So, You Say You Believe?

"Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.” (Joh 16:30 AV)

 

These words are words from the disciples.  After Jesus explained more directly and fully His relationship to the Father and His eternal origin, the disciples were able to accept the truth as completely true.  They were grateful the LORD spoke to them plainly without parables, allegory, or metaphysically.  Once the LORD Jesus taught them in words and terms they could clearly understand, all doubt seemed to disappear.  However, after they spoke these words, our LORD revealed the unfortunate reality that soon, they would abandon Him as He was crucified at the cross of Calvary.  Even though it would seem they were sincere in their statement above (and I think they truly were), living out what one knows is true is quite a different matter, altogether.  They professed that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God come to earth that He might make disciples unto Himself and the Father.  They were fully convinced of it.  Yet, when this faith was tested, it failed.   At least the first time.

I have a brother who is one French fry short of a happy meal.  He is not playing with a full deck.  This brother of mine doesn’t seem to understand that are acceptable risks, and there are risks that no normal human being would take.  He wanted to grow us and learn to fly a helicopter.  As one special forces pilot said, “As soon as the helicopter comes off the assembly line, it is seeking ways in which to kill you.”  This dear brother of mine did something his seven brothers and three sisters had enough sense to avoid.  He learned to parachute!  No rational person would jump out of a perfectly good airplane at 5-10 thousand feet with a tablecloth strapped to his back.  But he did!  The rest of us went to see him jump.  Many times.  Each time, he safely touched down with no bodily injuries to speak of.  Facts of physics and life experience revealed to him that parachuting was perfectly safe.  The facts could be understood and accepted. The proof could be overwhelming.  The sincerity of belief could be oceans deep.  There comes a time when what we know to be true is tested under adverse conditions.  It is at that time when our faith matures.

Let us be clear.  There is no reason to be critical of the disciples here.  They were at least willing to assent to the fact of who Jesus claimed to be and follow Him in His earthly ministry.  They had enough faith in the truth to take a certain level of risk.  This observation is not one of criticism in any way, shape, or form.  What they believed was, in fact, being lived out.  They clearly were not afraid to ally themselves to the Son of God in a time when the nation was systematically rejecting Him.  Let us give credit where credit is due.  They had enough faith to leave family and friends to follow the Miracle worker.  They didn’t care what the scribes and Pharisees said about Him.  As long as they were learning, growing, and experiencing the miracles of the Messiah, their belief was plenty strong.  However, the LORD always wishes to make faith stronger.  There isn’t a ceiling in the area of spiritual maturity.  Strong faith must grow all the stronger.  When they professed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, little did they know that faith would be tested.  And tested it must be.  So, let us admire the disciples for their statement of faith.  It was sincere.  It was true.  It was laudable.  But it had to grow deeper.