“Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’ “ -John 20:24-25
“It is the crucified man that can preach the cross. Said Thomas “except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails… I will not believe.” Dr. Parker London said that what Thomas said of Christ, the world is saying about the church. And the world is also saying to every preacher: Unless I see in your hands the print of the nails, I will not believe. It is true. It is the man… who has died with Christ… that can preach the cross of Christ.” -G. Campbell Morgan, Evangelism
The above quote appears at the conclusion of John Stott’s amazing book, The Cross of Christ, and it really struck me as a call to all Christians who are concerned with reaching the world for Christ. Through the Apostle Thomas we see one who doubts, one who is in need of visual affirmation that the Christ who was crucified is now alive, and one who Christ loves enough to say ,”Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side. (v.27)”
We must be willing to go out into a doubting world and show them the wounds of Christ that we bear now as those who have been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) in order that they may believe (Romans 10:14-15).
