Thomas said, “My Lord and My God” (John 20:28)
Quick Summary
When Thomas encounters the risen Christ and exclaims, “My Lord and my God,” it marks one of Scripture’s most profound turnarounds. Doubt becomes worship. In this moment, Thomas moves from skepticism to surrender, recognizing Jesus not only as teacher and friend but as God himself. His confession crowns the Gospel of John’s entire theological journey: the Word who was with God and was God (John 1:1) now stands before him, alive and victorious.
Introduction
We’ve all had moments when conviction replaces uncertainty—when something we once questioned becomes something we would give our life for. That’s the story of Thomas. Often remembered as “Doubting Thomas,” he is actually the apostle of turnaround faith. His journey mirrors those in Scripture who encountered God personally and were forever changed: Abraham leaving Ur, Jacob wrestling at Peniel, Moses before the burning bush, Isaiah crying “Woe is me!” in the temple, Paul blinded on the road to Damascus. In every case, an encounter with the divine transforms uncertainty into conviction.
In John 20:28, Thomas’s confession—“My Lord and my God”—isn’t just personal relief. It’s theological revelation. It completes John’s Gospel arc from the Word made flesh (John 1:14) to the Word resurrected and confessed as God. This moment is the hinge between faith as observation and faith as adoration.
Historical and Theological Context
Thomas’s confession comes a week after Jesus first appeared to the disciples (John 20:19–29). When the others told him they had seen the Lord, Thomas refused to believe unless he could see and touch the wounds himself. His skepticism was not unbelief born of rebellion but heartbreak born of realism. He had seen crucifixion—he knew what death looked like. What he couldn’t imagine was resurrection.
In ancient Jewish thought, physical resurrection was expected at the end of time, not in the middle of history. Thomas’s resistance shows he wasn’t gullible—he was grounded in Jewish eschatology. Jesus’s appearance a week later shatters that framework. He invites Thomas to touch his wounds, transforming a theology of expectation into a theology of realization.
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
John 20:26–27 – The Invitation to Believe
A week later, the disciples are again behind locked doors when Jesus appears among them saying, “Peace be with you.” Turning to Thomas, Jesus repeats Thomas’s own words back to him: “Put your finger here… reach out your hand.” This repetition is more than proof—it’s grace. Jesus meets Thomas where his faith faltered and restores him through the very evidence he demanded. The repetition of Thomas’s phrasing shows that Jesus had heard his doubt even when he was absent. Nothing in our doubt escapes divine notice.
Read More: “The Resurrection of Jesus: What Really Happened?”
John 20:28 – “My Lord and My God”
Thomas’s response is immediate and unqualified: “My Lord and my God” (ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou). This is not a mere exclamation—it’s a confession of faith. Grammatically, it parallels imperial titles in the Roman world, but theologically, it subverts them. Where Caesar was hailed as “lord and god,” Thomas now ascribes that ultimate title to Jesus. John’s readers in the Roman Empire would have heard the boldness: Jesus, not Caesar, is the true Lord of all.
Theologically, this verse fulfills John 1:1 and 1:14—the Word who was God now revealed in human form and recognized as such. The movement of the Gospel comes full circle: from “In the beginning was the Word” to “My Lord and my God.”
Transformation Through Encounter
Thomas’s turnaround mirrors the larger biblical pattern: encounter leads to transformation. Abraham moves from uncertainty to faith (Genesis 15:6), Moses from reluctance to leadership (Exodus 3–4), Isaiah from guilt to calling (Isaiah 6), and Paul from persecutor to apostle (Acts 9). Each person’s story shows that faith is not a static decision but a relational awakening. God does not shame honest doubt; he meets it.
Thomas’s confession also echoes Job’s: “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). Like Job, Thomas moves from hearing to seeing, from speculation to revelation. Both confessions arise from suffering and result in deeper intimacy with God.
