Matthew 28:17

And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Matthew 28:17 (KJV)

Context

Matthew 28:17 stands near the end of the Gospel of Matthew, within the account commonly called the Great Commission. Jesus had risen from the dead and, before ascending to heaven, appeared to His disciples on a mountain in Galilee, just as He had directed them. This verse captures their immediate response when they saw Him.

Meaning

The verse begins with the disciples seeing Jesus and worshipping Him. This act of worship shows that they recognised His divine nature and honoured Him as the risen Son of God. Yet the same moment also records that “some doubted.” Even while worshipping the risen Lord, some of His followers still struggled with uncertainty. This doubt is significant because it happened in the very presence of the resurrected Christ, revealing the genuine human struggle to believe even after witnessing miracles.

The disciples’ doubt does not mean they rejected Jesus. They had not expected the resurrection, so their hesitation was natural. Their honesty in this account actually strengthens its credibility: they did not hide their uncertainty or pretend to have understood everything. Worship and doubt could coexist in their hearts, and Jesus did not turn them away because of it.

Application

Matthew 28:17 encourages believers to be honest about their doubts and to bring them to Jesus rather than hiding them. Doubt does not disqualify a person from following Christ. In the verses that follow, Jesus does not scold the disciples for their uncertainty; instead, He commissions them and promises to be with them always. This invites a faith that embraces both trust and honest questioning, knowing that Jesus meets us in our struggle and leads us forward.

Reflection

This verse reassures us that worship and doubt can exist in the same heart. The disciples worshipped the risen Lord even while some doubted, and Jesus still used them to carry out His mission. We can bring our questions to Him, trusting that He is patient with our weakness and faithful to complete the work He has begun in us.