Claudius 25:4; Tacitus (about 116 AD), Annals 15:44;
6. Josephus (about 93 AD), Antiquities 18:3.3; 20.9.1.
Originally published in the International Pentecostal Holiness Advocate, April 1995, pp. 2-3.
Copyright © 2026, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
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