💫WEB · John 20:24
What does John 20:24 mean?
"But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came."
— John 20:24 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit!
If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t with them when Jesus came.
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the middle, and said, “Peace be to you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.”
Explanation
John 20:24 is a brief but important transitional verse that sets up one of the most famous scenes in the Gospels—the story of "Doubting Thomas." The verse simply tells us that Thomas, identified as one of the twelve apostles and given the nickname Didymus (meaning "twin" in Greek), was absent when Jesus first appeared to the other disciples after his resurrection. This absence becomes the hinge on which the rest of the narrative turns, explaining why Thomas did not initially believe the reports of his fellow disciples.
The Gospel of John was written, according to church tradition, by the apostle John, likely toward the end of the first century, to a community of believers who needed reassurance about who Jesus was and why they should trust in him even without having seen him physically. This passage comes in the final chapter's account of the resurrection appearances, right after Jesus had appeared to the ten remaining disciples (Judas being gone and Thomas being absent) in a locked room, showing them his wounded hands and side, and breathing the Holy Spirit upon them. Thomas's absence at this pivotal moment sets up the following verses where he expresses doubt and then, a week later, encounters the risen Christ himself.
Theologically, this simple statement about Thomas's absence carries weight because it authentically portrays the human experience of faith. Thomas was not present for the miraculous encounter, and so he did not share in that immediate, direct experience of the risen Lord. This detail underscores that faith often develops unevenly among believers—some encounter God's presence more directly or
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.