Children’s Sermon

John 20:19-31

Doubting Thomas

 

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John 20:19-31

Doubting Thomas

 

By Dr. Carol J Miller

Do you know what people today call Thomas? He was one of Jesus’ disciples but today people call him “Doubting Thomas.” On the first Easter day, the day God made Jesus alive again, the disciples got to see Jesus and talk with him. But Thomas had not been there that day. So when Thomas came back to the other disciples, they told him, “Jesus is alive again! We saw him.” How do you think the disciples said that? Did they have slow, sad voices: [use a slow, draggy voice]“Jesus is alive again. We saw him”? How do you think they sounded when they told Thomas? Who can say “Jesus is alive again. We saw him” like the disciples might have sounded. [let as many children as would like to demonstrate with excited voices].

But Thomas didn’t believe the other disciples. Well, would you? It’s a pretty strange thing to say. Thomas said he’d have to see for himself. He doubted that what the other disciples said was true. He thought they were mistaken. Jesus could not be alive again, he thought. He would believe it when he saw it!

The next Sunday the disciples were together again and Thomas was with them. Jesus came in! Everyone was excited. And Thomas believed when he saw Jesus. But Jesus said, “Thomas, you believe because you saw. But there will be lots of people [like us] who never get to see me but they will believe any way. That’s a good thing.” We never see lots of important things. We don’t see the wind, we don’t see love, but we feel them; we know they are there. Even though we don’t see Jesus and we don’t see God, we know they are with us; we know they love us. Don’t be like Doubting Thomas. Trust God’s love and God’s power. We don’t need to see God’s love. We know it is there!

Copyright 2012, Richard Niell Donovan