Eyewitness to Easter: Thomas, Willing to Die with Jesus
Thomas is with Jesus and the rest of the disciples. In John 11, receive word that Lazarus is dying and to come quickly. The disciples are worried about Jesus and do not want him to go into Bethany for fear Jesus will be killed.
When the disciples object, Jesus tells them that walking in daylight one will not stumble, but if you walk in darkness you will. He insist he is going to wake Lazarus up.
The disciples do not understand, and Jesus tells them he’s glad he wasn’t there because they are about to have a greater understanding and be an eyewitness in which their faith will grow.
This is when we hear Thomas speak.
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” {John 11:16}
He’s saying, why stay here when we can go with him. Wouldn’t it be better to die with him than stay behind?
Matthew Henry explains, ““Let us go and die with our Master, who is now exposing himself to death by venturing into Judea;” and so I rather think it is meant. “If he will go into danger, let us also go and take our lot with him, according to the command we received, Follow me.” Thomas knew so much of the malice of the Jews against Christ, and the counsels of God concerning him, which he had often told them of, that it was no foreign supposition that he was now going to die. And now Thomas manifests
- gracious readiness to die with Christ himself, flowing from strong affections to him, though his faith was weak, as appeared afterwards
- A zealous desire to help his fellow-disciples into the same frame: “Let us go, one and all, and die with him; if they stone him, let them stone us; who would desire to survive such a Master?” Thus, in difficult times, Christians should animate one another. We may each of us say, Let us die with him.
The disciples accompany Jesus to Bethany, where they arrive to find Mary and Martha weeping and asking why he’s not been there. The disciples are present as Jesus walks to the tomb of Lazarus, weeps and calls Lazarus forth.
If they had any doubt he was the Messiah, there is no doubt now.