Perhaps you thought that last week’s information about Doubting Thomas was all I had to say on the subject.  And you would be wrong, as I detected additional angles that could be discussed.  Let’s start with the instruction Jesus gave, after His resurrection, to His disciples (that they actually followed!):

“…’Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.'”[Acts 1:4b]

While waiting, at some point Jesus appeared to ten of the disciples. But when Thomas returned from the pool hall, he doubted.  And until Jesus returned a week later, these 10 disciples, men who had walked with Jesus for three+ years, mind you, could not convince Thomas to believe.  Ten against one.  Seven whole days.  What was their problem?

Here is what I believe.  The ‘gift’ Jesus promised in the above verse arrived several weeks later on the day of Pentecost:

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” [Acts 2:1,4]

Before Pentecost, the disciples only had their ‘natural’ abilities to try to convince Thomas, but after Pentecost, they were given ‘supernatural’ abilities.  Thus Peter, a professional fisherman and likely grade school dropout, could stand in front of thousands of people and hundreds of soldiers and boldly proclaim:

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” [Acts 2:36]

My point?  This same ‘supernatural’ gift of the Holy Spirit is available to us today, 2000 years after the disciples received the gift.  Do we realize this? Do we utilize this gift of the Holy Spirit?  Do we utilize Him to the fullest?

May the time come when, if someone asked us if we’ve ever dealt with the supernatural, we can say, “Every day!”

Blessings, and Happy Easter!

–Keith