While I don't know where Thomas was, I do know where Jesus was, and I know what Jesus was doing. Jesus was lifting broken spirits, which happens every time the saints get together. Jesus was answering questions and settling doubts, which happens every time the saints get together. Jesus was pouring out the power of the Holy Spirit, which happens every time the saints get together. By the time Jesus was done with his down hearted disciples they were all leaping and shouting for joy, which can happen every time the saints get together. All of this was happening, but Thomas was not there.

I don't know where some of you are on many Sundays when the people of God gather for worship in this place. Sometimes you come to church and sometimes you do not. But I do know that whether you and I are here or not, Jesus shows up every Sunday. Blessings are available every Sunday. Songs are sung, prayers are lifted and the Gospel is preached to the glory of God every Sunday. Your soul can be revived every Sunday. Your burdens can be lifted every Sunday. Your faith can be strengthened and renewed every Sunday. Do not be like Thomas who was absent when Jesus came and who missed the blessing that Christ brought with him when he came.

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When he finally returned from wherever he was, the other disciples told him that they had seen Jesus, but Thomas did not believe them. He could tell that something had happened to them, he could see that they now possessed a joy and a hope that he still lacked. Something had obviously happened, but when they tried to tell them about the resurrection Thomas doubted and would not believe them. He said that unless he could see Jesus with his own eyes and touch the nail prints with his own hands that he would not believe their report. As a result of this lack of belief, Thomas has forever been known as "doubting Thomas." However, I want to suggest today that we watch Thomas as he moves From Doubt to Declaration.

It might be well for us to consider that Thomas had reason to doubt what the other disciples were telling him. After all, except for the people that Jesus had raised from the dead himself, who ever heard of people being raised from the dead? This was not a normal occurrence. It did not happen every day. I am sure that Thomas believed in life after death in heaven in some unknown spiritual form. Many Jews had believed that for hundreds of years. But that was not the message that Thomas was given. Thomas was told that Jesus had just been standing in that room on that day, and that was apparently more than Thomas could comprehend.

What would you say if I told you that someone whose body we had escorted from this church to some cemetery was just seen walking along 105th Street, or worse, that on a Sunday when you were absent that person was seen sitting in their old seat in the sanctuary? I am sure that you would believe that with no hesitation; right? Or might you suddenly become more sympathetic to Thomas' point of view? Some things are hard to believe, because some things seem impossible.