The Personal Nature of the Confession
Note the pronouns: my Lord and my God. Thomas doesn’t merely affirm a doctrine; he embraces a relationship. Faith becomes personal possession. John’s Gospel repeatedly presses toward this point: faith is not just believing facts about Jesus—it’s entrusting oneself to him. The resurrection makes that possible. Jesus isn’t a distant deity to be admired but a risen Savior to be worshiped and followed.
The Echo of Worship
Thomas’s words are the highest Christological confession in any Gospel. Earlier in John, others call Jesus “Rabbi,” “Messiah,” “Son of God.” Now, one of his disciples proclaims him fully divine. This confession anticipates the doxologies that will fill the New Testament: Paul declaring that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (Philippians 2:10), and John’s later vision of heavenly worship in Revelation—“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 5:12).
The Turnaround Pattern in Scripture
Throughout the canon, divine encounters reverse human expectations:
Abraham: from childless wanderer to father of nations (Genesis 17).
Jacob: from deceiver to Israel, one who wrestles with God (Genesis 32:28).
Moses: from fugitive to liberator (Exodus 3–4).
Isaiah: from despair to prophetic commission (Isaiah 6:8).
Paul: from persecutor to preacher (Acts 9:1–20).
Thomas stands in this lineage of transformation. His story invites every reader to see doubt not as disqualification but as prelude to encounter.
Theological Significance
John presents Thomas’s confession as the climax of his Gospel’s purpose: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). Thomas’s proclamation embodies that goal. It is not only about belief but life—a relationship restored through resurrection faith.
Moreover, this confession affirms the full divinity of Christ. Early church fathers such as Athanasius and Augustine saw in Thomas’s words a cornerstone of Trinitarian theology. Jesus is not merely God’s messenger but God himself, the Word made flesh and now glorified.
Application – The Turnaround of Faith
Thomas reminds modern believers that faith often grows through struggle. It is not the absence of doubt but the transformation of it. The risen Christ still meets people in locked rooms—behind intellectual barriers, emotional wounds, or spiritual fatigue—and invites them to see, touch, and believe.
In a culture that prizes certainty, Thomas gives permission to wrestle. Faith is not pretending we never doubt; it’s trusting Christ enough to bring our doubts to him. The result, when we do, is often the same as Thomas’s: worship that springs from encounter.
FAQ
1. Why did Thomas call Jesus “My Lord and my God”?
Because he recognized Jesus as both divine and personal Savior. This confession affirms the deity of Christ, fulfilling John’s opening statement that the Word was God (John 1:1). It also reveals intimate faith—Thomas doesn’t say the Lord and the God but my Lord and my God.
2. What changed Thomas’s mind?
Encounter. Seeing the risen Christ transformed his skepticism into conviction. This pattern repeats through Scripture—real encounters with God always change people. Thomas’s story shows that doubts are not final; divine presence rewrites them.
3. Does this verse teach that Jesus is God?
Yes. John 20:28 is one of the clearest New Testament affirmations of Jesus’s divinity. Thomas’s confession uses the same Greek terms applied to God the Father elsewhere in Scripture. It encapsulates the Gospel’s theology: Jesus is God revealed in human form.
4. How does this apply to my faith journey?
Thomas’s story invites you to bring your honest questions before God. Faith grows when we move from hearing about Christ to encountering him personally. It’s okay to doubt; what matters is what you do with your doubt.
5. Are there other “turnarounds” like Thomas’s in the Bible?
Yes—Jacob wrestling with God, Peter restored after denial, Paul’s conversion, and Job’s repentance after seeing God. Each story follows the same pattern: encounter, humility, and transformation.
6. What does this mean for worship today?
Thomas’s words became the model for Christian worship—adoration grounded in revelation. Every time the church confesses Jesus as Lord, it echoes this moment. Worship begins when faith recognizes who stands before us.
Works Consulted
Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John (AYB, Vol. 29A), pp. 1038–1043.
D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (PNTC), pp. 656–660.
Gail O’Day, John (NIB, Vol. 9), pp. 847–850.
Craig Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary, Vol. 2, pp. 1208–1214.
Andreas Köstenberger, John (BECNT), pp. 563–567.
