Sometimes when people find out that I am a pastor for the first time, suddenly they want to argue Christianity and doctrine with me. And the most common refrain I hear from the people who engage me in these discussions is "How do you know?" They will repeat this line over and over. How do you know that the Bible is really God's Word? How do you that there is a hell? How do you know that you are really saved by grace alone? They want proof that they can see and grasp and hold onto. Just like Thomas they want to touch Jesus' scars or they won't believe.

Yet it is easy to point fingers at these people and pretend we never do this. The man we call Doubting Thomas today was also called Didymus, which means the twin. This morning I ask all of you, "Are you Thomas' twin?" Do you want proof? If you do, Jesus gives proof.

The first verse of the lesson for this morning sets the stage for us. "Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came." What was the mood of the disciples after Jesus' crucifixion? The Gospel of John says that the disciples were hiding out behind locked doors. Remember the man they had been following for three years had been arrested, beaten and publicly put to death. It was no secret to the people of Jerusalem who Jesus' followers were. Remember Peter in the courtyard during Jesus' trial. The people all knew Peter was one of Jesus' disciples. They weren't nobodies and since their leader had been crucified there was definite fear among the disciples that they would meet the same fate.

So the disciples were hiding out with the doors locked up and Jesus suddenly appeared to them. However one of the disciples was not there, Thomas, the twin. The other disciples were ecstatic and couldn't wait to tell Thomas about it. "So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!'"

You might think that this amazing news would have brought incredible joy to Thomas, to know that Jesus was alive. You would have thought that he would have trusted his brothers, whom he had spent the last three years with on an amazing journey, sitting at the feet of the God-Man Jesus. But this was not the case. Thomas reaction wasn't what we would have expected; it was riddled with doubt. "But he said to them, "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." Thomas wasn't buying it all. He doubted.

Thomas doubted the report of the other disciples. Do you blame it on weak faith? But hadn't Jesus repeatedly told the disciples that he would have to die, but also that he would return? Thomas had heard Jesus tell of this. Why didn't he believe?

But wait! Are you Thomas' twin? "No way! I know Jesus died and rose. I don't demand proof." We can say these words with our lips, but does it show in our actions. Are we waiting patiently for Christ's return or when bad things happen, do we doubt God's love? Do we put our trust in money, friends, or countless other distractions of this world? Are you Thomas' twin? How often do you think God should give you this or that? He should make all your bills away. He should make your loved one well again. He should make you smarter or more popular. Are you trusting in God or are you acting just like Thomas with his weak faith? Are you demanding proof that Jesus is with you and not against you?

The good news is that Jesus is with us. Our Savior, who died on the cross for our sins and rose triumphantly from the grave, is with us just as he was with the disciples a week later when they were still behind locked doors. The Gospel writer tells us, "The doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, `Peace be with you!'" Jesus also comes to us when we struggle with weak faith and doubts and says, "Peace be with you!"

How can Jesus say that to us? We live in a dreadful world. Wars, murder, child abuse, ethnic cleansing, riots, racial struggles all rule the newspapers and that usually isn't even in our own backyard. Think of all the things that make your life anything but peaceful. And Jesus says, "Peace be with you!" How can this be? Give us proof of this peace.

There will always be skeptics of the Christian faith. There have always been people who doubted God and His love and His plan for salvation. Think of all the examples we have just in the Bible. Beginning in the Garden of Eden, Eve doubted what God had told her and bought the devil's lie. Jacob did not trust God's promises and tricked his father into giving him the birthright. The nation of Israel, while wandering in the desert, forgot God's promise to deliver them. They made the Golden Calf and worshiped it. There are countless examples of those who have not trusted in God's promises. Thomas forgot Jesus' promise that he would rise from the dead. We too forget Jesus' promises at times in our life. We too doubt and are like twins of Thomas. Thankfully Jesus gives us proof.

Now you have to understand that when I use the word "proof," I am saying that Jesus gives us the tools to strengthen our faith. Faith does not equal proof. Faith is faith. It is trusting in God's promises and in Jesus' death and resurrection. However, Jesus strengthens or confirms faith.

How did Jesus confirm Thomas' faith? Well, Jesus didn't leave much room for doubt with Thomas. Jesus appeared in the room with the disciples. This time Thomas was present. "Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe." Can you imagine being Thomas? Here he was shooting his mouth off to the other disciples, saying that he wouldn't believe that Jesus was really alive unless he touched the wounds of the crucifixion. Can you imagine how frustrating it must have been for the other disciples who were trying to tell him that the Lord had risen? Then Jesus is there and tells Thomas to do exactly what he demanded, touch the scars. Wow! Talk about strengthening faith.

But God never gives us opportunities to touch Jesus' scars! Boy if Jesus walked around with us on evangelism calls and let people stick their hands in his side, we would have to have five or six services a week. So where is our proof? Where is our confirmation? It is here in the Bible. Through studying God's Word, we see the redemptive work of our Savior Jesus Christ. Through studying God's Word, we see our Savior alive.

And when we see these things our confession needs to be the same as our twin Thomas, "My Lord and my God." What is that confession saying? He called Jesus, "His Lord." He was saying that Jesus was his master in his life and his death. Jesus ruled over his heart. He also said, "My God." He was confessing that Jesus was His maker, redeemer, and Savior. Make this your confession also. "My Lord and My God."

In the words of the text for this evening/morning we find Jesus giving us something very encouraging to hold onto. When we want to say that our twin Thomas had it easy because he got to stick his hand in Jesus' side, remember these words Jesus spoke to Thomas, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." That's us. That is our proof. That is what strengthens us. Jesus says that we have been blessed.

We are blessed with faith in our hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit. If we were left to figure out for ourselves God's plan of salvation, can you imagine what our human reason and intelligence would come up with? The Holy Spirit blesses us with faith and creates that faith through his means of grace. Where is the proof for our faith? It is in the Bible. It is in the Gospel message. "For God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."

The Holy Spirit also blesses us through the sacraments. Cherish these gifts of God. Remember your baptism daily. We can look at the water and hear the words in Baptism and have our faith strengthened. We take the bread and wine with the Word, eating the body and blood of Jesus and our faith is strengthened. Jesus really meant it when he said those who had not seen yet believed would be blessed. We have all these wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Word, Baptism, and Holy Communion. Whenever our faith is like that of Doubting Thomas, we can turn toward these gifts and be strengthened and blessed. Make sure that you don't neglect these gifts.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, promised that he would conquer death and return to life. He also promised that he would return on the last day to take us to heaven with him. Remember Jesus' promises. Don't be like Thomas when he doubted, but be like Thomas when he beautifully professed his Savior, "My Lord and my God!"