YET ANOTHER VACANT SEAT! 2

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.” (Joh 20:24 KJV )

Although reportedly risen from the dead after being brutalized 3 days before, not all the disciples had seen Him. Even if He would come, He was not likely to be present in His previous body. Long story short, Jesus' seat was vacant.

He was a very close and trusted disciple. He became so relevant that he was made the treasurer for the team. He was going to retain his relevance but for greed, he became an ultimate traitorous figure in history. He followed the murderous path, betraying his Master, giving Him up for thirty pieces of silver. When he could no longer bear the pain and shame, he committed suicide. Understandably, Judas' seat, too, was vacant.

There was Yet Another Vacant Seat. That seat was Thomas'. Was there a valid reason for his seat to be vacant? John 20 verse 25 says, "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe."

While the Bible did not give explicit reason for his absence, his expression in verse 25 above may have justified people's suggestion that his absence might be due to despondency (extreme hopelessness).

Whatever the reason for his seat to be vacant, Thomas missed the sight of the Lord on the first day of resurrection and therefore, missed the First-hand blessing. Also, he was in suspense for another one week. I could imagine Thomas kicking himself and thinking, ‘I could have been there in the first place. Why absenting myself on a day like that?!’ I suspect the guilt of that one day's decision would hunt him for a long time!

Beloved, we shall all do well to remember the charge in Hebrews 10:25; not to be absent from Church services without good reason. Let's learn from Thomas. Stop creating "Yet Another Vacant Seat!"