Unbelieving Believers
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. (John 2:11)
Jesus had recently called His disciples that He wanted to follow Him and to be with Him. Very soon afterwards there was a wedding in Cana that Jesus' mother was involved in. It was in this setting that Jesus did His first public miracle, turning the water into wine. In was at this event that the Scriptures state that the new disciples believed on Jesus. Believed that He was what? It is not stated but it was probably an immature faith. Yet the Bible states that it was a real faith.
These students were with Jesus in His public miracle ministry for 1 to 3 plus years. They ate and slept with Him. They saw Him do every kind of healing including things which had never been done before, Messianic signs. Yet, when the very end came, they did not believe that He had risen from the dead.
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. (Mark 16:14)
When it came down to what really mattered these “believers” did not believe the defining characteristic of the Christian faith at all, the resurrection of Jesus. Could it be that believers really do not believe as much as they think they do?
There is a modern-day saying, even made into a bumper sticker, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it”. That is a noble, idealistic statement, but is it true? Does God saying something automatically mean that I have an assurance that it is so? Rarely, at first.
Peter made the bold declaration, “Thou art the Christ” (Matt 16:16). Jesus even commended and validated his statement. Later, Peter made the bold proclamation that he would never deny Jesus, even if he had to go to prison or death for Him (Luke 22:33). Soon after, Peter denied that he even knew who Jesus was. He was not the faith giant he thought he was. In a humbled attitude, Peter was restored by Jesus and eventually did become a mighty man of faith and courage.
Jesus' disciples (minus Judas) believed at the first yet at the end they did not believe. Yet they did. They were true believers that overestimated their faith and loyalty. Today it is a little amusing to hear new believers loudly proclaim their unwavering faith in the Bible. (Perhaps not terribly humorous when we remember our own faith journey.) Yet they soon find out that they do not believe as much as they imagined they did. This is especially true concerning the things of the Spirit and things that are beyond the scope of the natural senses. This is not intended to introduce doubt where there should be none. It is to cause us to abandon our loud and proud estimation of ourselves and adopt an attitude of humility where God can truly raise us up to be the people of faith in His Word that He wants us to become.
Mar. 16, 2025