Matthew 28: Risen! (5)
Pray Psalm 16.8, 9.
I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
Sing Psalm 16.8, 9, 11.
All to Christ: Jesus Paid It All
You are ever with me, LORD; in You I shall not fall.
But rejoicing in Your Word, I abide within Your call.
Refrain v. 11
Make me know life’s way! Pleasures fill Your hand.
Fill my life with joy each day! Before Your face I stand.
Read Matthew 28.1-17; Meditate on verses 16, 17.
What does it mean to doubt?
Prepare.
1. How did the disciples respond to the report of the women?
2. How did they respond to Jesus?
Meditate.
We can assume that the women carried out their assignment (v. 10), for the disciples “went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them” (v. 16).
We have to make some additional observations here, which we do by bringing in the other gospel writers to clarify and enlarge on this passage. The disciples apparently did not go into Galilee right away. Rather, Jesus appeared to them in Jerusalem on the same day He rose from the dead (Jn. 20.19). At that time, He showed the proofs of His resurrection, and He rebuked the disciples for their unbelief (Jn. 20.20; Mk. 16.14). Had the women conveyed the message, and they just didn’t take it seriously? That seems to have been the case, as we see from Luke 24.22-24.
Jesus appeared to the disciples after the two traveling to Emmaus returned to report about His resurrection (Lk. 24.33-36). He rebuked those two for their doubts—“slow of heart to believe”—then took them to the Scriptures, opening their understanding and explaining to them why it was necessary for Him to die and rise again (Lk. 24.44-47).
In Galilee, a crossroads of the Hebrew and Gentile worlds, and on the appointed mountain, when the disciples saw Him again, “they worshiped Him; but some doubted” (v. 17). Doesn’t that describe most of us? We worship Jesus because we have come to know Him. But we still doubt the reliability of His Word or the seriousness of His calling: “How can we be witnesses?” “Who would listen to us?” “Won’t there be some risk involved?” “I’ve never done anything like this before.”
We all need a little more of the faith of those faithful women, who saw Jesus, worshiped Him, heard His Word, embraced their mission, and carried it out, even in the face of doubts and unbelief by those who should have known better.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted” (Matt. 28.17).
So wait.
They went on ahead and walked approximately 50 miles to meet with the Jesus,
the risen Savior, in Galilee; and then doubted that He had risen?
Or that it was really Him?
Or that He maybe did or didn’t do exactly what He said He would?
Why bother to go? What were the doubters expecting?
But then, don’t we do the very same thing?
We go to the Word to read all about God, and then we doubt His Word?
Or we worry, or complain, or lack in trust toward Him?
We go to church to meet Him there; but do we really?
We know we are to obey God’s every Word; but do we doubt that He is serious about it?
Do we doubt that He will make good on His threats and His promises?
What exactly is doubt?
(intransitive verb form) To waver in opinion or judgment; to be in uncertainty as to belief respecting anything; to hesitate in belief; to be undecided as to the truth of the negative or the affirmative proposition; to be undetermined.
(transitive verb form) To question or hold questionable; to withhold assent to; to hesitate to believe, or to be inclined not to believe; to withhold confidence from; to distrust.
Frankly, we do not want either of these forms of the word attached to us regarding our relationship with God. Never do we want to doubt anything about our heavenly Father,
Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit.
“He is risen, as He said” (Matt. 28.6). Period. Full stop.
When Peter stopped looking at Jesus, but looked around at his circumstances, he began to sink.
Jesus first stretched out His hand to help him, but then said,
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14.31).
“Deal with Your servant according to Your mercy, and teach me Your statutes” (Ps. 119.124).
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to all liberally and without reproach,
and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Jms. 1.5-8).
There is not a parent, reading these words, who does not want their children to trust them—without doubt.
When we love we always intend the best for those we love—therefore we don’t want to be doubted.
Our great and perfect God, our heavenly Father, does not want us to doubt Him about anything.
We are to believe every Word spoken by Him; and then do our part to prove that we don’t doubt Him. At all.
In any way, about anything. It is one of the ways we please Him. So, we must do it.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,
and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11.6).
“Who is so great a God as our God? You are the God Who does wonders…” (Ps. 77.13, 14).
Therefore trust, and obey, and do not doubt Him. Ever.
Doubting is theologically, spiritually, ecumenically, and theoretically dumb.
Without a doubt: See Him, worship Him, and believe Him.
Reflect.
1. How might you be able to know when you were doubting God about something?
2. How does doubt affect our walk with and work for the Lord?
3. What can you do to recognize doubt and banish it before it settles in?
This seems to me to be the last appearance in Galilee, when He sent them out to baptize. And if “some doubted,” herein again admire the Evangelists’ truthfulness. Even up to the last day, they were determined not to conceal even their own shortcomings. Nevertheless even these are assured by what they see. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew, Homily 90.2
Pray Psalm 16.1-7, 10, 11.
Seek the Presence of the Lord in prayer, and ask Him to go with you as you prepare to work your Personal Mission Field today.
Sing Psalm 16.5-7, 10, 11.
All to Christ: Jesus Paid It All
My portion and my cup are You, my Savior dear;
You help and hold me up and ever keep me near.
Refrain v. 11
Make me know life’s way! Pleasures fill Your hand.
Fill my life with joy each day! Before Your face I stand.
I bless Your Name, O LORD; my mind instructs each night;
You teach me by Your Word and guide me in the right.
Refrain
Soon Your glory I shall see, for as Jesus rose again,
You will come to gather me to my home with You in heav’n.
Refrain
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Men, check out the fall schedule of reading and study groups. Lots of opportunities here to grow and make some new friends. And look over the books in our clearance sale at The Ailbe Bookstore.
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast features excerpts from the book, Patrick: A Devotional History. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column continues our study of “Everyday Christianity”. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
