Things I Wish My Family Knew

Thomas, doubter or disciple?

Published: April 20, 2025
By Iam Kerr, with assistance from ChatGPT

There’s a fascinating layer in the story of Thomas that deserves more reflection than it typically receives. He is often remembered as “Doubting Thomas,” the one who refused to believe the resurrection unless he could see and touch the wounds of Jesus for himself. But what if there’s more to the story?

What if, rather than being the stubborn skeptic, Thomas was initially the most obedient disciple? What if he missed Jesus’ first resurrection appearance not because of rebellion or fear, but because he actually followed the instruction that Jesus had relayed through Mary: to meet Him in Galilee?

This possibility isn’t explicitly confirmed in Scripture—but it’s not ruled out either. And considering it opens the door to a deeply relevant spiritual tension:

What do we do when obedience seems to leave us out of the blessing others receive?

The Context: A Command and a Missed Appearance
In Matthew 28:7 and 28:10, Jesus—through the angel and then personally—tells the women to inform the disciples to go to Galilee, where they would see Him. Yet on the evening of that same day (Resurrection Sunday), we find ten of the remaining eleven disciples still in Jerusalem, behind locked doors for fear of the Jews (John 20:19). Jesus appears to them there.

But Thomas isn’t with them (John 20:24). We aren’t told why. It could be fear. It could be grief. But what if it was obedience? What if he had taken Jesus’ instruction seriously and gone ahead to Galilee?

If so, there’s a rich irony: Thomas may have missed the blessing of Jesus’ first appearance because he alone was doing what Jesus had actually said to do.

And yet this irony reveals a deeper truth:

Every word of Jesus was, is, and will be fulfilled.

Though Jesus first met the disciples in Jerusalem, He did also appear to them in Galilee. Matthew 28:16–17 records:

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted.”

And in John 21, Jesus appears to seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). The instruction to go there was not forgotten or dismissed—it was fulfilled, even if the details weren’t recorded with the same prominence.

This matters, because it confirms again that Jesus is never casual with His words. What He says will happen, always happens—whether immediately, gradually, or ultimately.

Principle 1: Present Absence Doesn’t Mean Disobedience
We often interpret someone’s absence from a spiritual moment as a sign of disobedience, or at least spiritual apathy. But the story of Thomas reminds us that someone can be out of the room and still be aligned with the will of God.

If Thomas had gone to Galilee in faith and returned only to hear that Jesus appeared in his absence, his pain may not have been skepticism—it may have been confusion, even heartbreak. “I went where He said. Why did He show up here instead?”

There are many faithful believers who feel the same today.

Principle 2: Sometimes the Obedient Wait Longer
The ten who stayed in Jerusalem—despite clear instruction to go to Galilee—received the first appearance. They were blessed in spite of disobedience.

If Thomas had gone to Galilee, then his absence was obedience—and his delay in seeing Jesus was the result.

This brings us to a crucial theme:

We must not interpret future promises through the lens of present circumstances. We must interpret our present delay in light of the future truth God has already secured.

Obedience does not always come with immediate reward. But it does come with assurance. Even when delayed, the blessing God promises will come—often deeper and more personal than expected.

And again—every word of Jesus is fulfilled. The Galilean appearance came later, and the Commission He gave there continues today. His timeline is perfect, even when it feels misaligned.

Principle 3: God’s Grace Is Personal and Pursues the One Left Out
Jesus didn’t leave Thomas behind. He came back. Eight days later, Jesus appears again—and this time, specifically invites Thomas to touch His wounds (John 20:27).

Importantly, this second appearance also takes place in Jerusalem, in the same locked room where the first appearance had happened (John 20:26). The disciples had not yet gone to Galilee, despite Jesus’ earlier instruction.

The others had received peace. Thomas received proof. His confession—“My Lord and my God!”—is the most exalted declaration of Jesus’ divinity in the Gospels.

So the one who missed the first appearance received a unique blessing all his own.

God’s grace is not one-size-fits-all. He tailors it to each sheep. And He never loses track of the one who feels left out.

Principle 4: The Pain of Missing Can Lead to the Depth of Worship
If Thomas had gone to Galilee and missed Jesus in Jerusalem, it makes sense that he struggled to believe the others’ account. He had followed the Word, but didn’t see the fulfillment. His doubt may not have been defiance—but delayed expectation.

And when Jesus met him, He didn’t rebuke him harshly. He said, “Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Then came Thomas’s response: “My Lord and my God!”

Delayed blessing led to deeper worship.

Final Thought: When Faithfulness Feels Forgotten
Sometimes we follow God and feel like we’ve been forgotten. Others get the miracle. Others get the breakthrough. Others get the visit behind locked doors.

But Jesus never forgets the one who obeys in quiet trust. He knows where you are. And He will come to you—in His time, with exactly what your faith needs.

Until then, don’t let the silence of your obedience redefine your trust. Interpret your present through the promise of His future.

And remember:

Every word of Jesus is fulfilled.
In the right time, in the right place, and in the right way.

For the Record

I don’t presume to overturn thousands of years of church tradition or suggest with any certainty or likelihood that history has misjudged Thomas. But I do wonder—what if? And in that wondering, I reflect on moments in my own life where obedience was misunderstood, where faithfulness seemed to cost more than it returned, and where, like Thomas, I felt as though I had missed the blessing. Perhaps his story invites us not just to reconsider a disciple, but to reconsider how we view our own unseen obedience.