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Sermon Text
Outline
1. Belief without faith (v.23-25)
2.
An example of a belief without faith (v.1-2)
We are going to see that there can be a such a thing as belief without actual trust in Jesus Christ and we will see an example of what this looks like in our text.
We will see many examples throughout the Scriptures but in the second part of our text today we will see this.
Point 1. Belief without faith (v.23-25)
Verse 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing
Sub Point: As we covered last week, the Passover was the first and the most important of the three annual festivals.
As we covered last week, the Passover was the first and the most important of the three annual festivals.
There are seven total Jewish festivals or feasts outlined in Scripture.
The Passover specifically called for the male population of Israel (which included any Jewish male over 12 years old).
They were to celebrate the passing over of God’s people when the angel smote the first-born of Egypt the night of the Exodus.
The Jews would give sacrifices between 3:00 and 6:00 on the night of the feast.
And they would also have a meal where a lamb was roasted in fire and bitter herbs were used along with unleavened bread ().
And they would also have a meal where a lamb was roasted in fire and bitter herbs were used along with unleavened bread ().
Jesus was there during that time and verse 23 tells us that He was doing signs and that many believed in His name when He had done them.
A sign here or we can say a miracle can be defined as an event manifesting a supernatural act.
It was an act that superceded natural law and one that was not normative.
In short, a sign was a supernatural act that superceded natural law and one that was not normative.
The cause for people believing in verse 23 was the signs (miracles) that Jesus had done.
Prior to our text we saw that the Jews, after Jesus drove everyone out of the temple, where He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, we saw the Jews there demanding a sign.
Prior to our text we saw that the Jews, after Jesus drove everyone out of the temple, where He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, we saw the Jews demanding a sign.
Prior to our text we saw that the Jews, after Jesus drove everyone out of the temple, where He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, we saw the Jews demanding a sign.
Prior to our text we saw that the Jews, after Jesus drove everyone out of the temple, where He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, we saw the Jews demanding a sign.
he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen.
And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
We saw that this was not a sign for affirmation but one that was asked to test Him.
To test His authority for doing what He did there.
Sub Point: Signs were never meant to be the cause of someone’s faith.
They were only meant to point to Christ.
I think the gospel of John makes that clear.
In Jesus told the official whose son was ill to the point of death “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
miracle ⇔ sign n. — a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of a divine agent; often with an emphasis on communicating a message.
Afterwards the man believed, not because of the healing that took place which was a sign by definition, but he believed because of the word that Jesus spoke to him according to verse 50 of .
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
).
Jesus here spoke negatively when telling the official that [unless he’d see signs and wonders he would not believe].
Which most likely didn’t mean a belief in Him for salvation.
The official’s belief here came from the word that Jesus spoke and in verse 53 of we see that his whole household believed.
Proven that this was most likely a genuine belief.
The official’s belief here came from the word that Jesus spoke and in verse 53 of we see that his whole household believed.
We see that the cause for a large crowd following Him in was that “they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.”
In when the people saw Jesus feed 5000 of them with five barley loaves and two fish, they said “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish,
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
Then in Jesus gets beneath the obvious and with pin point accuracy and He gets to the actual issue where He tells people that they were seeking Him, not because they saw signs, but because they ate their fill of the loaves.
In they asked Jesus “what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you?
What work do you perform?”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
His answer was the same.
He would always reveal that He was Himself what they needed.
Responses to how Jesus answered them in John 6 was that they grumbled and many disciples left because of how hard of a saying it was.
Namely, that Jesus is Himself what they needed.
This highlights how one can follow and like what Jesus does and even believe in the power He had, but lack genuine, saving faith.
In we see that “though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him.”
37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .
When Jesus did signs it did not mean that belief because of signs was a good thing.
If anything we see a belief without saving faith and it didn’t guarantee faith.
When Jesus did signs it did not mean that belief because of signs meant that it was saving faith.
In fact, it didn’t guarantee faith.
Sub Point: You can believe in things about God because of signs and you cannot receive saving faith because of signs.
Saving faith comes from belief in Christ alone.
The belief in verse 23 of our text was not one that proved saving faith.
It only proved that they believed things about Jesus but it wasn’t a belief in Jesus.
An example can be found in Jesus brothers.
Here we see a plea for Jesus to do the works He was doing so that He can be known openly and to the world.
But His brothers did not believe.
They believed He could do the works but there was no belief in Him.
Signs were never meant to be the cause of saving faith.
They are only arrows pointing to the Savior.
You can have a belief about Jesus without a belief in Jesus.
You can have many believe in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing without a true belief that saves
In other words, you can have right information about God without a saving faith in God and have signs happening around you.
This can cause us to be very uneasy.
Because this gets to the core of our faith or professed faith.
Question: What do we point to when claiming to be of faith?
Do we point to having a good theology about God?
Do we point to our works?
Or do we point to the gospel?
Do we look to the cross and see that in His death and resurrection we have been given life and justification?
Have we believed in the sign of Jonah?
In His life death and resurrection?
Do we live in gratitude and worship because of His life, death and resurrection?
Do we confess our sins because of His life, death and resurrection?
Do we give because of His life, death and resurrection?
Do we love one another because of His life, death and resurrection?
Do we go to church because of His life, death and resurrection?
Do we see how signs cannot be compared to His life, death and resurrection?
God’s people become God’s people not because of signs.
Faith in Jesus is not caused by someone’s sight returning
Not because a leg grew back
Not even because of someone coming to saving faith
We became God’s children by adoption through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Many
By being granted faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 23 tells us that many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing but in verse 24 we read,
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