Genuine Faith Is Believing Without Seeing

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Believing Without Seeing

Why do so many people find it difficult to accept and believe in the miraculous events of the Bible? I’m thinking about Jesus Christ's physical resurrection from the dead this week. This is a miraculous historical event that some people still try to deny.

People, it seems to me, look for reasons not to believe what is supernatural in the Bible. They give various reasons, “It’s just mythology”. Another favorite is, “Miracles are just metaphorical analogies.” People often explain away supernatural biblical events with supposedly plausible reasons, even when fabricated (see Matthew 28:11-15).

What is incredible to me is how popular the supernatural is in many books and movies. People flock to watch superheroes fight villains, horror movies, and science fiction flicks that stretch the imagination way beyond belief.

Alternate realities are also popular, along with concepts like parallel universes. But when it comes to believing in a personal, living, sovereign God who does the miraculous, a line of unbelief is drawn.

Again I ask, why? The simple answer is this. If we believe in God and what He’s made known in the Bible, we are responsible for that knowledge.

To be fair, there is plenty of evidence in the Bible of people not believing in God’s miracles. For that matter, there are many instances in the Bible where people refuse to believe in the One, True, Living God of the Bible. So I understand the unwillingness to believe and unbelief itself.

But still. What is the primary reason anyone refuses, or at least resists, believing in the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead? His resurrection from the dead is the cornerstone of Christian theology.

Again, the testimony of the Bible gives us some insight, as one of Jesus’ followers declared—

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20:24-25)

Jesus made sure His followers knew of His coming death and resurrection at least three times, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (see Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). The Gospel of Luke points out how difficult it was for the disciples to understand God’s plan of redemption through the death and resurrection of Christ (Messiah)—

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken. (Luke 18:31-34)

Mark’s gospel reveals how they were afraid to ask Jesus what He meant when Jesus foretold His death and resurrection to the disciples (see Mark 9:31-32).

The Nature of Unbelief

All of this gives us insight into the nature of unbelief. The resistance rests upon our natural reason. Faith in a supernatural God who does supernatural things just doesn’t make sense to us. It doesn’t line up with our natural reasoning. That’s exactly the problem. The miracles of God aren’t natural, but supernatural. They defy our human reasoning and earthly perspective.

I see this as a great reason to celebrate Easter, or as many of us prefer to call it, Resurrection Sunday. It’s good to be reminded of how extraordinary the Lord’s resurrection is and why it’s the cornerstone of Christian theology.

God humbled Himself to become a man. He took on all it means to be human but without the natural inheritance of sin. Jesus experienced life on earth to identify with all humanity. The very earth He spoke into existence.

Finally, Jesus suffered humiliation, rejection, and a brutal death on the cross. He did this for all humanity—past, present, and future. We cannot reconcile ourselves with God because of our sin—our selfish rebellion toward God. We can’t remove the guilt, shame, and consequence of sin. But He did.

Jesus declared it so on the cross when He said, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The atonement (reconciliation) for all humanity’s sins was completed. The proof of this is the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, just as He told His followers many times ahead of going to the cross.

It’s easy to be hard on “doubting Thomas,” but the other disciples didn’t believe at first either. The men wouldn’t believe Mary, who saw, touched, and talked with her resurrected Lord (Luke 24:11).

Why is it hard for many of us to accept and believe in the supernatural resurrection of Jesus from the dead? Because we’re no different than the disciples, even “doubting Thomas”. We want tangible proof.

Even when we believe, it’s easy to drift in our faith. It’s natural to do so. Just look at Peter and the disciples between the Lord’s resurrection and the Day of Pentecost (see John 21 and Acts 1–2).

This is why we need to be reminded and to remind ourselves of the glorious truth of our Lord’s resurrection. We need to be reminded of what Jesus declared to Thomas—

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

Believe it! Proclaim it! He has risen!

Rejoice in this glorious revelation—

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ”

And they remembered His words. (Luke 24:1-8)