A Nathaniel or a Thomas

There is a wide difference in the spirituality of individuals. When Philip told Nathaniel that he had "found him, of whom Moses … and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph," his response was, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

Philip said, "Come and see." Come he did, and he did see. What Nathaniel must have felt! For with no further convincing, he exclaimed, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God."

The Lord blessed him for his belief and said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (John 1:45–51.)

Thomas is another story; the combined testimony of ten of the Apostles could not convince him that the Lord had risen. He required tangible evidence. "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Eight days later the Lord appeared. "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." After he had seen and felt for himself, Thomas responded, "My Lord and my God."

Then the Lord taught a profound lesson. "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:25–29; italics added.)

And so the title "Doubting Thomas"; different indeed than Nathaniel, whom the Lord described as being "without guile." (See John 1:47.) With Thomas, it was "seeing is believing"; with Nathaniel, it was the other way around—believing, then seeing "heaven open and angels of God descending and ascending upon the Son of Man." (John 1:51.)