Perhaps over Easter you attended a church service and heard read out one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ resurrection. In Matthew’s Gospel we come across a rather peculiar statement:

When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17)

Were the first disciples unsure that Jesus was actually risen from the dead?  And if they couldn’t be certain then surely the claims of Christianity collapse from their very foundations.  What does it mean that some doubted?

Our English Bibles are a translation of ancient texts, originally in Greek.  The word ‘doubted’ might be better translated as ‘hesitated’.  The only other occurrence in the New Testament is found in Matthew 14 which recounts Jesus walking on the water.  Initially the disciples are terrified but Jesus reassures them and calls Peter to step out the boat and walk to Him.  Peter, reassured of Jesus’ power, begins this impossible task, but when he sees the violence of the wind he panics and starts to sink.  Jesus catches Peter before he goes under and asks him ‘Peter, why did you doubt/hesitate?’  You’ve probably seen a similar thing play out when a pheasant tries crossing the road in Therfield or Kelshall.  They’ve made up their mind to go but then panic, stuttering backwards and forwards directly in front of an approaching car.  There’s an initial confidence that this is the go signal but then doubts/hesitations arise. 

Matthew 28:17 isn’t the first time the disciples encountered Jesus risen from the dead.  In fact, other Gospel accounts suggest that this meeting is at least 10 days after the first Easter Sunday.  We’re told the disciples worship Jesus, but some hesitate.  It’s not that they doubt Jesus has been risen from the dead but some start to wonder if this is the go signal they initially thought it was.  Jesus’ resurrection was living proof that He had defeated death, yet 10 days on life seemed to continue as before.  Rome still ruled the nation, oppression, decay and death still reared their ugly heads.  In the Jewish mind the resurrection happened at the end of the age, it marked the renewal of all things.  Jesus was resurrected, the train had come into the station, but why hadn’t the carriages immediately followed? 

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ 

Jesus reassures His hesitant disciples.  The train has come into the station and that means that the carriages will follow.  But now He calls His disciples to go back along those carriages, stretching to the very end of the track, and call people to come onboard, to join themselves to Jesus as His disciples.  Conflict, decay and death still continue in this world, over Easter the news was full of such stories.  Why doesn’t God do something?  The resurrection declares that He has, so why the apparent delay?  Not because God is slow keeping His promises but because He is patient, not wanting any to perish.  The wait is not a sign of God’s indifference but of His deep desire for people to be ready.  If we are ever to get through death we need to be connected to the One who has defeated death.  The real question is, are you ready?