We are continuing our study through the book of Matthew this morning, moving on to chapter 11. Beginning in chapter 10 we started to see a change in the presentation of Christ’s ministry as the Lord began to shift away from focusing on the crowds to intentional training of His disciples. We saw especially in chapter 10 Jesus laying out the difficulties of the narrow road and the cost of being His disciple. Though all of the promises and the blessings of the kingdom are made available by God to all who become disciples of Christ, reaching those crowns requires a commitment to a life set apart and separated from the world. A life lived with the charge of taking the gospel message to the lost, to some it will lead to salvation, but for many more would bring anger and malice toward the one who proclaims it.
The Christian life is never presented in Scripture as an easy life. The Christian life is never presented as one that guarantees comfort and prosperity. Quite the contrary, we see again and again throughout the New Testament Christ and the Apostles warning of the difficulty of the walk and rejection from the world. The blessings of the Beatitudes require a humble and contrite heart ready and willing to accept what comes along. The narrow road is arduous, and the narrow gate requires us to shed all our worldly baggage. We saw last week that we must hold Christ above all that we love in this world including those closest to us; for being ready and willing to forsake all, even our own life, if we are going to be His disciples. “He who loves father or mother … son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me… and he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
Matthew has structured the first 9 chapters of his gospel as a defense of the Messiah-ship of Jesus. Like a lawyer, laying out all the facts of his case. His thesis; Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of Israel and the Savior of the world, the King of kings, and He has come to usher in the kingdom of God promised throughout the Old Testament. Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Old Testament, descendent of David, virgin born, the ultimate Israelite; He was proclaimed by John the Baptist, anointed by God the Father at His baptism, possessing the power over sin and Satan. We saw in the Sermon on the Mount that He is the author and fulfillment of the law, and in the miracle accounts that he has divine power over creation, sickness and disease, demons, death, with even the authority to forgive sins.
All of this is presented and summed up with the call of the disciples in chapter 10 that serves as a guide for all disciples who would follow after them. We saw in the beatitudes the blessings that come with kingdom membership, the lifestyle required, a call to follow; and in chapter 10 Jesus laid out the cost of taking up that call.
Chapters 11 and 12 give us a number of possible responses to the facts presented in the first 9 chapters and the calling in 10. This morning we are going to look at the first response Matthew records for our benefit, that of doubt in the life of a disciple. One who has a desire to believe, to follow Jesus but is suffering under nagging feelings of uncertainty or reservation in that commitment.
Let us read these first 6 verses and the account of John the Baptist seeking help from our Lord. Matthew 11:1-6.
“When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cites. Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up , and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
Doubt is something that happens to all believers at some point in their lives. Something that should be reassuring to all of us in that there is, as Paul says in 1st Corinthians that “no temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” The New Testament talks about doubt in a number of different places, and what is worthy of note is that it is always in the context of speaking to believers. Those passages, though they are often encouragements or exhortations to overcome the doubt, as with our passage for this morning, offer us reassurance in that in order to doubt, there has to be some level of belief in the first place.
Before we continue, we need to define what we mean by “doubt.” We sometimes use the word in the context of referring to something having no credibility. “Do you think the Vikings will ever win the Super Bowl? I doubt it.” There may be a hint of possibility but were fairly convinced that it will not ever happen. That is not the doubt that I am talking about here, rather it is a matter of unbelief on the other side of the spectrum. There is a general feeling of confidence in the things we know to be true but nagging feelings of uncertainty keep us from being able to fully commit.
We see this especially in the example of John the Baptist. He was not questioning the truthfulness of God’s Word or the revelation that he had received, rather he was uncertain about how he was to understand those truths and how they applied to his situation. We will see next week in Christ’s tribute to John the Baptist exactly what Jesus thinks of him. In verse 11 Jesus says, “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist!” And this is said not before but after John makes his doubts known to Jesus. If the greatest man that had lived up until this point had doubts, then we can take comfort that we are in good company when we fall into the same problems.
We must understand that though it may be very relatable and understandable, doubt is still an expression of sin. Each time that we see doubt addressed in the New Testament it is in the context of a rebuke against it or and encouragement to overcome it. When Jesus addresses His disciples and their lack of faith He asks “how long will you doubt?” In chapter 21, Jesus encourages them to overcome the difficulties in the world, “truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, … if you say to this mountain be taken up and cast and the sea it will happen.”
Doubt holds us back from God and what He has called us to do. That is not to say that God will not act or is incapable of acting when we are suffering doubt. This is something you hear in the word of faith gospel, the name it and claim it garbage that is preached with the prosperity gospel. If you have enough faith then you can demand God do things for you, and when it does not happen it is because you have doubt that is holding back God. That is not at all what Jesus is referring to in chapter 21 and we will spend more time on that when we reach it.
