Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 20:25

"The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." — John 20:25 (ASV)

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord (John 20:25).

"We have seen the Lord; there is no mistake about the matter, for we have all seen him." And thus, with loving, anxious desire, they tried to cheer him, and to make him participate in the gladness which they themselves had enjoyed.

Dear friends, always look after your weak brethren. If there is a Thomas, who is depressed and sad, and who therefore shuns you, do not shun him; but find him out, and try to tell him what you have learned by way of comfort for your own heart. Perhaps, God will use it to comfort him also.

The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord. But he said to them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Dogged, obstinate unbelief. Some have said he was a broad-minded man, who investigated truth. I do not see it.

He had not gone to the tomb, like Peter and John, to look at the grave-clothes and to discover that Christ was not there. He does not appear to have investigated the testimony of Mary Magdalene and of the others.

He was just as narrow-minded as he very well could be, as I believe modern doubters are with all their boast of their wonderful thoughtfulness and liberality. We have only their own opinion, I am sure, on that matter; and when a man sounds his own trumpet, there is not much in it.

The other disciples therefore said to him, We have seen the Lord.

But he said to them, Unless I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. There is something good about that declaration of Thomas, for a man is not bound to believe merely on the testimony of others. He should, if he can, endeavor to get evidence for himself, and as Christ is still alive, the very best thing is to go to him.

But there was also much that Thomas said which was very wrong. He had no right to demand that he should see the nail prints in Christ's hands, and, worse still, that he should be permitted to put his finger into them, and to thrust his hand into his Lord's side. There was more than a little impertinence about that utterance, and something more even than an ordinary unbelief. And when we ask for signs and wonders from God, and say that we will not believe unless we have them, we are guilty of very presumptuous conduct. We are bound to look for evidence concerning Christ; but when the evidence is sufficient, we should not out of curiosity crave for more.

But he said to them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Thomas should not have said that, because, after all, it was not true. I do not suppose that he did put his finger into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into Christ's side, yet he did believe. We sometimes say a great deal that would have been far better left unsaid; and, especially, when our spirit is depressed, it is a token of wisdom to feel, "We are hardly in a condition of mind in which we can speak as we ought, so we had better remain silent."