Scripture: John 20:24-29 

Central Truth

Jesus understood Thomas’s need for proof and offered it without Thomas having to ask Him. Jesus knew Thomas’s heart, and He wanted Thomas to believe. Is it good for us to trust faithful testimony? Yes. But God is kind to us. In His Word, God gave us proof of Jesus’s resurrection—eyewitnesses.

Key Question

Many people would say Thomas displayed a lack of faith. When have you struggled with believing in God’s truth due to lack of physical proof?

Keep in Mind

Some students have never considered their own doubts—their own lack of faith. Many of them sit through church and blindly accept what they hear. While hearing important truths can lead to faith, some of them will come to a crisis of faith at some point when they will want or need more proof than what they’ve heard. We can encourage them by emphasizing that God wants a real relationship with them. He isn’t just someone we study about—He is someone we can know intimately.

APPLICATION

What does it reveal about Jesus that he was willing to show Thomas the evidence he needed to believe? What does Jesus care about?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: Jesus cares about our hearts and our souls, but He cares about our minds too—He cares about our whole being. He understands we are finite, or limited, in our understanding. While Jesus challenges us to have greater faith, He also longs to show us how real He is. When Jesus did this for Thomas, He didn’t scold him or put him down, but He did call Him to greater faith. He wants to do this for our students as well. 

FOR THE LEADER: Testimony is powerful. Some of us have strong faith because of the testimony of faithful leaders in our lives. As we minister to students, we must remember that our testimony could make a lasting impact on our students’ faith. We should never underestimate our own stories of freedom.