Finding Faith with John in the Second Chapter of His Gospel

Finding Faith with John in the Second Chapter of His Gospel

By: Deji Yesufu

In the city of Ibadan, the most popular kind of houses built for rent purposes are the one storey, three-bedroom, four flat apartment type. I happen to live in one of those. One of my neighbours is a Muslim – a solid “ustaz” type. He is even an imam to a nearby mosque. Along with the practice of his religion, my neighbour is a solid professional – an architect. A very responsible fellow, actively involved in the landlord association, despite the fact that he is a tenant in the neighbourhood.

As you might have guessed, I have cultivated a good relationship with the man – so we talk. Recently I gave him a copy of my book, HUMANITY. He appreciated it. Then he said that there’s benefit in writing things down. Many times, years after, we take up our essays and wonder who wrote them. In keeping with these thoughts, I will write a note on each chapter of John, after I’m done preaching through it. Hopefully they will benefit somebody someday.

At Providence Reformed Baptist Church Ibadan, I preached eight sermons on John chapter one, and managed to shoot through chapter two with only three sermons; and all three left very memorable thoughts in our minds. In this essay, I will narrow my discuss on two things from chapter two. 1. The subject of genuine faith. 2. The problem of false converts.

The Subject of Genuine Faith

Preceptaustin.org is one of my study tools for sermons, and it was there I saw that John 20:31 is the central theme of the gospel according to John. This book of the Bible is written “… that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” When you understand this fact, you understand John’s emphasis. Why he began the book with a clear enunciation of the deity of Christ and then followed it up with the fact that Jesus created the world. Only God can create! He goes further to show that one man was a witness to the Savior: John the Baptist. It is in this atmosphere of faith, that we come to a wedding in Galilee.

The conversation Jesus had with his mother reveals a certain reluctance on the part of Christ. Mary however knew that Jesus was not ordinary and understood enough that her Son will fix a desperate situation. She tells the servants to obey him. The rest, like we say, is history. But we must not forget the intention of the writer: John 2:11 “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” Mary got her issues resolved, and God stamped faith in the minds of Christ’s disciples. A similar thing occurs even with a negative event later in the chapter. Jesus’s contention with the Jews and whipping of business men from the temple, only occasioned faith in the heart of his disciples (John 2:22). In other words, whatever else you find reading John, ensure that you believe in Christ and in believing, you will have eternal life.

The Problem of False Converts

The chapter ends with three ominous verses that reads: John 2:23 “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 2:24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 2:25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

In two two earlier instances in the same chapter, the Bible records occasions of people believing in Jesus (verses 11 and 22). Then we come to verse 23, and a record of belief is recorded again, except that the object of their faith carried a certain condition that called their faith to doubt: they believed only when they saw the signs Jesus did. They appear to be fair weather believers; they appears to trust Christ only as long as positive providences were coming their way; they appear to believe in Jesus as long as Jesus blessed them. Their faith was not grounded in doctrine but only in the seen; their faith was not sincere but superficial;… oh, how these individuals look like myriads in our day and time. And then we hear the verdict: Christ did not commit himself to them.

In fact the text explains further that Christ did not commit himself to these individuals because there was a certain something in these people. Christ knew that their faith was superficial; it was like the dew that comes in the morning and is gone by noon. Christ will not commit himself to them. I tell Providence people here in Ibadan that it is not enough to give your life to Christ; Christ must give his life to you. The ultimate question is not what you profess as a Christian but what is actually in you. Mere words do not reveal the state of men’s heart: time, testing, and trials often do. Until you know what you are truly made of, it might require you be humble with whatever you profess to be in the name of Christianity.

Conclusion

When I enter a place, the first thing I notice are the people there. I want to know what they are made of. Those with false profession, I want to replace with sincere faith. In the block of flat I live in, my neighbours are deeper life, Christ Embassy, and the Muslim man I mentioned earlier. In my one year staying here, that Muslim man is the most responsible of all of us. Yet he represents a religion that is antichrist. Join me to pray that Christ will use my book, my life, or my words to commend Christ to him. The journey to bring Jesus to a world dying without Christ, without God is a long one. We must walk the narrow path in the word of God. At Providence Reformed Baptist Church Ibadan, we have commenced the trip.

Join us.

Deji Yesufu is the author of HUMANITY