The Lutheran Hour
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"Some Doubted"
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Text: Matthew 28:16-17
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Jesus Christ has come to give Himself as the ransom for our soul’s salvation. Today the Holy Spirit comes to replace our doubts with faith in the living Lord Jesus who says, “I am with you always.” In Him may our hope be commenced and completed. Grant this Lord unto us all. Amen.
Years ago, a young man was thrilled to be told he was being sent as a missionary to Africa. Sadly, his fiancée felt differently. She refused to marry or to go with him. To all his pleadings and petitions her answer remained the same: “I won’t go with you.” One month before his departure the rejected suitor wrote a last letter. He finished by saying, “If this letter has made you miserable, throw it in the wastebasket and don’t answer.” Something in that letter touched the young lady. She wrote back, and in many ways said she would travel with him to the end of the earth. She put postage on the letter and paid her brother 25 cents to mail it for her. He promised he would. Anxiously she waited for a telegram or a return letter. None came. Months passed and she found out he had left without her. Only years later, when the family was moving to another house, she came across an old coat which belonged to her brother. In the pocket was her letter which had never been sent. The missionary never knew the letter had been written. He got on that boat alone, he served alone, and he died alone.
That’s not exactly true. That missionary knew he was never alone. No, he might not have his earthly love standing by his side, but on that boat he was never alone. When he ventured into the wilderness, his bride wasn’t walking with him, but he wasn’t alone; and when he lay on his deathbed, there was no spouse of many years holding his hand and saying some prayers. Even so, Jesus remained with him. No matter where he went, no matter the dangers he encountered, that missionary relied upon a Savior who never lied to him; he trusted his Redeemer who had promised, “I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” That missionary knew, as hundreds of millions of Christians have known, when those dear to us desert us, Jesus can be depended upon; when friends forsake us, Jesus’ faithfulness can be counted on; when it appears we have been left without help or hope, solace or support, the crucified and living Christ is there. Jesus is with us always. That is His truth, but it is a truth which has to be believed if it is going to do anyone any good. This is a truth which has to be believed, and many of The Lutheran Hour listeners today don’t believe it.
I’m not surprised. That’s right, I’m not surprised that you don’t believe the Triune God is by your side. On their own, people have seldom believed God is with them. That’s because they’ve created a mental gauntlet through which God has to run to prove His positive presence and His caring concern. Humankind’s logic begins with a denial of God. This they do because they have experienced life’s inequities, endured daily injustices, and been burdened by enduring inequalities. Disasters and disappointments have discouraged and depressed them. They have been let down and they have been beaten up. They have been bent, folded, spindled, and mutilated. They think to themselves, “There is no God; and if there is a God, He doesn’t care and He certainly isn’t concerned. If He does care, His caring is a cold, callous, unkind, unpleasant kind of thing; it’s not the kind of caring I want or need.”
No, I’m not surprised you don’t believe Jesus is with you. I’m not surprised because I’ve read the Old Testament book of Exodus. That ancient writing tells how God had sent ten terrible plagues which won the freedom of His enslaved people. As the Children of Israel walked into the wilderness toward the land which God had promised, He gave them daily reassurance that He was there with them. During the day they were led by a cloudy pillar; during the night they were comforted by a column of fire. The 13th chapter of Exodus concludes with these words: “The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people”(Exodus 13:22).
Twenty-four hours a day God let His people know He was with them. In spite of His miracles, in spite of His obvious presence, every time they encountered a problem, a difficulty, an obstacle, God’s people criticized, complained, and condemned Him or His representative, Moses. They complained about the food, about the water, about the meat, about the armies of Pharaoh, about the land to which God was taking them. And when the first opportunity presented itself, they kicked God out of their lives, gathered together their gold and made themselves an idol. Not believing God was with them, they worshiped and sacrificed to this idol and said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4). If God’s Old Testament people who had continuously seen His presence, could forget Him so quickly, I’m not surprised if you doubt Jesus is with you.
