People have different understandings of grace. Some think of grace as blessings. Others see it as peace of mind or answered prayers. But for me, grace is realizing and feeling the existence and presence of God. Have you ever seen a scene on a cloudy day where the sky is overcast, but a single ray of light breaks through and shines brightly in one spot? In moments like that, we come to a realization: 'Ah, even though it's hidden by the clouds, the light is still there.' Living in this world, we tend to focus on what we can see with our eyes, and because we cannot see God with our eyes or perceive Him through our senses, it often feels as though God is absent. But there are times when we can feel God, just like seeing the light hidden behind the clouds. That, to us, is grace—like a single ray of light. Even if it's not a great answer or a huge success, simply sensing God's presence in the ordinary moments of daily life should be regarded as 'amazing grace from the Lord.'

Nevertheless, the way we experience God's grace or express our faith may differ. Even among the twelve disciples, there were those who responded immediately in faith. Some disciples needed time to think, to verify, and then to believe. In other words, the speed of their faith in the Lord varied, and their thoughts differed as well. There was even a disciple who left the Lord midway and went his own way. And there was a disciple who didn't go another way but hesitated and wavered. That disciple was Thomas. When we think of Thomas, the phrase 'doubting Thomas' almost always follows. Even after meeting the resurrected Lord, he doubted and hesitated. Yet in Thomas's behavior, we can see reflections of ourselves.

1. We don't think of Thomas only in negative terms

1) Why did Thomas lack faith?  I think there are two main reasons. First, he did not witness it directly. When the risen Lord first appeared to the disciples, Thomas was not there. This factor is more significant than any other. That's why he couldn't believe. Probably, if the other disciples had not met the Lord the first time, they would have reacted just like Thomas.

Second, people like Thomas are not the type to simply believe and accept whatever they hear without question. There are people with a rational tendency. They are not satisfied with emotions or vague faith; they need direct, physical evidence. In the MBTI personality typology, there is the T (Thinking) trait. For them, facts are more important than feelings. Because they speak only the facts, they tend to be "fact bombers."

For example, if someone says, "The stars in the night sky are beautiful tonight," and another person replies, "With all this fine dust, what's so beautiful about it?" that person is likely to have a strong Thinking trait. They kill the mood. But that's because they have a tendency to make judgments based on logic and facts. As a result, they are cautious rather than quick to judge. That behavior makes them seem like doubtful people.

Nevertheless, we cannot fully evaluate Thomas solely by that behavior. Doubt is not his whole identity. The statement in verse 25, "I will not believe unless I see and touch," can also be seen as a positive attitude—not a refusal to believe in the Lord, but a desire to meet the Lord himself and a longing to have assurance.

2) There are Thomases today. Kim Thomas, Lee Thomas, Choi Thomas… Thomas-like believers are truly precious. They are people who can believe in the Lord even better. Having a strong rational tendency is not the same as rejecting the Lord with unbelief. Doubting and hesitating is about wanting to think more carefully before reaching a conclusion. Our faith should be a faith that seeks understanding. These people do not want to believe without any thought; they want to understand and then believe. Because they have within them a desire to possess complete faith through discernment, their faith can develop and grow.

2. The Lord Embraces Even Those Who Doubt

1) The Lord came again eight days after the event. The reason the risen Lord revisited was specifically for Thomas—He came back for that one person. The Lord meets Thomas at his level. "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side." He willingly provided the evidence Thomas had demanded. "Look," He says—not as a rebuke. He does not hate Thomas at all; He loves him deeply. He does not say, "Thomas, I’m going to leave you out from now on. I’m truly disappointed." Instead, He says, "Since you value this kind of standard, see it, experience it, and believe in me."

The Lord loves even us, who doubt and hesitate. Even when we doubt, He does not give up on us but approaches us with endless patience and love. He helps us understand what we cannot grasp, corrects our wrong thoughts, and persuades us in our stubbornness. For love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

2) However, the Lord wants Thomas to grow further in his faith. This does not mean He regards the need for rational evidence as bad, but He shows that a relationship of trust and belief—even without such evidence—is a higher faith. "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (v. 27).

In our faith lives, we too may experience doubts like Thomas. The Lord does not reject honest questions and struggles. Yet He wants us to develop a more mature faith through those very doubts and questions.

"Do not be unbelieving, but believing." You may go through this process, but what matters is becoming a believer. One who believes in the Lord. To help him have faith in the Lord's resurrection, He embraces him and reaches out to him first.

Let us believe that the Lord loves and embraces us even in our doubts, and let us open our hearts and draw near to Him.

3. Even If You Start with Doubt, Move Forward to Faith

1) Thomas met the risen Lord and clearly came to believe, experiencing great assurance and transformation (verse 28). Thomas's doubt was changed into firm faith. We too can meet the risen Lord. We must believe in the Lord, and specifically in the risen Lord. If someone knows about Jesus and believes that He died on the cross, but does not believe in the resurrection, then that person does not have complete faith. Faith believes in both the death and the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus truly died but did not rise again, then we would have no reason to believe—it would simply be something that happened in the past.

We believe in the risen Lord. The Lord who loves me died for me, rose again, ascended into heaven, and still reigns today as my Lord. This is the gospel, and this is the content of our faith.

2)Why did they record and pass down this event in such detail? In order that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ. And that by believing in His name, we may have life (verse 31). Through the resurrection, we have come to faith, have been invited to life, and can enjoy the joy of salvation.

Archimedes, the mathematician of ancient Greece, is said to have discovered the principle of buoyancy in his bathtub and shouted "Eureka!" — "I have found it!" "I have discovered it!" How great must that feeling have been for him to run out without even putting on his clothes? The grace given at Easter is the richness of life, joy, and faith.

Today, may we also become people who, even if we start with doubt like Thomas, move forward toward faith. "I have met the risen Lord." I bless you all to become people who enjoy this joy and to become true disciples who proclaim the Lord.