Then Jesus told him,(Thomas), “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus did many more miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name. (John 20:29-31) NIV

Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.” Jesus provided far more God revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.
(John 20:29-31) The Message

I do not believe Jesus was condemning Thomas when he said that those who believe without having seen the resurrected Jesus would be blessed. Jesus was telling him and the other disciples that their witness and the message they carry will be how other people would come to believe and trust in Jesus.

Jesus came to them and said, ”All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me . Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,”
(Matthew 28:18-20). NIV

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,(John 17:20a).

Because of the riches of the written scriptures available to us and a multitude of study and informational tools available, it is hard to imagine when all the words we read, the disciples heard directly from Jesus. They saw his facial expression, the look in his eyes, and heard the tone of his voice. They had his presence in the room with them.

I have to ask myself what would I have heard, what would I grasp, what would I remember? Would I have known Jesus as “My Lord and my God”?

I am grateful that Jesus prepared a way for those of us who would come to believe in him even though we have not seen him. I am grateful for the disciples whose living witness and gospel message went out and ultimately provided written testimony for us to, by the power of the Holy Spirit, believe in Jesus.

Join me in thanking Jesus, the Living Word of God, for providing for all of us who come to believe in him through the witness of those disciples and for the scriptures that are available to strengthen and delight us.