A crisis of faith! (Pt.2)

(Part 2 of 3)

“That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.”-John 20:19

After Jesus’ brutal death on Calvary, it is evident that the disciples were now being weighed down by staggering doubt and despair. They had forsaken Jesus at Gethsemane and fled for their lives as He was taken off to face the Sanhedrin. Ultimately, even the stoic Peter caved and denied even knowing Jesus. Three days later we find the belittled bunch huddled together locked in an upper room trying to process the doubt and despair that was likely overwhelming them. 

Doubt is a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. Despair is the complete loss or absence of hope. 

Some people would say that we are not being “good” Christians if we struggle with doubt and despair, however even the disciples had their doubts. Thomas struggled with doubt almost the entire time he walked with Jesus:

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”-John 14:1-5

The moment Jesus began discussing going away, Thomas began to question how they would be able to know where He was going or how to get there without Him. This stands to reason why Thomas, even after Jesus’ resurrection and the testimony of his fellow disciples of His appearing, declared in John 20:25: “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”

Thomas, however, was not alone in his struggles. The Apostle Paul battled immense doubt and despair:

“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”-2 Corinthians 1:8

Paul’s burdens became so severe that he fell into despair having little hope that he would survive. Haven’t we all been there before? We believe, but doubt has crept in! That once thriving rock solid relationship with the Lord, we once had, has been shaken and now we are being driven and tossed about by the wind:

“He who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”-James 1:6 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church