When Doubt Meets Jesus

Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025 – Third Sunday of Advent

Readings: Isaiah 35:1–10 | Psalm 146:5–10 | Luke 1:46–55 | James 5:7–10 | Matthew 11:2–11

Matthew drops us into a moment of doubt. John the Baptist is imprisoned and disillusioned. He sends messengers to ask Jesus, “Are you the one?” It’s a profoundly human question, especially from the bold prophet who once declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God. Jesus responds not with rebuke but with evidence, quoting Isaiah: the blind see, the lame walk, the poor receive good news. Isaiah 35 sings of this healing, restoration, and joy. Likewise, James calls us to patience, reminding us that God’s timeline is not ours.

Matthew’s testimony invites us to bring our real questions to Jesus. Advent is not a season of forced cheer or shallow positivity. It’s a season that honors longing, uncertainty, and the tension between God’s promises and our lived reality. Jesus meets John’s doubts with compassion; He meets ours in the same way today, challenging us to look for signs of the kingdom already unfolding around us. Not spectacle, but transformation and healing. Advent hope grows slowly like a seed; a promise that will not be rushed.

The Advent invitation today is simple: trust that God is still at work, even in the places that feel like invisible prison walls, or in our unresolved questions. Trust is synonymous with faith, especially in times of anxious waiting.

Devotional Prompts:

• What doubts or questions are you carrying into this season?
• Where do you see signs of God’s quiet healing at work?
• How does Jesus’ response to John encourage your own faith journey?
• What might patience look like in your current circumstances?

Prayer:
Compassionate Lord, meet us in our questions and steady us in our waiting. Open our eyes to the quiet work of your kingdom. Give us patience, hope, and trust as we follow you into the dawning light.