A common lie whispered in the ear of the Christian is, ‘Only you feel like this. Look at everyone else – they’re doing well’. Because you already have many insecurities, this lie resonates uncomfortably, particularly when you think about how cold and hard your heart can sometimes be. Sadly it can remain cold like this even when thinking and talking about the wonder of God’s free grace, His loving kindness, the death of the Lord Jesus and the hope of glory. The result is that you stumble numbly through the Christian life with more of a mechanical correctness than with feelings of joy and satisfaction and so are tempted to avoid Christian fellowship. Nobody wants to be found out and exposed. Another temptation is to be superficial and formal – so that no one can get close enough to see the spiritual barrenness of your soul. You may even begin to resent those Christians that seem to thrive.

Isn’t it wonderful that the Scriptures were written for men and women like you? Even more so, it is wonderful that the Scriptures, under the hand of Almighty God, were written by men like you. Matthew 28:16, 17 makes it clear that some of the eyewitnesses of the resurrection had fears and doubts, even in the presence of the risen Lord. Many Bible scholars explain that this account of the Lord’s appearance upon the hill in Galilee was to a company of more than 500 witnesses. Paul makes reference to such an event in 1 Corinthians 15:6. While it might be reasonable to suggest that there were more than 500 present on this occasion, it is not the emphasis of the text. The emphasis of the Scriptures is that the 11 disciples were present, they worshipped, but some of them doubted.

These men had been in the presence of the risen Christ at least three times previous to this event. The first occasion was in the upper room on the day of the resurrection. When the women returned from the tomb, announcing it was empty and that the Lord had appeared to Mary, the ten disciples (Thomas was not present, and Judas Iscariot was now dead) refused to believe them. Although when Jesus later appeared in their company and it is said that they ‘believed not for joy’ (Luke 24:41), they were able to confidently assert to Thomas upon His return that the Lord had risen. Thomas, who refused to believe his colleagues, was present seven days later, when the Lord appeared the second time. Being able to touch the Saviour’s wounded hands and side, Thomas made that wonderful confession – ‘My Lord and my God’. The third appearance was when some of the disciples had returned to their fishing and Jesus called them to land, there was a sudden miraculous catch, and they had breakfast upon the shore. On this occasion, John 21:12 records that none of them dared ask ‘who art thou’, for they knew it was the Lord. So how can it be that these disciples, who know that Jesus had risen, can have doubts?

Before asking why they doubted – it is helpful to notice that they did doubt. This is authentic Christian experience, and not unlike your own inconsistency – believing and not believing, at the same time. It would appear that the disciples’ doubts relate more to feelings and fears about the future, than to the fact of the resurrection. Were they not convinced of the fact of the resurrection, they would never have left Jerusalem and come to this place which Jesus had appointed. It is wonderful to see how Jesus deals with these doubting disciples – troubled by their feelings and fears.

Comforts with His Presence⤒🔗

First, he comforts them with His presence. Having appeared, He then drew nearer to them, and He spoke to them. This is the One who will not break the bruised reed, and who will not extinguish a smoking flax. None of the doubters are dismissed or overlooked. There is not even any rebuke, just as at His second appearance when He had addressed ‘doubting’ Thomas specifically. The risen, glorified Christ is tender and is bound to His people. Unlike men who, once promoted to higher circles, quickly become aloof from their former friends, Jesus draws near. There is no condemnation, because, although doubts are not acceptable, doubters are.

Today you have the Word of God. He speaks so that you would hear. He draws near. Rejoice that the Lord Jesus draws near, even to those who are disturbed by doubts. There is the problem that you feel His absence, you struggle to perceive Him, but learn this lesson from other doubting disciples – they were in the appointed place. Where has Jesus appointed for you to go, for Him to meet with you? One place is personal Bible reading which includes meditating on the Word and not simply allowing your eye to bounce along a line of words. Another is personal prayer. Christ also meets you in the gospel preaching in the church, not only on a Sunday, but at the prayer meeting too.

There is the problem of self – wanting to feel satisfaction and comfort within yourself. How often you despair because you can’t feel whatever it is. It is good for a man to examine himself, but you need to remember that you should expect to find spiritual bankruptcy. You should never expect to find a level of spiritual maturity which leaves you satisfied with self. You will never find power in yourself. Look to Him who has all power, Him whose power first made you willing and whose power is sufficient to keep you to the end.

There is also the problem of sin: because of specific sin your conscience condemns you and you can’t draw near to Christ. If you are conscious of specific sin, you need to specifically confess that sin to God. If you refuse to do this, you are denying your sin and you are denying Him. If you are not specifically aware of sin, and no-one can be aware of the full depth and extent of their sin, then confess this also. Unconfessed sin drives a wedge between the Christian and Christ, it adds fuel to doubts, and drives the believer towards powerless isolation.

