How does Thomas's declaration in John 20:28 affirm Jesus' divine nature and authority? Setting the Scene • A week after the resurrection, Thomas—still wrestling with doubt—meets the risen Christ face-to-face (John 20:24-27). • Invited to touch Jesus’ wounds, Thomas is confronted with undeniable evidence: the crucified One lives. • His immediate, Spirit-prompted response is recorded in John 20:28: “Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’” Thomas’s Confession: Literal Deity Declared • “My Lord” (Greek kurios) recognizes Jesus as sovereign Master, the One to whom absolute allegiance is due. • “My God” (Greek Theos) assigns Jesus the very identity of the Almighty, not a lesser title or honorary phrase. • Thomas speaks in direct address—personal, possessive, and unequivocal—affirming both relationship (“my”) and reality (“God”). Jesus Receives the Worship • Jesus offers no correction or rebuke; He accepts the acclamation reserved for God alone (compare Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 22:8-9, where created beings refuse worship). • By welcoming Thomas’s words, Jesus silently confirms their truth, reinforcing His divine status and rightful claim to worship. Climax of John’s Gospel • John opens with deity (“the Word was God,” John 1:1) and culminates here with a disciple’s explicit confession. • Immediately after, John states his purpose: “these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). Thomas’s declaration serves that very aim. Old Testament Echoes • Psalm 35:23 addresses the covenant God as “my God and my Lord,” language Thomas now applies to Jesus. • Isaiah 44:6 records, “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of Hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last.’” Jesus echoes this title in Revelation 1:17, aligning Himself with YHWH. Broader New Testament Confirmation • Titus 2:13—“our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” • Hebrews 1:3—“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” • Colossians 1:15-17—Jesus is “the image of the invisible God” and the sustainer of all creation. • John 10:30—“I and the Father are one.” Together with Thomas’s words, these passages present a unified witness: Jesus possesses full deity and ultimate authority. Authority Flowing from Deity Because He is “my Lord and my God,” Jesus: • Commands obedience (Luke 6:46; Matthew 28:18-20). • Grants eternal life (John 5:21). • Forgives sins (Mark 2:5-7). • Exercises final judgment (John 5:22). Take-Home Truths • Thomas models the only fitting response to the risen Christ: personal surrender and wholehearted worship. • Every claim of Jesus—His teachings, miracles, atoning death, and resurrection—finds its anchor in His divine identity. • Affirming Jesus as both Lord and God safeguards the gospel, fuels obedience, and fills worship with awe. |
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