Doubt does not hold God back, it holds us back. It reveals a lack of trust in God and so we fail to step out in faith. It reveals a lack of trust in the Word of God. Is the Bible really true? Is it really God’s word? Can I really trust things that were written 2000 years ago to apply to my life today? It reveals a lack of trust in the promises of God. Is God really capable of providing for me, of keeping me safe? With all of these bad things happening is God really going to work them out for my good? Can God really forgive me for what I have done? Doubt reveals a lack of trust in the works of God. How do I do know that God is in control? With the world falling down around us how can God be sovereign over all things? How is He working this terrible tragedy or unimaginable atrocity to fulfill His plans.
Doubt infects our prayer and makes us question its effectiveness. Why bother praying, is God even listening? God anticipated all of these things and so inspired the writers of Scripture with commandments and encouraging words on the topic. In 1 Timothy 2:8 Paul writes “I want men everywhere in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath or doubt.”
Jesus and’s this encounter with a gentle warning. “Blessed is he who does not take offense at me.” Doubt takes away our blessings from God. Not because He is incapable of acting or blessing us, but when we doubt we turn our backs on those blessings. We allow doubts to take away the blessings of God’s joy and peace. The word translated “take offense” or in some translations “stumbling” originally referred to a trap or the snaring of an animal. It is that which grabs hold of us and keeps us from our goal or destination. When we doubt Christ’s divine purpose and the gospel of deliverance from sin through faith in Him, when we fall into skepticism we lose out on the blessings because we question their effectiveness.
What is it that causes doubt? In the example of John the Baptist we can highlight 3 areas, 3 things that bring doubt into our hearts and minds. The first source of doubt comes in difficult circumstances. What would make the greatest man ever born up into that point begin to doubt? Verse two gives us just two words on those circumstances, “Now when John, while imprisoned.” In chapter 14 we will be given more details about the fate of John the Baptist, but at this point, he had been arrested by Herod, the puppet king of the Romans who ruled over Israel. John had publicly denounced Herod’s adultery and in anger, Herod had John the Baptist had been thrown into prison. And this was not just any prison, in the fortress of Machaerus just east of the Dead Sea the prison took the form of a deep pit in which the prisoner would suffer under the blazing sun and stifling heat.
He had been there for months, possibly as many as 18, since the beginning of Christ’s public ministry. John was a prophet of God, holy, loyal, and selfless in his service to the Lord. He had preached the gospel, baptized converts, been followed by many dedicated disciples. A popular prophet even though one with an unpopular message. But now he was languishing in prison, in physical pain and in loneliness.
You can imagine how anyone would begin to doubt in those moments. Any believer who has faithfully and sacrificially served God for many years and then experiences difficulties, suffering, persecution at this level is susceptible to doubt and wonder about God’s love and justice. Tragedies and difficult circumstances come in different forms for different people. Loss of a loved one, disease, job loss, the abrupt destruction of property, watching a church or ministry be destroyed after years of dedicated work. In those times we are all tempted to ask “God, where are you when I really need you? How could you let this happen? Do not you care about me or what is going on?”
We just concluded our study of first Peter in which he is addressing believers going through persecution and suffering and encouraging them, instructing them how they are to persevere in those times. In his concluding statements, in 5:8 he warns his readers that in those desperate times they are to “be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Satan looks to grab hold of that doubt and exploit it in order to undermine our trust and confidence in God. It is in times of difficulty and suffering that we are most to be of sober spirit and on the alert so as not to give in to that temptation.
It is in those times that we are to throw ourselves all the more into prayer as Paul tells the Philippians “be anxious for nothing (be fearful of nothing), but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The next source of doubt is similar in its origin, and that is unfulfilled expectations. John sent his disciples to Jesus with the question, “are you the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” John was commissioned by God from the womb to announce the coming of the Messiah. He had preached to the masses that the Expected One was almost there. In his preaching he made it clear that “one is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals.” When he saw Jesus, he cried out “behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
John knew that the message he preached was true and that Jesus was the one about whom he preached. But John expected Jesus to bring divine judgment against the world. Think back to what he said in chapter 3 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Instead of bringing that judgment, Jesus had healed the sick and preached repentance. He demonstrated miraculous and divine power, but it was always to heal and never to bring judgment. There was no divine wrath poured from heaven, no execution of justice, no earthly kingdom being established with Jesus sitting upon the throne in Jerusalem. Instead Jesus had commissioned 12 apostles and send them out to preach. So John wanted to know, “did I make a mistake in declaring you Messiah, is someone coming after you that will fulfill my expectations? What is going on here, help me understand cousin?”
Believers today can struggle to understand why God allows so much suffering and injustice in the world. They invest their lives into ministry so that God’s name will be proclaimed, and people will be saved. They pour their time and energy into the church only to watch the ministry fail and the church fall apart; wrecked and ravaged by sin from within and without. You expect God to do something and it does not work out the way you would hope and so you begin to doubt.
The next source of doubt we see is a lack of biblical knowledge, or at least the right application of that knowledge. You see John understood that the Messiah would come with judgment and that is true, part of the ministry of Jesus will be the execution of judgment on the world but that was not the focus in His first coming. John was missing the full understanding of the mission of the Messiah, even as a prophet he needed help understanding the truth.
