After leaving Judea, Jesus decided to return after His friend Lazarus died. We will talk more about what happens next in the coming days, but this passage today shows us that Jesus is late on purpose. As they get ready to leave, the disciples are worried about what may happen. That is when Thomas says they should go with Jesus and die with Him. Thomas shows bravery and courage. So why do we remember him not as Brave Thomas but as Doubting Thomas? Let’s be careful never to define ourselves or others by our worst mistakes.

Shameless plug, here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history.

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God’s Word.

If you’d like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

Click on the image above or this link to watch today’s video.

You can read today’s passage here.

You can podcast this reflection here. You can subscribe through Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well.

Or, if you’d like to read the transcript of the video, keep reading!

It’s great to be with you on this Friday morning. I hope you’re doing well and have had a wonderful week. Today, we’re continuing our journey through the Gospel of John as we begin chapter 11. Just a quick reminder—I’ll be out of town next week, preaching at the Salem camp meeting outside of Lucedale, Mississippi. I’ll be gone Monday through Sunday, so we won’t have any Rooted sessions next week. While I might have some internet access, I can’t guarantee it. So, we’ll plan to resume on October 14. In the meantime, please keep me in your prayers as I preach and share God’s word.

Now, let’s turn our attention to John 11:1-16, the beginning of the story of Lazarus.

There’s a lot to unpack in these verses. First, let’s acknowledge the disciples—they mean well, but sometimes they just don’t quite get it. When Jesus said, “Lazarus has fallen asleep,” the disciples thought he meant literal sleep. But Jesus had to clarify, “Lazarus is dead.” I can almost picture Jesus shaking his head in loving exasperation as he explains things to them. It’s a comforting thought for us because it reminds us that even when we don’t fully understand, Jesus is patient with us.

We’ll dive deeper into the full story of Lazarus’ resurrection in future sessions, but for now, notice that Jesus deliberately delayed his trip to Bethany. Why? Because He had a greater plan in mind—to raise Lazarus from the dead and glorify God. This wasn’t a case of Jesus simply arriving late; it was intentional. He allowed the situation to unfold in such a way that God’s power could be displayed. We’ll see this theme develop further in the coming verses.

For today, I want to focus on Thomas. In verse 16, we read: “Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’”

Now, when we think of Thomas, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Doubt, right? We usually call him “Doubting Thomas” because of the well-known story after Jesus’ resurrection. But look at Thomas here! The disciples are worried about Jesus returning to Judea because the Jews had recently tried to stone Him. Yet Thomas—boldly and bravely—says, “Let us go, that we may die with him.” We often overlook his courage and faith in this moment. We don’t call him “Brave Thomas” or “Faithful Thomas,” do we? No, we fixate on his doubt.

This makes me reflect on how we define others and ourselves. Do we define people by their worst moments, their failures? Or do we see them for their moments of faith, courage, and strength? Thomas had doubt later on, but that wasn’t the whole of his story. Here, we see his loyalty and bravery. He was willing to follow Jesus, even if it meant death.

Friends, we need to be careful not to define ourselves—or others—by our worst mistakes. Yes, we all have moments of doubt, moments when we fail. But we are more than our failures. Just as Thomas was more than his doubt, we are more than our worst moments. Let’s look at ourselves and others through the lens of grace—God’s grace.

As Paul wrote in Philippians, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Let’s be quick to offer grace, slow to judge, and willing to see the best in others. Thomas was brave, and so can we be. Let’s strive to live in a way that reflects that grace and courage, both in how we see ourselves and others.

Thanks for being with us today. I look forward to continuing our journey in John after the break. Remember, we’ll pick back up on October 14. Until then, have a great week, and may God bless you!