From the Pages of the New Testament, Essay Example

Our story comes from Jerusalem, the location of a string of ongoing events that have unfolded over the past few weeks. Today we are interviewing Thomas, also known as Didymus, or “Twin,” a man who claims to have been a follower of the man named Jesus, who has been our front-page story several days in a row now. We refer to some passages from the book of John, Chapter 20 (19-31 as we move ahead with this interview.

Interviewer: So, could you tell our readers a little about yourself?

Thomas: Yes. I am Thomas. My father was named James- my grandfather,  Alpheus. My twin brother, Matthew the Tax Collector, and I both walked with him-  Jesus. I have worn the nickname “doubting Thomas,” because of my tendencies to look for the worst in things. When I journeyed with Him, I was the one who was the naysayer. Others would say “yes,” while I would say “no.”

When Lazarus died, He took us toward Bethany, only a few miles from Jerusalem. The word was out that people wanted to kill Him. I stood up for his decision to go to Bethany. I am proud that I did. I would do it again.

Interviewer:   You have much to say to our readership. Tell us your story, please.

Thomas: Our teacher told us of Lazarus’ death. I remember it plainly. I stood up, tall and confident and said to my compatriots,’ Let us go with Him that we might die with Him. It was hard for me to understand the things He tried to teach us. This was especially true of the things He said about His death and His resurrection.

I recall as precisely as if it was yesterday. I was sitting on a large rock, just above where He was lying on the ground with His hands behind His head, looking intently toward the sky: “I go and prepare a place—for you. And I will come again. I will bring you back to myself. Where I am, there you will be. You know the place I am going.”

Immediately I interrupted Him. “Lord, we do not know where You are going. We do not even know what You are saying. How can we understand You when You speak this way?” He stood, climbed the rock, and sat by my side. He touched my shoulder. “I am the way,” He said. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Then he turned and looked at our entourage and continued- “No person comes to God except by Me.”

He slowly made His way down the rock and motioned us all to circle around Him. When we got there- I was almost the last, because I was still thinking about His earlier words- He said, “You know Me, so You know My Father. And You have seen My Father, because You have seen me.”

I suppose you know about the trip to Jerusalem and how the Teacher was murdered. All of us scattered. Our hearts were full of sorrow. Through Jesus, we thought, Israel would find freedom, at last, from the heavy hand of Rome and God would once again rule over his free people. Nevertheless, all of our hopes came crashing down when they arrested Jesus, tried Him before a kangaroo court, and sentenced Him to death by crucifixion.

I heard that the others had gathered in a room, built over the home of the believer, Omar. I heard a special guest had been there to dine with them.

More than a week later, after asking around, I pieced together their whereabouts. I saw Andrew and Peter watering the colt that the Teacher had ridden into the city. “Thomas. Thomas. How good to see you. We thought you were lost to us. We have seen the Lord,” they said, running to greet me. They kissed me, as was our custom, on that road. I thought them to be mad, for I could tell that they were sincere.  Trying to calm them- to help them deal with their grief, I spoke slowly and rationally, which was hard, for I, too, was suffering. “Unless I see the print of the nails in His hands and touch His wounds- until I put my hand into the hole they made in His abdomen, I will not believe you.”

They took me with them. I entered a small dwelling. The others embraced me. There I found my twin, whom I imagined I would never see again. My friends were all flanking him and smiling. Luke had tears of joy.  “He lives,” said John. “He lives indeed,” shouted Bartholomew. It all took a moment for me to understand what they were saying. They were telling me that our Leader- the One whose hallucination they saw, was actually alive. They were telling me that Judas Iscariot had met with death by his own hand. That, too, was sad for me, for he and I had had many good times together. He was more than a friend. He was like a brother. I forgave him for his manic actions.

I had spent the week trying to imagine Jesus, as I knew Him, remembering the good times. I even went back to the tomb, twice, to make sure that it was empty. It was. I tried to reconstruct how someone could have broken it that guarded place. Just as fast as I was trying to keep Him buried, they were trying to resurrect Him. It all made me anxious to leave their presence. I was in no mood for their optimism. They were in denial. I was not. I needed some space.

I saw from a distance as they drove nails into His body. I sobbed as they put a spear into His side. I saw Him bleed. I saw Him die. I followed the cortege to Simeon’s tomb.

They closed the doors to the chamber. We, too, stood a real chance of arrest and trial, just as He had been. Although no one said those words aloud, we all knew it was a possibility.

Just after the doors closed and we sat down on the floor, the heavy doors flew open again. A man entered quietly and, without taking His gaze off us, closed them behind. “Peace be unto you,” He said in Aramaic. Those four, simple words sounded just like they were coming from a reading of the Talmud. By body quaked. My comrades fell on their faces. Only He and I remained standing.

They expected me to believe that the man who stood in the midst of them was that Leader- our Lord- the One who performed daily miracles during the years I took His companionship.

The man who stood with them was not that man. This man did not have His face, nor did he have His stature.

He walked over to me and with eyes fixed on me just as they were on that rock that sunny day when He uttered Holy words about being the “Way, Truth, and Life…” I could hear His voice ringing in my ears. This voice had the same ring but a different tone.

Stopping directly in front of me, He commanded, “Give me your hand. I will guide your finger to touch the scar in my side.” Before I knew what was happening, He did. At that moment, the entire world stood still. All was surreal.

“My Lord and My God,” I said as I fell flatly before Him, just like the others.

My Lord and My God… With these words, I became, perhaps, the first person in recorded history to refer to Jesus as—–God.

He spoke directly to me. “Thomas,” He said, You have seen me and touched Me, and you believe. Blessed are they who have not seen and have not touched and still believe.” I could not respond. I cannot tell you much else about those few minutes we shared that day for I my entire being filled with awe and terror and joy.

Yes, I doubted. I admit that. Nevertheless, when I met with factual evidence head-on, I believed. The Teacher never doubted my loyalty to Him- from the moment He gave me the opportunity to follow Him until now. Not one person in our brotherly band had more allegiance to Him than did I. Let me remind you, I was prepared to die for Him. It never occurred to me that He was prepared to die for me, yet that is what He did.

We had other encounters with Him over several weeks. Once He cooked breakfast for us by the shore. We took long walks together. He taught us all the things He had taught us before, but this time, we listened with new and enlightened ears. One day, He began to levitate above us. Bright lights encircled Him, and He returned to His Father.

Do not think me mad.

The last thing He said to us was that we were supposed to “go” and to “tell.” My friends and I felt compelled to enlighten everyone about the Rabbi. We said our goodbyes after we saw Him ascend into the heavens. We knew that we would never have another reunion. We knew that we would probably lose our lives for the message that we had from Him. We were eager to go despite this unspoken knowing.

Where the others went, I cannot tell you. I have not heard from them directly or through our network of believers. I know they made it, for we all found ordination by Jesus to preach His love. First, I journeyed to Persia. Today, some call it Iran. From there I went to the mountains of Turkmenistan. I was the first Apostle to take the message of our Lord to India. We built a palace in His honor there. I now reside in the city of Edessa in Greece. Some say that that soon I will die. A man has let it be known that he will pierce my side with a spear, just as I have preached so many times about my Lord’s side being punctured in that way. I have nothing- except the Teacher’s message. I want nothing- except to tell others of His perfect love. I fear nothing- period.

Interviewer: Thank you for granting this interview.

Our readers should expect more coverage from the fascinating events of Jerusalem when, in future issues of this newspaper, interview more people who lived with him.