210th Post Jesus Said on Faith Con't. - John 20: 27.

John 20: 27 - Jesus appears to the twelve and this time Thomas is with them. John 20: 24-29.
Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.
This passage takes place during the 40 days Jesus would walk the earth before returning back into heaven. Thomas was one of the last disciples to see Jesus alive after His crucifixion. He has been given the title of "doubter" because of this incident. Lets look into this story a little deeper, and find out why. Thomas was not present the other time Jesus appeared in the upper room to them. When the disciples told him about it, Thomas said "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe." Crucifixion was one of the worst ways to die there was at that time. The Romans knew how to kill people, and how to make sure they were dead, before taking them down off the cross. If you look back at the account where Joseph and Nicodemus asked Pilate for the body, Pilate was surprised to see them, thinking Jesus could not be dead yet. That was why Pilate had a soldier put a spear into His side and out came water and blood. The Romans knew that when they saw this result the heart had stopped. This passage kills the swoon theory. Pilate released the body of Jesus to these men for burial. Thomas was very sure that Jesus was dead. That is why it was hard for him to believe that Jesus had arose from the Dead! After Thomas put his finger and hand into the proper spots, Thomas exclaimed "My Lord and My God!" Thomas was one of the first disciples to believe Jesus was Lord, the others did not believe until Pentecost. Do you believe even if you have not seen? Or are you like Thomas and need more proof?