Look at the Gospels, the narratives of Jesus’ life. In those four books you will see God’s people doubt He is with them. Jesus, as you know, was born in Bethlehem. This was the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy designed to help God’s people identify the promised Messiah. Around the age of 30, Jesus called 12 disciples – students who would witness His three years of ministry – who would record the events which would reach their climax upon the cruel cross of Calvary and at Jesus’ empty tomb of resurrection. During those three years, those disciples were observers of events extraordinary. They were there when He fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes; they were there when He commanded a storm to be stilled; they were there when He healed lepers; when He restored sight to the blind; when He gave hearing to the deaf, freedom to those possessed, and life to those who had been claimed by death.
But those years were filled with far more than the witnessing of wonders. The twelve also saw Jesus bless little children and they were present when He ate supper with society’s outcasts. They were shocked to see Him drink water and converse with a woman who was despised by the Jews and detested by her own townsmen. They saw Him run interference for a woman who had been caught in adultery, and they listened when He told her to sin no more (John 8:11). They were awed by the truths He spoke and how He turned the tables on hypocrites and popped the self-centered bubbles of those who were too filled with themselves. For three years they saw things, wonderful things; they heard things, unbelievable things; and when those things were said and done by Jesus, the unbelievable became reality and nothing seemed beyond possibility.
Which is why the disciples were surprised when everything came to a grinding, screeching halt. True, Jesus had warned them, had told them that He would be betrayed, that He would be tried, that He would be crucified. But they hadn’t understood. In spite of Jesus’ warnings, they were shocked when one of their own, Judas Iscariot, betrayed their Master with a kiss. They were stunned to see Jesus tried; shaken when they heard He was condemned; and devastated when He died. As they locked themselves away in frightened seclusion, reminiscing of how their dreams had died with Jesus, they must have felt alone, just as you have sometimes felt alone.
But then the morning of resurrection had come. Three days after Jesus’ body had been laid to rest, rumors began to circulate which didn’t make sense. Some were saying they, the disciples, had stolen Jesus’ body; that, they knew was patently false. Then the women who had gone to the tomb so they might say their final farewells and finish Jesus’ funeral rites came back and said they had seen a living Savior. Improbable? No, impossible! They didn’t believe the women; and some didn’t believe their own eyes when Jesus appeared to them personally.
You can’t blame them; dead people don’t show up alive, and crucified people don’t return from the grave. It couldn’t be true, but it was true. The disciples saw Jesus; they ate with Jesus; they touched Him. He was real. Again and again He appeared to them so they might know He had risen from the dead. Overwhelming evidence was placed before them so they might be sure the impossible had become reality; so they might be certain God’s Son who had conquered sin and Satan had also defeated death; so they might believe Jesus had completed the mission on which the Father had sent Him. Jesus had won forgiveness and freedom for enslaved humankind and now, because of the cross and the empty tomb, all who believe on Jesus as Savior are given life eternal.
That’s what the disciples knew to be true; that is what they believed – or it should have been. You know, nowadays it is customary for doubters and deniers to think of these disciples as simple, stupid, gullible guys who were easily conned by the Christ. Today it is commonplace for cynics and skeptics to suggest Jesus had fainted, or gone into a coma and had never really, truly died. When today’s smart guys and gals put forth these doubts, they do so with a certain feeling of arrogance and superiority. They act as if humankind has finally become sophisticated enough that it can see past the mist and through the myths. If you are among those who share this point of view, I would point you to the 28th chapter of Matthew. There the Word of God reads: “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him…” That you might expect to hear; but I want you to pay attention to the next three words. Pay attention to those words which, if I had been writing the Bible, if I had been a disciple back then, I would never have penned. This is what the text says: “…when they (the disciples) saw Him (Jesus), they worshipped Him, but some doubted”(Matthew 28:16-17).
Did you get that, did you hear it? “Some doubted.” After hearing Jesus speak words which could only come from the mind of God; after seeing miracles which could only be done by the power of God; after seeing Him die and physically touching Him after He rose, they still confess “some doubted.” That is an honesty, a candor, a forthrightness which astounds me, which I don’t have. Why are those words of doubt written here? I’ll tell you why: those disciples are speaking to you past 2,000 years of history and they are saying: Do you have doubts? We did too. Are you afraid of believing? We were too. Do you think Jesus’ resurrection might be the result of overactive imagination, great disappointment, depression; do you think Jesus’ resurrection a dream, a miracle, a myth, a con? If you think those things, we want you to know we considered those things, too. We considered the resurrection from every angle, looked at it from every perspective.
