John 20:28
“And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Thomas moves from doubt to the fullest confession: he addresses the risen Jesus as God himself, the Gospel's climactic declaration.
Context
Thomas, upon seeing and being invited to touch the risen Jesus, makes the fullest confession of faith in the entire Gospel.
What Does John 20:28 Mean?
Thomas speaks the simplest, most profound words. My Lord and my God. In that phrase, all doubt dissolves. He does not say, ''I believe you are raised.'' He says, ''You are my God.'' This is the confession of a man who has been undone by encountering the divine. The same Jesus who walked with him, who was executed before his eyes, now stands before him as God incarnate. Every temple, every ritual, every prayer to the invisible God now has a face.
These words are the pinnacle of the Gospel of John. From the opening, ''In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,'' we journey toward this moment. A disciple, shattered and reconstituted, stands before the living God and knows him. That recognition is available to every reader who encounters this Gospel.
Application
The risen Christ stands before you in Scripture and in prayer. What would it mean to address him, as Thomas did, with the fullness of surrender: 'My Lord and my God'?