This is especially true of believers today. People doubt because of difficult circumstances and unfulfilled expectations, their pride or their fear get in the way of trusting God; but most of the time doubt comes because people just do not know or understand God’s Word. How can you have faith in the promises of God if you do not even know what they are? How can you have faith in the person of Jesus if you do not understand who He is? How can you have faith in the work of God if you have an incomplete understanding of who He, is or what he does, or why he does it? That is why it is so important to dedicate time and effort to the study of God’s Word and theology. To be able to defend against the questions and doubts that enter our thoughts in times of difficulty or unfulfilled expectations.
Do you know how to answer the problem of evil? The common objection raised to a sovereign and good God proclaimed by Scripture? If God is good how can He allow evil in the world? If God is good how can He allow COVID-19 to ravage the world and destroy our economy? If God is good how can He punish sinful people? Why do bad things happen to good people?
Do you have a satisfactory answer for that? For yourself at least if not for someone who challenges you? Are you able, are you prepared as Peter instructs us, always being ready to make a defense to anyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you? We need to be reminded of these truths and to continually search God’s word to protect us from doubt that will inevitably come in a world of sin and injustice.
As you look out into the world and you see so many different religions, so many different groups of people who claim to have the correct knowledge of the divine and the path to paradise. Even within Christianity, how many denominations are there that have contradictory claims to represent God and His word? How many different systems of theology are there? Which one is true? Why is it true? Can you defend what you believe against these other systems? Or when you are challenged, do you fall into doubt?
To me personally, this is the greatest failing of the American church over the last century. Why is it that so many people are walking away from God, so many people are walking away from His Word, so many people are rejecting Christ? Because we have failed to teach the truth and how to defend it. People are told what to believe but never why they should believe it or how they can search for answers themselves.
There is no maturity in the church. Paul makes clear one of the primary purposes of the church in Ephesians 4. God has called us to be equipped for service, to be matured in the knowledge of the Son of God and His gospel. So that, in verse 14, “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” What causes us to be tossed about whenever somebody new comes along a lack of maturity and doubt in the truthfulness of the message we have heard. What causes young people to abandon the faith when they leave their parents household? They enter a world that questions their belief and because they have no ability to defend it, they do not know how to answer the objections they begin to doubt. And that doubt turns into skepticism which leads to either apathy or rejection.
So how do we overcome doubt? How are we saved from its effects and the damage that it can lead to? We have been answering this question as we went along this morning. The first thing we must do in order to be saved from doubt is go to Christ. That is what John did. He was suffering in prison, doubt was nagging at his soul and so he went to Jesus for answers. In his case, he could not go personally and so he sent his disciples. In our case, we go first in prayer.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Guard from what? Guard us from anxiety, to guard us from fear, guard us from doubt.
It is through prayer that we go to God for reassurance and He is faithful and loving to give us that reassurance. Timothy 2:13 says “if we are faithless (essentially, if we lose faith, if we doubt), He remains faithful, for He cannot deny himself.” When you doubt, God will be faithful because that is who He is. When you doubt, you are not going to lose your relationship with the Lord because He cannot deny himself. He has proclaimed you His child, adopted you, remade you into the image of His Son and He will hold fast to you and keep you secure in His love.
What did Jesus do in response to the question of John the Baptist? In Luke 7, we read that after the disciples of John come to Jesus, in verse 21 we read “at that very time (Jesus) cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.” It is after this flurry of miracles that Jesus sends the messengers back to report to John the Baptist.
And what is it that Jesus sends them back with? Scripture. This is a quotation from Isaiah 35 and the promises made to Israel about what will happen at the coming of the Messiah, the Expected One. When doubt grips our hearts and our minds and we go to God, He is faithful to give us that reassurance. Sometimes that comes through peace of mind that comes through His Holy Spirit living within us, sometimes that comes through Scripture and reminders of His power and promises to His children.
Sometimes that reassurance comes through the works of the Lord. When you doubt because of difficult circumstances, look to His works. The extent to which Jesus humbled Himself, coming to earth as a man to willingly give Himself on the cross as our substitute for the punishment we deserved in our sin so that we might have the very righteousness of God. We can look to how He has provided in the past, how He has cared for you or for others in difficulty. One of the most reassuring things we can do is to read the biographies and accounts of great men and women of the faith who have gone before us. Reformers and missionaries, preachers and evangelists who faced tremendous difficulties and who saw the mighty hand of God protecting and guiding them over the course of their lives even when they faced extreme circumstances and persecution.
We know that everyone has moments of weakness when faith wavers in doubt. We all have struggles, face difficult times that allow those creeping thoughts to dampen our spirits. But in those moments we need to go to God for reassurance because we know that He is a caring father who desires the prayers of His children. Who desires to see His people come before His heavenly throne that He can bring them closer to Him. The sign of the greatness of John the Baptist was that He knew where to go with His doubts. May our difficulties and doubts drive us all the more to the feet of our Savior.