We had our doubts; but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, our doubts were laid to rest, and we want you to know, by God’s power and grace your doubts can be answered as well. We want you to know we didn’t go into this thing blindly. We want you to know Jesus is the Savior who has died to set you free from your sins. Jesus is the living Lord who has defeated death so you can live forever. You can believe Him! You can believe He will take you to heaven someday, and you can believe Him when He says, “I am with you always.” Do you feel alone? If so, believe you have a heavenly Father who cares enough about you to implement a plan of salvation to save you; believe in Jesus as your Lord and personal Redeemer from sin, devil, and death; believe in the Holy Spirit who wishes to bring you back to the family of faith where you belong.
Many years ago, a Frenchman by the name of Charney was imprisoned because he had offended Napoleon. Charney was forsaken by his friends; he was deserted by everyone in the outside world whom he thought cared about him. In loneliness and despair Charney took a stone and scratched on the wall of his cell two words: “Nobody cares.” One day a green shoot came through the cracks in the stones on the floor of his dungeon and began to reach up to the light in the tiny window at the top of his cell. Charney set aside part of the water brought to him by his jailer, and he poured it upon the plant. That plant grew until it became a plant with an exquisite blue flower. The petals of that plant’s flower opened and there, in the gloom and despair of prison, Charney found beauty. Laboriously he crossed out the first word he had written on his cell wall and wrote another. He stood back to admire his craftsmanship. Where once it had read, “Nobody cares” the new motto on his cell wall proclaimed, “God cares.” I like that story. But there is a rest of the story.
In the next cell there was a man who had a little daughter, a girl who was allowed to visit her father in prison. The little girl was impressed by Charney’s attachment to the beautiful plant and she talked to others about the man. Eventually the story was told in enough places that it reached Empress Josephine. The great lady commented: “A man who so devotedly loves and tends a flower cannot be a bad man.” Making Charney’s cause her own, Josephine persuaded Napoleon to set him free. Charney carried his flower home and tended it the rest of his life. That flower had taught him the truth of Jesus’ words; even in prison the Savior was with him always.
I cannot guess what chains of passion, what shackles of sin are binding you. I do know it is doubt of God’s love, disbelief in His power, distrust of His Son’s great sacrifice, and denial of Christ’s death and resurrection that keeps doubters enslaved. I also know this day the Holy Spirit calls to you; He wishes to set you free from the shackles of sin and Satan; to liberate you from the law which condemns you; to grant you the freedom, forgiveness, and hope for which Christ lived, suffered, died, and rose. He would not have you end this day still holding on to your doubts. Do not doubt, but believe. Believe in your Savior who has kept every promise He has ever made. Do not doubt, but believe, in no matter what situation or circumstance you find yourself, Jesus will be there, His words remain true: “I am with you always, even until the end of the world.”
At age 32, William Cowper passed through a great crisis in his life. He tried to end his misery, and his life, by taking narcotics; they only made him sick. Then he hired a horse-drawn cab, ordering the driver to take him to London’s Thames River where he would throw himself from a bridge. It was one of London’s foggiest nights and they drove for an hour without reaching the chosen spot. Disgusted, Cowper decided to walk. He hadn’t gone too far before he found the cab. And he had gone in a circle and he stood before his own home. The next morning found Cowper in the same suicidal state. He fell upon a knife, but the blade broke. He tried to hang himself but was cut down – unconscious, but still alive.
Then one morning, in a moment of strange cheerfulness, he took up his Bible and the Spirit gave him hope through those pages. Cowper no longer doubted but believed Jesus was with him always. Cowper put his faith into the words of a hymn, the words of which conclude this message. This is what he wrote: God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for his grace; Behind a frowning providence Faith sees a smiling face. Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan his work in vain; God is His own Interpreter, And He will make it plain. You fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds you so much dread Are big with mercy and will break In blessings on your head.
Doubt replaced by belief. That is the message of today which points to Jesus the Savior. If you wish to know more about this faithful Christ, please call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for May 18, 2008
Title: Devil’s DominionANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus is here to answer questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.
KLAUS: Hello, Mark, how are you today?
