Eyewitness

Eyewitnesses.


Some local news channels market themselves as Eyewitness News.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers like eyewitnesses to testify during court trials. Without eyewitness testimony and other hard facts, a jury can have a difficult time reaching a verdict in a trial. Eyewitness testimony was important during the Roman Empire and important during the time of Moses, some 3500 years ago.

Today’s story is John 20:24-31. You probably remember this story as that of Doubting Thomas. There is more, however, to the story than the doubts of one of Jesus disciples.

As a disciple, Thomas was an eyewitness to many of Jesus miracles. Because of what he saw during Jesus’ life, Thomas could say that the man Jesus was the Son of God.

 

Jesus made many promises to his disciples about the resurrection and heaven. He cryptically told them he would prepare a place for them at his father’s house (John 14:2). He also told them that after his death he would return (John 16:16).

This was probably difficult for all the disciples to believe, but it is clear from today’s reading that Thomas did not believe it. After all, most Jews thought Jesus would be another King David who would once again make the Kingdom of Israel a great nation on Earth. How wrong they were!

 

Thomas was also an eyewitness to the resurrected Jesus! He knew it was Jesus because of the holes in his hands and feet as well as Jesus' pierced abdomen.

Jesus was resurrected. Not only was Jesus the Son of God, but he also was God! If Jesus could be resurrected after his death, then surely his followers could also be.

There are no living eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection today. We only have the accounts of the disciples compiled in the Bible.

Before his death, the disciples did not understand who Jesus really was. Left to our own devices, we would not understand either.

Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit that enables us to believe, even if all the eyewitnesses died 2000 years ago! Our faith is a gift from God!