- photo by Susan Page'Faith is not the absence of doubt; it is continuing to follow Jesus in the midst of doubt.' J.D. Greear

Do faith and doubt go hand in hand? It’s an interesting question. Scripture tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Listening to the sermon on Resurrection Sunday, I wondered why the disciples were not eagerly awaiting Christ’s resurrection. Only Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene were outside the tomb. This made me think about faith versus doubt.

An illustration came to me the next day, highlighting what I had been reflecting on.

Walking through the park, a gentleman stopped me and said I should hurry to the pond to see a pair of loons. He said they were beautiful. Initially, I had my doubts, thinking that more than likely what he saw was a pair of cormorants. From a distance, a cormorant could be mistaken for a loon, but a loon on a pond in April in this location was highly doubtful. But suddenly I remembered a year or so ago that while walking beside Lake Ontario, a loon was swimming by the shoreline. I snapped a photo, astounded that a single loon was there. So based on that experience, I went over to the pond expecting that there might be a pair of loons. However, it was only a pair of cormorants. All that to say, despite my doubts, I did go to see because of my earlier experience. There was a possibility of truth, so I ventured on in faith.

I’m sharing this illustration because it made me wonder why the disciples doubted that Jesus would rise from the dead. Hadn’t they seen hundreds of miracles as they followed Jesus? They saw people delivered of demons, those with leprosy cleansed, the blind receiving sight, disabled people walking, and thousands being fed by five loaves of bread and two fish. They had been in a boat with Jesus during a terrible storm and heard Him command the wind and the waves to be still, and all became calm. They even saw Christ walking on the water. Above all these wonders, multiple people were raised from death to life, including Jairus’ daughter and Lazarus.

The disciples also had the teaching of the prophets and the message that Jesus tried so hard to get through to them, that He would rise on the third day. They had just seen their Master restore a Roman soldier’s ear when Peter had sliced it off in his eagerness to protect Jesus. With a simple touch, our Healer restored a severed ear. How could they doubt that Jesus was the Messiah?

After Jesus was buried, where were the disciples? Why were they not outside the tomb waiting in anticipation for Christ’s resurrection? Perhaps they were hiding in fear or were overcome with exhaustion and grief. I’m not sure, but I do know that despite all that they had experienced, they still had doubts. Can we relate? Could we have stood the test in those last moments at the cross of Jesus as true and brave followers filled with faith without an inkling of fear or doubt? These are soul-searching questions because there may come a day when our faith will be tested.

When Jesus returned to the disciples and Thomas was not in attendance, he didn’t believe his friends when they told him they had seen Jesus. Eight days later, Jesus gave Thomas the answer to his doubts. What an amazing, personalized way Jesus has of dealing with our doubts. Thomas had said, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20: 25-29).

I pray that, by faith, you have given your life to Jesus, though you have never seen Him. We can, by God’s grace, overcome all doubt and believe that Christ is Lord, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

“Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.