John 20:24

John 20:24 says, But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.  We are not told where he was, but he did not see the risen Jesus. The other disciples were gathered together, but Thomas was absent.  Though we cannot always be together with all Christians, we may miss a real blessing when we fail to gather with others.  Verse twenty-five adds, The other disciples said therefore 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 fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe."  Thomas was a skeptical man.  He evidently had not listened when Jesus had said He would rise again on the third day, or didn't fully believe Him.  There are people today who hear the gospel, some who have grown up in Christian families and studying the Bible who are skeptical of the truth that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected the third day, if at all.  They look for physical proof, but it comes only by faith to believe the gospel.  He did not believe his fellow disciples report.  When people today doubt the truth of the Bible, they are going to be inclined to not believe the testimony of Christians.  Again, until someone comes to a personal knowledge of Christ as Savior, they are not going to accept someone else's word for it.  Thomas said he needed physical proof he could verify for himself.  If we demand physical proof of the truth of salvation, we are going to miss that truth.  We can only come by faith.  Thomas was one of the twelve closest to Jesus, and he did not yet understand Who Jesus really was.  Being close to those who are closest to God today doesn't mean we understand Who Jesus is.  People can be like the other disciples were with Thomas and tell us that they have seen the truth of the gospel, but we may still demand physical proof. Yet ultimately, we must simply accept by faith.