Browse Bible Study Resources

Daily Devotions

John

John 
Day 
Day 167

The deep problem of unbelief

Text: John 12 : 37-50

THE DEEP PROBLEM OF UNBELIEF

John made a solemn observation as he noted the responses of the people. Jesus had done just about everything a person could ask to aid understanding. Yet the sad fact was that there was still the problem of dark unbelief.

Jesus had taken every pain to explain His teachings. He would repeat Himself, go over what He had taught time and again, but still unbelief persisted. Ignorance, prejudice, shallowness – the things that made up the cloud of darkness, hampered the people from coming to full faith in Jesus.

Much as Jesus preferred not to, nevertheless out of compassion and grace, He gave the people many sign-miracles! John commented,


“But although He had done so many signs
before them, they did not believe in Him,
that the word of Isaiah the prophet might
be fulfilled, which he spoke:
‘Lord, who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord
been revealed?'”
John 12:37-38

A PROBLEM NOTED MUCH EARLIER

Right from the start, Jesus knew that the people had a major problem that became a stumbling block. They seemed to need signs in order to come to faith. There was a nobleman who came to Jesus to plead with Him to heal his son. He begged Jesus to go to his house so that He might heal him. What Jesus said then held true throughout His ministry.


“Unless you people see signs and wonders,
you will by no means believe.”
John 4:48

Jesus did not go to the home of the nobleman. However, He did heal his son. He wanted the nobleman to have a faith that did not need to depend on signs and wonders! The nobleman found faith finally! But many others had not! They still depended on signs and wonders before they could speak about faith in the Lord!

A NEVER-ENDING DEMAND FOR SIGNS

Once started on this line of reasoning, it was difficult to get out of it. The Jews had a standard way of challenging the identity of anyone who purported to be a special servant sent from God. It was not enough to identify oneself through teaching.

The Jews rounded on Jesus and demanded,

“What sign do You show to us, since You do
these things?”
John 2:18

John noted that Jesus had performed “many signs before them”; nevertheless, they did not come to faith in Jesus. Those who argue for the performance of so-called “signs and wonders” in some Christian circles would do well to ponder deeply over what Jesus taught concerning this peculiar problem of asking for signs.

A DEEP-SEATED PROBLEM

John cited the famous passage found in Isaiah 53 as he commented on the problem of unbelief of the Jews.

“Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Isaiah 53:1

These were the opening lines of Isaiah 53 where the suffering of the Messiah was foretold. Way back then, the prophet Isaiah already foresaw a major problem! People would not and could not believe easily! It was an age-old problem. It was a deep-seated problem as far as Israel was concerned!

The arm of the Lord had been revealed to Israel for centuries! Nevertheless the people had rejected the Word of the Lord! The nation had rejected His servants the prophets again and again! Would the coming of the Messiah and the many signs He performed make an essential difference? Not unless the people were prepared to walk in the light that Jesus provided! Not unless they believed in Him whom God had sent!

A LONG HISTORY OF WRETCHED UNBELIEF

Israel had a long history of unbelief! Psalm 106 details a long list of sins that caused the nation to be so steeped in its history of unbelief. Let us look at some of the sins listed in this Psalm. Let us highlight just a few of their sins.

1. Ignorance

“Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders…” Psalm 106:7

2. Forgetting what God had done

“They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies…” Psalm 106:7

“They soon forgot His works…” Psalm 106:13

“They forgot God their Saviour…” Psalm 106:21

3. Rebellion

“But rebelled by the sea – the Red Sea” Psalm 106:7
“Many times He delivered them, but they rebelled in their counsel…” Psalm 106:43

5. Rejection of God’s Word


“They did not wait for His counsel…” Psalm 106:13
“They did not believe His Word…” Psalm 106:24

These sin-problems were present in the hearts of the Jews, in the days of Jesus. Signs would not remove these problems. Only faith in Christ could.