Subscription Lists
Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
“Do You Believe in the Son of God?”
“Jesus heard that they [the Pharisees] had cast him [the blind man] out; and when He had found him, He said to him, 'Do you believe in the Son of God?' He answered and said, 'Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?' And Jesus said to him, 'You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.' Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.' Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, 'Are we blind also?' Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, “We see.' Therefore your sin remains.'” (John 9.35-41).
The word believe is not a difficult word from a definition standpoint. However, like a lot of other words in the English language (and the Greek for that matter), believe has a range of meanings and not just one static definition. For instance, it can mean to hold a firm religious conviction [to have faith], or it can mean to have an opinion about a matter. Synonyms of believe include, to accept, to have faith, to think, to trust, and to credit. Again, these words are all similar in some way, but each of them has its own shade of meaning. To attempt to assign a singular meaning to the word believe in the Bible is simply untenable for a number of reasons. Hence, in order to understand what the word believe means in any one place, the Bible student must choose from the full range of meanings that are available and be further guided by the immediate as well as the remote context of usage.
I have heard some people say that justification is available to all who “simply believe in Jesus Christ.” Or to put it another way, justification comes by faith alone. I think such statements are out of place. Of course, if the Bible ever states that we are saved by belief [faith] alone, that would be a different matter, but it does not. The word believe and its usages simply does not lend itself to one line answers which as often as not ignore or contradict other passages regarding the meaning of the word and what is required of man in order for Him to be justified. If it were that simple, just how big would the Bible need to be? John 3.16 would be adequate almost in and of itself with the rest of the Bible being added merely for color.
This case of Jesus and the blind man is a classic example of how the meaning of believe can shift from one passage to the other. When Jesus told the blind man to go to the pool of Siloam and wash, it is obvious that he believed (trusted) to some degree in the one who had commanded him to take that action. Yet, that is not what Jesus was asking him when He said, “Do you believe in the son of God?” This question was not just about confidence that He could make his eyes whole; a prophet could have done that. In fact, that was the conclusion that the man reached about Jesus when he was asked what he thought of Him. The blind man was right in saying that He was a Prophet, but he would not have been right in saying He was ONLY a prophet. The force of Jesus' question to the blind man when He asked him if he believed in the Son of God takes the level of belief a step higher than what had been reached before. It was no longer about a mere prophet; it was about the SON OF GOD!
There is a lot involved in the expression Son of God. It encompasses the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament as well as the fulfilment of the same in the New Testament. To believe in Jesus Christ is to embrace all that God says about Him and about our relationship to Him. Merely believe; not quite!
Questions:
1. What moved the man to go to the pool of Siloam?
2. At what point was the man fully convinced (believed) that Jesus was a prophet?
3. Was it possible for the blind man to believe in Jesus but not believe in the Son of God? Explain your answer.
4. What does it mean to believe in the Son of God?
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Today's Little Lift" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.