Did jesus' blessing of thomas's testimony mean that jesus agreed with thomas calling Him God?
By
Bassam Zawadi
Christians often quote thomas's statement in John 20:28 where he said "My Lord and My God" to jesus when he saw him. Muslims argue back that thomas said it out of surprise. However, Christians argue back that jesus blessed the testimony of thomas and therefore acknowledging that thomas was right in calling him God.
However, we need to read the context and see why jesus blessed the testimony of Thomas...
John 20:24-29
24Now
thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not
with the disciples when
jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "
We have seen the Lord!" 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."
26A week later his disciples were in the house again, and
thomas was
with them. Though the doors were locked,
jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be
with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.
Stop doubting and believe."
28Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29Then
jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
The context in no way shows that jesus blessed the testimony of thomas for him calling jesus God. Now after jesus' alleged resurrection there were some who doubted that it was him (Matthew 28:17). Apparently thomas was one of them. He did not believe that jesus could have resurrected from the dead. He did not even believe the disciples when they told him that they saw jesus resurrected. So jesus in order to make thomas believe that it was him who actually resurrected from the dead had thomas put his finger in his wound.
Then after that thomas made the exclamatory remark in verse 28, "My Lord and My God" because he finally recognized and acknowledged that it was truly jesus that resurrected from the dead. So then jesus blesses thomas in verse 29 for finally realizing that it was him who resurrected from the dead.
That is all, plain and simple.
Why on earth would thomas call jesus his God anyways? What is the special thing that jesus did to prove he was god? His resurrection? But we all believe that we are going to resurrect one day on the Day of Judgment by the will of God. Plus others resurrected...
Matthew 27:52-53
52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after
jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Prophets of the Old Testament resurrected people from the dead by the will of God. (2 Kings 4:18-37, 1 Kings 17:17-22 etc.)
Jesus did absolutely nothing special for thomas to even call him God, so thomas's remark is best explained as an expression of surprise.
Sam Shamoun replied back to this article and I replied back here.
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jesus' body and not let even a single bone be broken. My question to all Christians is:
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