Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be faithless, but believe.” Thomas responded to him, “My Lord and my God! Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:27-29, CSB)

NOTE: In the title of this post don’t misread “Scarred” meaning disfigured as “Scared” meaning afraid.

Did you know that Jesus was talking about you when He spoke these words to Thomas during one of His appearances to His disciples after His resurrection?

Christians today face a dilemma they have faced since Jesus made this statement to Thomas—that of living in that period in time after Christ’s first coming and before His second coming.

Some theologians have called the age in which we live “between the times,” meaning the period of time between Christ’s first and second comings.

While the first generation of Christians was closely connected to Christ’s first coming, all Christians since have had to address the ambiguity of the time between His first and second comings.

The first generation of Christians who were witnesses to His first coming knew Jesus as a flesh-and-blood person, a human being. Their challenge was to believe in His Deity.

For all generations of Christians after His first coming and awaiting His Second Coming, the challenge is to comprehend His humanity.

Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection. Thomas declared that he would not believe in Christ’s resurrection unless he saw the nail scars in Jesus’ hands and the spear wound in His side.

Our faith in Christ should be fashioned like that of Thomas who believed in Jesus’ Divinity only after he could see and touch the marks of His humanity.

Jesus knows what it is like to be human and He has the scars to prove it!

Our salvation is not borne out of God’s power over us, but from His love toward us. He made us like Him by becoming like us.

As “between the times Christians” we are blessed because we have not seen and touched Him, yet we have believed!

Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9, CSB)