You will wrestle with doubt, but it must not win!
Matthew 28:16-18 (NIV)
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ
We believe that we have no access to God
except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor:
Jesus Christ the Righteous.
He therefore was made man,
uniting together the divine and human natures,
so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty.
Otherwise we would have no access.
But this Mediator,
whom the Father has appointed between himself and us,
ought not terrify us by his greatness,
so that we have to look for another one,
according to our fancy.
For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth
is there anyone who loves us
more than Jesus Christ does.
Although he was “in the form of God,”
he nevertheless “emptied himself,”
taking the form of “a man” and “a servant” for us;
and he made himself “completely like his brothers.”
Suppose we had to find another intercessor.
Who would love us more than he who gave his life for us,
even though “we were his enemies”?
And suppose we had to find one who has prestige and power.
Who has as much of these as he who is seated
“at the right hand of the Father,”
and who has all power
“in heaven and on earth”?
And who will be heard more readily
than God’s own dearly beloved Son?
So then, sheer unbelief has led to the practice
of dishonoring the saints,
instead of honoring them.
That was something the saints never did nor asked for,
but which in keeping with their duty,
as appears from their writings,
they consistently refused.
We should not plead here
that we are unworthy—
for it is not a question of offering our prayers
on the basis of our own dignity
but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity
of Jesus Christ,
whose righteousness is ours
by faith.
Since the apostle for good reason
wants us to get rid of this foolish fear—
or rather, this unbelief—
he says to us that Jesus Christ
was “made like his brothers in all things,”
that he might be a high priest
who is merciful and faithful
to purify the sins of the people.
For since he suffered,
being tempted,
he is also able to help those
who are tempted.
Summary
Certainly the final few verses of Matthew 28, often referred to as Jesus' "Great Commission," get lots of attention and are known well. But it's the verses that precede Jesus' famous instructions that get our attention today.
The eleven remaining disciples do exactly what Jesus had told them to do after His resurrection and went to meet Jesus in Galilee. Imagine the scene as they waited there, perhaps a bit unsure if they were in the right spot or wondering if Jesus would even show up. So when He did arrive, their reaction was one of absolute joy, which organically led to pure worship.
Well, for most of them at least. Matthew does record one bit of sad news in the midst of the unbridled joy, writing "but some doubted." After everything that had happened over the last couple of months: the healings Jesus performed, Lazarus being called out of the tomb, the passion week culminating in Jesus' crucifixion, and then after that the overwhelming news that Jesus had risen from the dead, and not only that, He'd stood before these very same disciples with His wounded hands, feet and side. He even ate with them! And yet, Matthew tells us, "some doubted."
Our Confession stacks several rhetorical questions on top of each other in the portion we read today, ultimately asking who, or even what, could a person turn to for hope if not Jesus, the One who gave His life for us and to whom was given "all authority in heaven and on earth?" In other words, Jesus is your only hope.
Dig Deeper
A person who truly encounters Jesus will go forward in life in one of two very different directions. Those who realize He's the Lord of Life can't help but to live a life of worship before, submitting to Him every aspect of life.
But those who doubt - not the kind of fleeting questions or curiosities all people have regarding their faith, but a deeply settled rejection of the truth claim Jesus makes that He is the way, the truth, and the life - those who harbor these doubts have absolutely nothing of value to cling to apart from Christ.
I wonder what became of those "doubters" that Matthew mentioned. We know well the gospel adventures that awaited some of the disciples because the Bible tells us so much about them. Reliable extra-biblical sources tell of how others brought the gospel to different parts of the world. But we don't know all of their stories, and we don't know a thing about how the rest of life unfolded for these doubters. But I'm quite sure they're sad stories. There's really no alternative, unless later their faith in Christ returned.
You will have doubts about your Christianity, perplexing questions that often seem unanswerable for a time. But as you wrestle with these questions in a solid church community by digging into God's Word, such experiences will strengthen and grow your faith, and you'll be ready to help others through their doubts.
But don't let your doubt become so consuming that it causes you, like these poor, unnamed disciples, to miss the Savior of the world, who stands before you offering to intercede on your behalf before Almighty God. As our Confession insinuates, where else can you go?
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who granted to Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for strength as you wrestle with doubt, and thank God for the powerful intercessor who represents you before Him;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 12
Comments