John 20:28 - Thomas' Confession of Jesus as God

As we ponder the profound statement made by Thomas in John 20:28, we are met with a declaration that has far-reaching implications for our understanding of Jesus Christ. Upon seeing the resurrected Lord, Thomas exclaims, "My Lord and my God!" This confession is not merely a expression of awe or surprise, but a deliberate acknowledgment of Jesus' divinity. In saying this, Thomas is ascribing to Jesus the very attributes and prerogatives that belong to God alone, as expressed in Isaiah 44:6, where God says, "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god." By calling Jesus "my God," Thomas is, in effect, affirming that Jesus is the eternal, self-existent, and all-sufficient One, who is worthy of worship and adoration.

This confession is all the more remarkable when we consider the Jewish context in which it was made. For a devout Jew like Thomas, to attribute divinity to anyone other than the God of Israel would have been unthinkable, and yet, he unhesitatingly applies this title to Jesus. This is a testament to the profound impact of Jesus' resurrection on his disciples, who came to realize that He was not just their Master and Teacher, but the very embodiment of God's presence and power. As Paul would later write in Colossians 2:9, "in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily," underscoring the fact that Jesus is the perfect revelation of God's nature and character. In John 20:28, we see the disciples' growing understanding of Jesus' identity, an understanding that would eventually shape the Christological confessions of the early church, as expressed in passages like Hebrews 1:8, where the Father says to the Son, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever." Thomas's confession, therefore, serves as a pivotal moment in the Gospel narrative, highlighting the inseparable link between Jesus' resurrection and His divinity, and inviting us to join him in worshiping Jesus as our Lord and our God.