Doubting the Risen Jesus
There is a remarkable, almost unsettling detail buried in the resurrection account of Matthew 28 — one that most of us race past on our way to the Great Commission, yet one that may be the most personally encouraging line in the entire chapter.
Key Scripture
“When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.” Matthew 28:17
Reflection
Read that again slowly. These were not sceptical outsiders or hostile religious leaders. These were the eleven — the men who had walked with Jesus for three years, watched Him heal the blind and raise the dead, and had now received a personal summons to a mountain in Galilee specifically to meet their risen Lord. They saw Him. They worshipped Him. And some of them doubted. All of this happened simultaneously, in the same moment, in the same people.
The Greek word translated “doubted” here is edistasan, from distazo — meaning to stand in two places at once, to waver between two paths. It is not the word for unbelief or rejection. It describes the experience of being genuinely drawn towards something and yet feeling the ground shift beneath your feet. These disciples were not doubting whether Jesus existed in front of them. They were perhaps struggling to reconcile what their eyes were seeing with everything their minds had ever been told was possible. Worship and wavering, wonder and uncertainty — held together in the same heart, at the same moment, before a resurrected God.
What Jesus did next is what should stop us in our tracks. He did not pause to address the doubt. He did not pull the wavering disciples aside for a remedial faith seminar. He did not withhold His commission from those whose hearts were still trembling with uncertainty. Instead, He stepped towards all of them — the confident worshippers and the quiet doubters alike — and entrusted the greatest mission in human history to the entire group. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” He declared. “Therefore go.” The doubt was neither praised nor punished. It was simply met with presence, purpose, and an invitation to move forward.
This matters enormously for the way you approach your own faith. If you have ever sat in a church pew, sung a worship song with your whole heart, and still felt a quiet whisper of uncertainty somewhere beneath the surface — you are in remarkable company. Doubt does not disqualify you from the purposes of Jesus. Religious performance that hides honest uncertainty is far more spiritually dangerous than bringing your real questions directly to Christ. He is not fragile. He is not offended. He is the risen Lord who met doubting disciples on a mountain and commissioned them to change the world. He can handle your honest heart today.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I come to You as I truly am — not as I think I should be. There are mornings when my faith feels solid and mornings when the ground beneath me seems to shift. Thank You that You already know this about me, and that You have never once walked away because of it. Like the disciples on that mountain, I choose to worship You even in the wavering. I bring You my questions, my uncertainties, and the places where understanding has not yet caught up with trust. Meet me here, as You met them there. Speak over my doubt with Your commission rather than Your condemnation. Remind me that You are not looking for a faith without trembling — You are looking for a heart that turns towards You in the trembling. I love You, Lord. Help me to trust You more. Amen.
Today’s Action Step
Take five minutes today to write down one honest doubt or spiritual question you have been hiding behind religious performance or silence. Then bring it directly to Jesus in prayer — not to resolve it immediately, but to place it in His hands. You might be surprised to discover that His response to your honesty looks far more like a commission than a correction.
Has doubt ever surprised you in the middle of worship or prayer? You are not alone — and Jesus is not finished with you. Share this post with someone who needs to know that honest faith is still real faith, and explore more devotionals at IlluminatedGospel.org.