Blessed Are They Who Did Not See, And Yet Believed

Jesus said unto him, “Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

For most people seeing is believing, the same is true for the Apostles. Not just Thomas but all of the Apostles did not believe Jesus rose from the dead until they were shown evidence of His resurrection, for most it was seeing Jesus in the flesh.  Luke 24:8-11 tells us that the testimony of the women appeared to be nonsense to the Apostles and with the exception of John the Apostles didn't believe that Jesus rose from the dead until they actually saw Him. Jesus wasn't berating Thomas, he was pointing out "You see me and you believe, think how awesome it is that some do not see me yet still believe." This is where that whole faith thing lives.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

I can understand the Apostles unbelief, they just watched their friend and rabbi be gruesomely tortured and murdered, another one of their own just killed himself (Judas) the city of Jerusalem who cheered Jesus as a conquering hero a week before was crying for His blood days later, and now Thomas is gone. They were in shock and scared for their lives. We haven't experienced the shock these men have but then we haven't experienced the physical closeness to Jesus they have. Instead we feel Him in our presence each and every day through His words that the Apostles left us and the power of His Holy Spirit, whom He left with us until He returns for us. And on that day every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.