ANNOUNCER: Very good, thank you. And today we have a question that comes to us via email from Dayton, Ohio.
KLAUS: And the Lord’s blessing to all our Lutheran Hour listeners in Dayton and the surrounding environs.
ANNOUNCER: Our listener writes, “Your program wakes me up every Sunday morning before I go to church. You are my wake-up alarm.”
KLAUS: That’s nice. That’s better than saying my messages put him to sleep.
ANNOUNCER: Which I suppose is a common preacher’s lament.
KLAUS: Yes, maybe, but the only difference is, unlike regular preachers, I can’t tell when people are starting to nod off; so I can’t get louder and I can’t start pounding on the pulpit to wake them up.
ANNOUNCER: Well, our listener continues, “Did God give Satan dominion over the earth and air waves during his tenure of power? Is this scriptural and if so, where do I find it in the Bible?
KLAUS: As I read Scripture, I find nothing about God giving Satan dominion over the earth and air waves, or anywhere else for that matter. Indeed, everything the Bible says indicates that Satan comes as a thief. That which he has, he has stolen – hijacked – as it were.
ANNOUNCER: And it was also for that very reason that Jesus came into the world, to redeem us and restore the Creation.
KLAUS: I can understand how someone might get the impression that Satan runs the show here on earth. Take the Book of Job, for example. There the devil comes up to God and says, “Look, Job is a good guy and he worships You. Who wouldn’t? You give him everything he wants. Why don’t You let me take some of that stuff away and let’s see what Job will do.”
ANNOUNCER: And, of course, God does not give the devil absolute control over Job. He keeps the final say for Himself.
KLAUS: Exactly, but reading through the book of Job, some people would get the impression that God turned things over to the devil.
ANNOUNCER: Now, how else might people get the wrong idea?
KLAUS: You know, there’s the story of Jesus’ temptation. There Satan says, “Here, Jesus, You’re hungry, turn these stones into loaves of bread.” See, he takes the leadership role in this. When that fails, Satan takes Jesus to a high spot in the temple and says, “Do something dramatic, throw Yourself down. Your Father’s angels will protect You; people will be impressed and believe. No need to go through this suffering and dying stuff.” He’s kind of rewriting the plan by which we’re supposed to be saved. Then Satan takes Jesus up to a high mountain. He shows the Savior all the kingdoms of the world. He whispers, “All of this I will gladly give to You if You will only bow down and worship me.”
And that’s where it gets interesting. It gets interesting because of what Jesus doesn’t say. Jesus doesn’t say, “Hey, Mr. Sneaky, you can’t offer to give Me this – you don’t own it.”
ANNOUNCER: Instead, Jesus said, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.'”
KLAUS: Right, to each of the Devil’s temptations, Jesus replied with an answer based on the Word of God.
ANNOUNCER: But that passage also doesn’t say God had turned the world over to the devil. Had He?
KLAUS: No, it doesn’t. Like I said, God doesn’t turn over anything to Satan. Humanity is the one who did that. Humanity rejected God and listened to Satan. Humanity chose to eat from the forbidden fruit when God said: don’t do this. We decided that we, not God, knew what was right and best. Which is why, for a while, this world has been Satan’s playground – playground, but not his property. The earth and everything that is in it are still the Lord’s.
ANNOUNCER: Anything else you could say on this topic before we wrap it up for today?
KLAUS: Yes, probably the most important part. Satan is going to appear very strong for a while, it’s going to look like he’s going from victory to victory; but the bottom line is this: Jesus’ perfect life, His rejection of temptation, His death and resurrection, His fulfillment of all the commandments we have broken, have defeated Satan. Ultimately and finally Jesus wins.
St. Paul said it: “…we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come,(you notice Paul’s covering everything here) nor powers, nor height nor depth,(and in case he’s missed anything) nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight” performed by the Kammerchor, Concordia University-Wisconsin. Used by permission.
“God Moves in a Mysterious Way” by William Cowper, arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Choral varie sur ‘Veni Creator'” by Maurice Durufle. From Pipe Organ Dedicatory Concert by Charles Ore (© 1999 Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church)
“Sanctus” by J.S. Bach. From Te Deum by the Kantorei (© 2000 Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne)