John 11:16
“Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Thomas speaks for the disciples, accepting the danger and committing himself and the others to follow Jesus even unto death.
Context
Bethany is near Jerusalem, where authorities seek to kill Jesus. Thomas understands that going there means risking death. Yet he rallies his fellow disciples to commit themselves to Jesus, even in the face of that risk.
What Does John 11:16 Mean?
Thomas has a reputation, cultivated partly from this gospel, of being a doubter. But here he shows something else: a willingness to walk into danger with Jesus. His words have a solemnity that commands respect. 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.' This is not cynicism or despair, though it may sound like it. It is a choice to follow Jesus where he leads, and to accept that following him may cost him his life. Thomas is, in this moment, every disciple who has ever chosen to follow Jesus in spite of knowing the cost.
Afterward, tradition says Thomas carried the gospel to India and died a martyr's death. But even if that were not so, his words here are a kind of pledge. He is saying: I belong to Jesus, and wherever he goes, I will follow, even if it leads to my death. There is a faith here that has moved beyond the disciples' earlier questions about safety. This is the decision to love the Lord more than life itself.
In the Original Language
Didymus (GREEK, from ARAMAIC), 'twin' -- a name that emphasizes Thomas' individuality and, some suggest, his doubling nature as skeptic and devoted follower.
Application
True faith is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to follow Jesus even when we understand that the cost may be your life. This is the faith that Jesus calls all of us toward.