John tells us that it was over a week after he had seen Jesus that his fellow disciple Thomas finally believed that Jesus had risen from the dead.  In verse 24 of John 20, we are told of Jesus presenting himself to his disciples absent Thomas, and his disciples subsequently trying to convince their colleague that they had seen Jesus alive.  Verse 26 tells us that eight days later, they were all together again, including Thomas, when Jesus appeared.  This time, Thomas immediately believed.

Later in Acts, we find the same disciples, now apostles, brought before the Jewish council because they were teaching about Jesus in the temple.  The apostles testified to the council about Jesus and how God had exalted him and raised him up, and how they needed to repent and receive forgiveness of sins. If but for the highly regarded Pharisee Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, stepping in and making a reasonable argument, the disciples would have been killed instead of being released.   Even then, they were first subject to a severe beating. We are told in verse 41 that they left rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’s name.

Further on in the New Testament, Paul writes in his first letter to Peter about how Christ, in his great mercy, has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He talks about how we have been grieved by various trials so that the genuineness of our faith might be tested.  This is more precious than gold that perishes, though it has been tested by fire.  Ultimately, though we have not seen Jesus Christ, we believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible in that he has revealed himself to us in his Holy Spirit.

In Psalm 148, the Psalmist had not physically seen Jesus, but was able to praise the Lord for specific after specific of God’s creation.  Most of all, even well before Jesus’s earthly work, he recognized that God had raised up a people and ultimately a savior for his own as he declared, “He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints”. 

Like Thomas, there are times when we may be tempted to doubt God’s work of salvation for us.  We should praise God for how he has blessed us and manifested Himself all around us in his creation.  Pray that he might continue to reveal himself by the working of the Holy Spirit and strengthen our conviction of the truth of his resurrection and its saving work for us and for others.  EDE