John 20:28 - Thomas' Confession of Jesus as God
In John 20:28, Thomas responds to the resurrected Jesus with the declaration, "My Lord and my God!" (BSB) [1]. This statement occurs after Jesus appears to his disciples, including Thomas, who had previously expressed doubt about Jesus' resurrection, stating he would not believe unless he could physically touch Jesus' wounds [8, 9].
The context of this passage is crucial. Eight days after his initial appearance to the disciples, Jesus again appears to them, this time with Thomas present [10]. Jesus directly addresses Thomas, inviting him to touch his hands and side, fulfilling the very conditions Thomas had set for belief [9, 10]. Thomas's response, "My Lord and my God!" is not merely an exclamation of surprise but a profound proclamation of faith [3, 4].
Interpreters widely view Thomas's confession as a definitive statement of Jesus' deity. The Tyndale House commentary notes that this confession concludes John's overarching declaration of Jesus' deity, which began in the prologue of the Gospel (John 1:1-18) [3]. John Gill emphasizes that Thomas's declaration acknowledges Jesus as Lord by creation and redemption, and as God, evidenced by Jesus' omniscience and the power accompanying his words [6].
Some historical interpretations have attempted to reframe Thomas's words as an exclamation directed toward God the Father rather than Jesus. However, Adam Clarke argues that such an interpretation requires doing "violence to every rule of construction" and that the text plainly applies the address to Christ [5]. The fifth Ecumenical Council at Constantinople reportedly anathematized Theodore of Mopsuestia for advancing this view [5].
While Jesus is presented as submissive to the Father and the Father as "greater" (John 14:28), the Gospel of John also affirms Jesus' unity with the Father (John 10:30) [7]. Thomas's confession in John 20:28 is often cross-referenced with other biblical passages that speak to Jesus' divine nature or authority, such as Matthew 14:33, where the disciples worship Jesus and declare him "truly the Son of God" [2]. The significance of Thomas's confession lies in its direct and unequivocal acknowledgment of Jesus as both Lord and God, a climax to the narrative of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances in John's Gospel [3, 4].
Sources
- John “John 20:28 (BSB) — Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!””
- OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: John.20.28 → Matt.14.33 (confidence: 15 votes)”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 20:28: 20:28 “My Lord and my God!” This was not an astonished exclamation but a proclamation of heartfelt belief. It concludes John’s declaration of Jesus’ deity that has framed the whole book (see 1:1-18).”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 20:28: Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God--That Thomas did not do what Jesus invited him to do, and what he had made the condition of his believing, seems plain from Joh 20:29 ("Because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed"). He is overpowered, and the glory of Christ now breaks upon him in a flood. His exclamation surpasses all that had been yet uttered, nor can it be surpassed by anything that ever will be uttered in earth or heaven. On the striking parallel in Nathanael, see on Joh 1:49. The Socinian invasion of the supreme divinity of C”
- John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 20:28: Thomas answered, etc. - Those who deny the Godhead of Christ would have us to believe that these words are an exclamation of Thomas, made through surprise, and that they were addressed to the Father and not to Christ. Theodore of Mopsuestia was the first, I believe, who gave the words this turn; and the fifth Ecumenic council, held at Constantinople, anathematized him for it. This was not according to the spirit of the Gospel of God. However, a man must do violence to every rule of construction who can apply the address here to any but Christ. The text is plain: Jesu”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 20:28: And Thomas answered and said unto him,.... Without examining his hands and side, and as astonished at his condescension and grace, and ashamed of his unbelief: my Lord and my God; he owns him to be Lord, as he was both by creation and redemption; and God, of which he was fully assured from his omniscience, which he had given a full proof of, and from the power that went along with his words to his heart, and from a full conviction he now had of his resurrection from the dead. He asserts his interest in him as his Lord and his God; which denotes his subjection to him,”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 14:28: 14:28 the Father, who is greater than I am: See also 5:19-20. Jesus is submissive to the Father but is also one with the Father (10:30).”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 20:24: 20:24-25 Thomas: See also 11:16; 14:5). Thomas was absent when Jesus revealed himself. He remained skeptical despite the testimony of his friends, who had seen the Lord. Thomas demanded a concrete experience identical to theirs.”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 20:27: Then saith he to Thomas,.... For whose sake he chiefly came, and whom he at once singled out from the rest, and called by name in the most friendly manner, without upbraiding or reproaching him for not believing the testimony that had been given him: reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thine hand and thrust it into my side; that is, make use of every way by seeing, feeling, and examining the scars in my hands, and the hole in my side, and satisfy thyself in the manner thou hast desired; which shows the omniscience of Christ, who knew what h”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 20:26: 20:26-27 Eight days later was Sunday, one week after Jesus’ resurrection (it was customary to include the current day when counting forward). Jesus’ appearance on the following Sunday helps explain the disciples’ meeting on “the Lord’s Day” (see Rev 1:10). • Peace be with you: This scene was exactly like Jesus’ first appearance (John 20:19-20). Jesus had already heard Thomas’s complaint and now answered directly. • Believe! Jesus challenged Thomas to believe in the resurrection like the others.”