It’s no small thing to believe in Jesus

Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:

What did I like about today's passage?

The last of Jesus’ miraculous signs showing his authority and power is a huge deal. Lots of people have impressive sounding ideas and teaching. Few can back up their credentials by showing the power of their words. Only Jesus showed he had the ultimate power to turn death to life. We should be shocked and awed by this, because if someone can do that at will, is there anything they cannot do?

The strange thing is that after demonstrating power like this, I might expect Jesus to win over every doubting heart and mind. Why didn’t everyone who knew then believe and follow him?

This line grabbed my attention: “If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” It looks like it was possible to recognise what Jesus was doing as true, accept it as true, and yet still not allow him to change your mind. Was it starting to sink in with Israel’s spiritual leaders that the change God had in mind for them and the world was bigger than they were ready for? Or were they simply driven more by fears and doubts than by faith in God?

I love how the people who were excited by Jesus started to show this in extravagant ways in the week before his crucifixion. From the woman who poured out perfume which probably represented her life savings, to the crowd who greeted Jesus as king, these were not small, subtle acts of belief. They showed that following Jesus is far more than accepting an idea, it’s a huge, life changing thing.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

Jesus does not accept people’s belief, honour and praise as something which relates to himself alone. Instead, Jesus insists that belief in him is also belief in Father God who sent him. While God has always been mysterious and invisible, except for some physical signs (clouds, fire, etc), his plan was to become knowable and visible through Jesus.

So, it shouldn’t be too surprising that Jesus is hard to accept. If he were only a good man, we could take or leave him easily. But to embrace Jesus is to know and embrace God, and that is a very big deal indeed, one which inevitably changes us when we do so wholeheartedly.

What am I going to do differently as a result?

The polarisation of people in this passage seems familiar in our culture, sharply divided over the biggest issues like Brexit and our response to the coronavirus. Looking at Jesus and his power over death and life, I would love more friends to see, believe and follow him, but I recognise that it’s such a big deal, it is bound to be difficult and polarising.

So I need to admit that I can’t change anyone’s mind about God in my own strength. Instead, I want to grow in faithfulness following Jesus, keep pointing people to him and let him excite the people who need and want what he offers. I need God to guide me in this.

Who am I going to share this with?

I will pray about what and how to share with people in my community!