(June 22, 2015 at 7:40 am)Tonus Wrote:(June 20, 2015 at 11:29 am)Randy Carson Wrote: A guy named Thomas thought the same way. Right up until the moment that he put his fingers into the nail wounds in Jesus' hands.Pretty much all of the disciples seem to have had doubts about Jesus' resurrection until they saw him with their own eyes. It's curious because --according to the story-- Jesus had not only resurrected two people himself (thus showing it was possible) but he told his disciples that he would return just days after his death.
After three years of watching him perform miracles, and giving talks which left people awestruck, and making predictions that came true, they nonetheless seemed to think that the ride was over when Jesus was killed... even though he had predicted that as well! As with the old testament, we get a character who can't seem to impress people in spite of actions that should have had them all at his feet. And his own closest followers are just as unimpressed! Thomas's petulant claim that he wouldn't accept it until he could put his fingers in Jesus' wounds makes for a nice moral fable, but strikes me as shocking for a guy who either saw or heard of the things that Jesus did and said.
Two points:
1. You're right. After the crucifixion, I think the apostles were in shock...and this despite Jesus' promises AND the miracles they had seen. That seems kinda normal to me and lends some credibility to the whole thing by virtue of the criterion of embarrassment. IOW, the apostles didn't try to hide the fact that they had doubts; they were honest about it...which is sort of embarrassing if you're telling everyone that you spent three years with God. And you still lacked faith? Ouch!
2. Thomas refused to believe at first because he was NOT present at Jesus' first appearance.
