Doubt

Second Sunday of Easter, April 12, 2026: Acts 2:14a,22-32; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31; Psalm 16

Every year, on the Sunday after Easter the lectionary gives us this account from John’s gospel of Thomas. He is generally known by his role in this story, as “doubting Thomas”.

Knowing that this is an important story, it makes sense to explore what is important about it. And it is not that Thomas is wrong. After all, Thomas had gone out from the room on that first day of the week, a room that was locked for fear of the Jews. It is only three days after Jesus was crucified, and his closest friends were afraid. But when he returns, he is told that Jesus had showed up, shown them his wounds, and sent the Holy Spirit on those in the room.

We can’t blame Thomas for not really believing this. How did Jesus get into the room? Did they really see him? Was it really Jesus? I would have had questions too. When Jesus reappears a week later, he doesn’t criticize Thomas for his questions. He accepts them as normal, understandable. Which, let’s be honest, they are.

Thomas reminds us that doubt, asking questions, is a normal part of a journey of faith. Asking questions is how we learn things. I don’t understand this, can you explain it to me? How does this work? Why did you do it that way? Who was that? Why do they matter? In life, as in faith, questions point the way to deeper knowledge. Questions were and are a core part of Jewish culture, and much of Jesus’ teaching emerged in response to questions.

In our faith, there are many things that do not have simple answers. Once we get beyond the basic statements of our creeds, nothing is easy. And questions reflect doubt: can I be a Christian if I don’t do X? What happens if I don’t know how to turn the other cheek? How do you forgive seventy times seven? Do I really have to reject my family? We ask these questions because Jesus’s teachings today are just as counter-cultural as they were two thousand years ago. Christians have struggled with questions about the meaning of Jesus’ teaching almost from the moment he died.

Doubt, asking questions is part of growing in faith. Unlike Thomas, we do not have the opportunity to feel the wounds in his side. In that sense, we are among those Jesus described, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Believing does not mean we do not have questions.

As we celebrate Easter, and the joy of Jesus’ resurrection, we are reminded that there is nothing wrong with doubt, or with questions. It is how we move deeper into our faith.