Challenges with His Power←⤒🔗

Secondly the Lord challenged the disciples with His power. His presence comforts, His power challenges. The disciples had observed the days of our Lord’s humiliation culminating in His death upon the cross. They were convinced of His resurrection but uncertain as to the effect of the resurrection – was it limited in effect? There had perhaps been only three previous appearances in the previous weeks – and only to relatively few people, even including the 500 witnesses. The Judean world had not particularly changed. The disciples were virtually irrelevant and felt totally insignificant. No-one else seemed to have noticed or cared. The Jewish cover-up story seemed to quickly quieten the people (Mt. 28:11-14). Not knowing what else to do the disciples had just been fishing.

As the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus never lacked power. But the Redeemer’s reward is power and authority. Reference is made to this in Philippians (2:9-11): ‘Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’. This is not an increase or duplication of His power – the Almighty cannot increase in power – but it is a public revelation of the power and authority that belongs to Him having triumphed over death. This power and authority had been veiled in the days of His humiliation.

The disciples who have been confronted with their own weakness, their absence of power, are here challenged with a revelation of ‘all power’ in heaven and in earth. This power is in the hands of their Saviour who draws near to them. The challenge to you is, do you believe He has this power, and exercises this power to deliver those that believe?

Reveals His Plan←⤒🔗

Thirdly, the Lord reveals His great plan – the Great Commission. These men, who know and feel their unreadiness and are unnerved by their own weakness, are to be sent out preaching and teaching to the ends of the earth. They were mostly fishermen, uneducated, unsophisticated Galileans. It is reasonable, when faced with a great undertaking, to wait until you are educated, but in this case, it is not obedient. The Lord Jesus sends ‘unready’ disciples out into the classical world steeped in all the learning of the ancients. Failure to obey this command, which comes to all believers through the disciples, does harm to faith and assurance. Sitting on your hands will damage your soul. You are called to obey; failure to obey the Lord results in a failure to realise His power in your soul. Faith must be exercised. If you only ever do what is comfortable, play to your strengths, you will never be conscious of His strength and that His strength is made perfect in weakness (perfect here does not mean improved – rather God’s strength is unhindered by man’s proud and vain interference).

Weakness is uncomfortable, but no-one yet has been saved for their own comfort and convenience and honour. No-one ever will be. Every Christian is a servant, called to labour in the kingdom. If you hide the gospel, by not making it known to others, then you will never realise the extent of its wonder and beauty. The glorious good news of transforming free grace for sinners must be held out, like a jewel, to be displayed in sunlight.

Promises His Presence←⤒🔗

Fourthly, the Lord gave these doubting disciples, and all the doubting disciples that have followed them, a wonderful promise, the promise of His presence – I am with you. I am with you always. I will never leave you. Of course this doesn’t mean that you will always feel His presence – that is something very different. Someone who always feels the Saviour’s presence has a very different experience from the writers of the Psalms, the Old Testament prophets, and the disciples (for example – Psalm 10, 13, 22, Job, 1 Kings 19:4, Jeremiah 20:14-18, and recurring throughout the Song of Solomon). Always feeling the Saviour’s presence is not normal Christian experience.

Emmanuel, God with us, is a name that was used to speak of the Saviour. Jesus ascended into heaven, where He remains until the great and glorious day of His return, but by the blessed Holy Spirit He is present with His people. The disciples were transformed on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given. The Lord spoke of the advantage it would be for His disciples for Him to depart so that the Spirit would come (John 16:7). Through the influence of the Holy Spirit He dwells with each and every believer. There are many times when you forget the ministry of the Holy Spirit. There are times when your experience of His presence is deadened by your sin. There are times when evidence of His presence can be difficult to detect. But He is present, and by Him Christ is always present with His people. This includes bad days and lonely days. I am with you always. If this is not true, God’s Word is not true. But it is true; this is the promise of the risen Lord to all who believe, and there are no exceptions, not even for disciples that doubt.

Make your prayer for yourself and for all other believers that which the Apostle Paul made for the church in Ephesus, that you would know (Ephesians 1:19-23), ‘

what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

It is your pride that sets for you a different standard from that which applies to everyone else. It is true that you shouldn’t be the way that you are, but that is the way that you are. Don’t deny it any longer. With all your insecurities be honest before God and men.

Untangle your faith from your feelings. Doubting disciples are to look to Jesus Christ. He draws near to be present with you; don’t avoid the places where He is to be found. Recognise His power, He has all power in heaven and earth, and it is exercised in building His church. Don’t deny your part in His plan – every Christian is to be involved and united in the proclamation of the gospel, each with different, and yet all vitally necessary parts to play. And remember His promise; He’ll not depart – not even from the doubters.