See, Touch, Believe: The Reality of Easter's Miracle

When Doubt Leads to Discovery

Ever wondered if it's okay to question your faith? Or felt like you need more than just someone else's word to believe something so extraordinary?

John Harding brought us an Easter message from an unexpected location – Chennai, India, the burial place of St. Thomas, one of Jesus' twelve apostles. Standing where Thomas reportedly spent his final years before being martyred, John unpacked why the resurrection isn't just a nice story but the hinge point of everything Christians believe.

The Ancient Greeting That Changes Everything

"Christ is risen!" That's the traditional Easter greeting Christians have shared for two thousand years. The response? "He is risen indeed!" It's not just a phrase – it's a declaration of the most significant event in human history.

As John put it: "Without the actual, literal, miraculous, bodily resurrection of Jesus, there's no Christianity." The Apostle Paul was even more blunt in 1 Corinthians 15 – if there's no resurrection, your faith is futile, useless, pointless.

C.S. Lewis argued that to preach Christ is to preach the Resurrection. It's why he wrote Aslan rising from the dead in Narnia – he wanted children to grasp this truth. The resurrection isn't a metaphor or a feel-good story with a moral lesson. It's the whole ball game.

Thomas Had Questions Too

We've all heard the phrase "doubting Thomas." But standing at the place where Thomas eventually gave his life for the faith, John offered a fresh perspective on this misunderstood disciple.

Here's what happened: Jesus had been crucified. Dead. Buried. The disciples' hopes and dreams were crushed. They were hiding, fearing for their lives. Then Jesus rose and appeared to the other disciples – but Thomas missed it.

When they told Thomas that Jesus was alive, his response was understandable: "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, unless I touch the place where the spear went into his side, I will not believe."

A week later, Jesus walked into the room and addressed Thomas directly: "Look at my nail-pierced hands. Touch my side where the spear went in. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas's response? "My Lord and my God."

Three Things Thomas Teaches Us

John drew out three powerful points from Thomas's story:

1. It's Okay to Have Doubts

Doubt is normal. Doubt is natural. Doubt is understandable. The Christian faith hinges on unbelievable, miraculous, supernatural events – the virgin birth, the resurrection. If you've never questioned these things, you've probably never really thought about them in enough detail.

2. It's Okay to Ask for Evidence

Thomas asked for evidence. He had clear criteria for what he would need in order to believe. And here's the remarkable thing – that's exactly what Jesus gave him.

During Conversation Street, Matt and John discussed how many people assume science and faith are opposing worldviews. But that's not the case at all. John pointed out that Thomas was essentially being a good scientist – questioning, doubting, wanting empirical verification. The difference? He was humble enough to change his mind based on the evidence he received.

There's actually compelling evidence for the resurrection. Books like Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ, Josh McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict, and J. Warner Wallace's Cold-Case Christianity were all written by sceptics who set out to disprove the resurrection – and ended up becoming Christians because the evidence was so compelling.

3. Will You Acknowledge Jesus Like Thomas?

Thomas encountered the resurrected Jesus and his response was worship. "My Lord and my God." The question for each of us is: are we humble enough to respond the same way?

The Evidence That Changed the World

John highlighted one particularly compelling piece of evidence – the transformation of the disciples themselves.

Jesus was crucified as a criminal, enemy of both Jews and Romans. Those two forces combined to crush this new religion and execute anyone who spread the message. The disciples went into hiding, fearful for their lives. It seemed like Jesus' mission had failed. Time to pack up and go home.

Only that's not what happened.

Those same fearful men told everyone they met about Jesus and his resurrection. They preached in streets and marketplaces. They travelled across the entire world proclaiming the risen Jesus despite it being illegal. All of the apostles apart from John were executed for it.

Why would they do that? Why would they risk everything – give everything, even their lives – for a lie?

Thomas himself was so convinced and transformed by his encounter that he left his home and travelled 7,000 kilometres through modern-day Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan down to southern India. He spent twenty years planting churches before a spear was driven through him for proclaiming the risen Christ.

You don't die for something you know to be a hoax.

Living Between Friday and Sunday

During Conversation Street, John shared something profound about Holy Saturday – the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

"Most of life is lived in the space between Good Friday and Easter Sunday," he explained. "We're at that point of waiting for the promise to be fulfilled."

The disciples didn't know Sunday was coming. They thought the story had ended. And yet we know that resurrection was inevitable – death could not hold Jesus, the grave could not cling to him.

Matt reflected on standing in church that morning, realising he was one of billions of people around the world celebrating the resurrection. "I'm a very small part in a very big kingdom," he said, "but I'm known by the King."

Your Invitation

John's challenge was direct: "Put God to the test. If you're really searching, ask God. Say, 'God, if you are real, help me. If you're real, reveal yourself to me.'"

Matt added an important nuance – rather than praying conditional prayers ("God, if you're real, make this happen"), try praying "God, reveal yourself to me" and then be aware of unexpected ways he might do that.

Or, as John suggested: "Pray that you would experience the love of God." Because God isn't looking for transactions – he's looking for relationship.

Your Next Step

This Easter, consider these practical responses:

1. Examine your doubts honestly – What questions do you have about the resurrection? Write them down. Don't pretend they don't exist.
2. Do the research – Pick up one of the books mentioned (The Case for Christ, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, or Cold-Case Christianity) and examine the evidence for yourself.
3. Ask God to reveal himself – Pray honestly: "God, if you're real, help me to know you. Reveal yourself to me."
4. Consider the transformed lives – What would convince you to die for something? The disciples' transformation from fearful to fearless is itself evidence worth considering.

The resurrection isn't just ancient history – it's an invitation. An invitation to move from doubt to discovery, from searching to finding, from death to life.

Christ is risen. He is risen indeed.