Ever Ancient, Always New: Faith and Growth Through Doubt (Luke 1:67-80)
Introduction: The Tension Between Certainty and Doubt
Today, I want to talk to you about certainty. Or do I?
I want to explore the relationship between certainty, doubt, and mystery in our faith. Christianity is often stereotyped as a religion of certainty, with little room for questions. Maybe you grew up in a church tradition where it seemed like your understanding of faith shouldn’t move beyond what you learned in Sunday school or confirmation. If you’ve ever felt that way, you might wonder, “Is that all there is?”
For many, doubt feels like something to avoid, as if asking questions makes us “less faithful.” But when we grow up avoiding questions, Christianity itself can start to feel small and unchanging—unable to grow as we grow. We might look around and think, “Everyone else seems so sure, why am I the odd one out?”
If you remember the story of Job as told in the Bible, a man who had everything and lost everything. He had unparalleled suffering. It is a whole book filled with questions and ponderings and at the end, Job has this epiphany, “Oh, my God! I’ve asked these questions. I’ve had these assumptions, but now I see that my view was so limited. God, you are vast and beyond my knowing!” And in the realization of the mystery, Job worshipped God.
Christianity is more complex than we may first think. It holds space for certainty—it’s okay to say, “This I believe.” At the same time, it holds space for mystery. Think about our communion liturgy, where we declare with certainty: “This is the body of Christ, given for you. This is the blood of Christ, shed for the forgiveness of sins.” Yet, we also proclaim the “great mystery of faith”: “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.”
Certainty and mystery coexist. And often, doubt is the door that connects the two. Doubt isn’t always the enemy of faith; it can be a doorway to deeper meaning and understanding. Doubt allows us to step back and reassess what we know, and then invites us to explore beyond our current understanding, only to return to certainty, sometimes with greater clarity.
Zechariah’s Journey: Doubt Leading to Deeper Certainty
Our passage today is from Luke 1:67-80, where we hear Zechariah’s beautiful benediction—a poem, really. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, speaks these words after being filled with the Holy Spirit. Looking at his newborn son, he says, “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people, for the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace.”
Zechariah speaks with certainty. Even though Christ hasn’t yet been born, he speaks as if it’s already done—this is his creed, his firm statement of belief.
But here’s the remarkable part: this bold, confident proclamation is rooted in doubt. Zechariah wasn’t always so sure.
Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, we see Zechariah, a faithful priest, serving in the temple. He and his wife Elizabeth had longed for a child for years, but they remained childless. Then, one day, an angel—Gabriel—appears to him and announces, “Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth will bear a son, and you will name him John. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit and turn many hearts back to God.”
Though this was a moment that should have brought peace, joy, and certainty, Zechariah had doubt and asked, “What proof do I have that this will happen?”
"The Angel Appearing to Zacharias" by William Blake, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "This scene illustrates verses from Luke (I:11–13), in which the archangel Gabriel appears to the righteous Zacharias, a high priest of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, to announce that Zacharias’s elderly and barren wife will give birth to a son, Saint John the Baptist." Click image for source.
And Gabriel’s response? “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God. Here’s your proof: you won’t be able to speak until the child is born.”
Zechariah’s doubt didn’t disqualify him. It became a path to greater certainty. After months of silence, when his son is finally born, Zechariah’s first words aren’t words of fear or shame—they are words of praise. He moves from doubt to a benediction, proclaiming God’s mercy and faithfulness.
If you' have doubts right now about your belief or any part of your beliefs, this should cheer you.
Doubt and Certainty in John the Baptist’s Life
Zechariah’s doubt foreshadows a similar struggle in his son, John. Years later, John the Baptist grows into a fiery preacher, but even he struggles with doubt. John had his own expectations of what the Messiah would do—he expected righteousness to conquer evil swiftly and decisively. But as John sits in prison, the reality doesn’t match his expectations.
He sends messengers to Jesus with the haunting question: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus doesn’t shame John for doubting. Instead, he points to the evidence of what’s happening: the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear. Jesus gives John the facts and allows him to live in the tension of his doubts.
Ever Ancient, Always New: Faith and Growth Through Doubt
John’s experience reminds us that faith isn’t static—it grows. Christianity is “ever ancient, always new.” Our faith must grow out of its ancient roots, but it must also translate into our present lives.
Where are you today? Are you like John, struggling with unmet expectations of faith? Or are you like Zechariah, realizing what doubt has helped you see more clearly? Maybe you’re in a place where you need to declare your faith, or maybe you’re still questioning, still exploring.
And perhaps you’re wondering: “What if I’m wrong? What if my faith isn’t as certain as I thought?” That’s a real fear—a bit like taking the SAT, filling in a bubble, and then erasing it, unsure of the right answer.
But here’s the good news: God is the subject, not us. We are not saved by our certainty. Let me say that again—we are not saved by our certainty. God holds the truth, God embraces mystery, and God is benevolent toward us, meeting us in both our doubt and our certainty.
God’s Grace: The Constant in Certainty and Doubt
God’s salvation and mercy are not contingent on our level of certainty. God has already acted on our behalf. We are the ones sitting in darkness, in need of light. We are not saved because we know everything with certainty, but because God acts—God saves, God redeems, and God shows us mercy.
Friends, where you stand today—whether in certainty, doubt, or somewhere in between—God invites you to lean in. Lean into the mystery. Lean into the certainty. Trust that in the mystery of God’s grace, you are certainly saved.
Conclusion
Doubt is not the enemy of faith. It’s often the door that leads us into a deeper understanding of who God is and what God has done. Just as Zechariah moved from doubt to praise, you too can embrace both the mystery and certainty of faith, knowing that God is faithful to meet you in every step of the journey.
