This verse came up during a conversation I had with a student at lunch this week. They asked a hard and honest question: Why do people in other countries seem to have so few opportunities to hear the gospel, while in America we have countless chances—and yet so many still don’t believe? It’s a fair question. I agreed that it really is wild that we live in a place overflowing with Gospel access, Bibles, churches, and Christian content, and still, so many hearts remain unchanged. I told them something I often think about: Jesus could physically appear right here in the middle of the lunchroom, visible to everyone, and still many wouldn’t put their trust in Him. Why? Because the problem isn’t a lack of evidence, it’s a heart issue.
In this moment recorded in Matthew 28, Jesus had just risen from the dead. Prophecies were being fulfilled, and everything He had predicted was unfolding exactly as He said it would. The disciples saw Him with their own eyes, yet it says, “some doubted.” Even standing face to face with the risen Christ, belief wasn’t automatic. We often believe the lie that seeing is believing, but Scripture shows us that belief goes deeper than sight. James 2:19 reminds us that “even the demons believe—and shudder.” Mere belief in God’s existence isn’t the same as trusting Him.
Over the years, I’ve had conversations with non-believers, and I’ve realized that their struggle often isn’t actually thinking that the Bible contradicts itself—it’s really because the Bible contradicts the way we want to live. The resistance isn’t intellectual; it’s personal. Maybe the ones who doubted in verse 17 did believe, but they were wrestling with questions, uncertainties, or fear. That’s okay. Doubt doesn’t disqualify us from following Jesus—it’s part of the journey. But we’re not meant to stay stuck in our doubt. The invitation is to seek, to ask, and to move forward in trust, even when our faith isn’t perfect.