Doubt can be a refusal to believe, no matter what the evidence. I remember a Christian speaker once describing a long conversation he had with a skeptic. "If I answer all your questions, will you become a Christian?" "No," the doubter replied. "That would mean I would have to change." Doubt like that has hardened into sinful pride.
But I mean the kind of doubt that those of us who love, admire, and try to obey Jesus have from time to time. We’re used to thinking of “Doubting Thomas” (I wrote about him here), but he’s not the only follower of Jesus who doubted. I’ve been studying John the Baptist recently, and Luke records a very public expression of his doubt.
He sent two of his followers to ask Jesus: Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? (Luke 2:19). This was after a lifetime of knowing Jesus was the One; after baptizing Jesus and witnessing the Spirit's descent upon Him and the Father's endorsement of Him; after telling his own followers Jesus was the One!
I conclude that if John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest of men (Luke 7:28), struggled with doubt, any of us who love Jesus could, too. But why? What triggers doubt? I thought of four answers.
First, believers might doubt because of personal tragedy and suffering. John himself was locked up and isolated at Machaerus, the fortress palace of Herod Antipas. John had denounced Herod's adultery and incest in marrying his new wife Heordias, and was rewarded with a prison sentence. Ultimately he was beheaded at the request of Herodias' daughter Salome (cf. Mark 6:14-28).
When the shadow of suffering and heartache falls across your life, it's possible to doubt that Christ is who He claims to be. John struggled, and so might we.
Second, we might doubt because of unmet expectations. John was expecting the Messiah to come with mighty wrath, with Holy Spirit fire, and instead Jesus seemed to be welcoming all the riffraff. Many Jews presumed the Messiah would sweep Roman rule aside and set up an earthly kingdom. They had trouble seeing that Jesus came first as the Lamb, but will return one day as the Lion.
If you've been taught that becoming a Christian fixes every problem, that God's will is for every believer to be healthy and wealthy, and then you get sick or lose your job, you might doubt. If you think God owes you a sunny day because you're following Him, and you find yourself in the middle of a storm, you might struggle.
Jesus never promised that prosperity stuff. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33, my emphasis). And the New Testament never says God owes us anything. Instead the way to heaven is pictured as a hard road of suffering: through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).
Third, we might doubt because of incomplete knowledge. John didn't know what Jesus was doing, or why He was doing it. Obviously it became much clearer when he died and went into the presence of the Lord. But until then, he had lots of questions.
If you and I demand to understand all of God's dealings before we trust Him, doubt will always be a problem. Christ doesn't consult us, and usually He doesn't inform us, about His plans. But He always shows Himself mighty to save and worthy of our trust. Even when His ways are mysterious.
I thought of one other explanation for doubt: our own unconfessed sin. Isn’t it interesting that sometimes when people fall into sin, they get mad at God and distance themselves from Him? It’s a diversion, a way of not dealing with the real problem. And if you shove God away, naturally it feels like there is more room for questions.
I admire the way Jesus handled John's doubt. He didn't condemn him, and He did answer his question--in His own way. I'll plan to say a little more about that next time.
For now, you and I don't have to be afraid to come into Christ's presence even when we have doubts. Our good Savior welcomes us as He did John, with understanding, kindness, and love.
One more thing. You might consider four good books to help make sense of questions: C.S. Lewis' classic Mere Christianity; Lee Strobel's The Case for Christ; oldie-but-goodie Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell; and The Reason for God, by Tim Keller. All four are available in Kindle, too.
