Tracing Belief Through the Book of John

Lots of chapter and verse references are given, you might want to read this with a Bible nearby.

Reading through the Gospel of John I found two themes to be the most easily identifiable. They are Jesus as light and the theme of belief. Though both are significant, I feel that pure quantity shows that belief is John’s most prominent theme.

The theme of belief is found throughout the entirety of John’s gospel. He makes numerous points around this theme and gives us numerous examples. In fact, he himself states it as a purpose for his gospel in 20:31 where he writes “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” As we see that John places this as his reason for writing, we must answer the question, what does John say about belief? To best understand this, we’ll trace through his book chronologically.

Starting quickly, in 1:7, John tells us that John the Baptist has been sent as a witness so that all might believe. This belief is clarified further in 1:12 as John tells us that Jesus came to Earth and that those who believed in him would inherit the right to become children of God.

John the Baptist is then seen portraying someone who understands what correct belief is. In 1:19-28 he is immensely concerned that people don’t view him as the messiah, but simply as a witness. The one in whom belief should be placed was soon to come. After these statements, the Gospel author gives us numerous accounts of belief.

Starting with his chosen disciples, Jesus paints the reason of belief for Nathanael as being one of words. Nathanael believed because of what Jesus told him. In 2:22, belief comes to the disciples as they look into the past to make sense of events properly. The disciples take Jesus’ words about the temple, understand them, and believe in Jesus after Jesus has been raised from the dead. Their new outlook on the past is what brings them to belief in this instance. The very next verse states that many people believed in Jesus’ name because of the miraculous signs that he performed.

In chapter 3, while teaching Nicodemus, Jesus states that belief can be in both earthly things, and heavenly things. He then states more clearly, that if someone has belief in him (Jesus as Son of God) they will be granted eternal life and that without belief in him, you will be condemned.

While talking to the woman at the well in chapter 4, Jesus requests/commands (it’s hard to determine tone in the English text we are given) that the woman believe in the things he is saying. Following this encounter, others come to believe because of the testimony of this woman. Belief now can come from words outside of just the one to whom we place belief in. These people, after placing their belief in Jesus, then heard Jesus speak, and their motivation for belief changed.

John then tells another of his healing stories. This time, Jesus addresses that signs are needed for some to believe (4:48) and that after healing a man’s son, he comes to believe in Jesus (4:53). This account also shows that it is through proper recognition of current events and past statements that cause some to believe as this healing took place apart from the time when Jesus told this man he would believe because of a sign.

In 5:24, Jesus teaches that belief in the words he speaks will bring a person eternal life. John makes a presupposition I find fascinating in 5:44 as he sets belief up as our goal. In starting questions with phrases like, “how can you believe if…” the implication made is that belief is a good goal for us to achieve. That goal is then flushed out by Jesus in chapter 6.

In 6:29, Jesus answers a question on what the works of God are by stating “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” This is a powerful statement to John’s placement of belief as a priority and theme of the Gospel message. Further in 6:60-71 Jesus makes it clear that he knows who believes and who doesn’t (speaking specifically of his 12 disciples) even to the point where he calls the one who doesn’t believe “a devil,” again showing the focus of belief as a positive goal for us.

John talks more of what belief will do for us in the next few chapters. 7:38-39 states that those who believe will have living water in side them and that the Spirit of God would come only to those who believe. 8:24 shows that belief is what saves you from “dying in your sins.”
In chapter 9, John gives an example of belief that came not just from a miraculous sign, but also required other explanation (9:18) and then shows, in 9:35-41, that belief is one of man’s natural desires. We all desire to believe and seek belief where we might find it.

Further chapters show differences in coming to belief. 10:25 shows that some refuse to believe, while 10:42 shows that belief can be both individual (as seen in past stories) or numerous (as seen in this community where many come to believe). 12:37 shows that some will even refuse to believe after miraculous signs have been given to them.

Chapters 11 and 13 show Jesus teaching about belief. In 11:25-26 he states that those who believe will never die. An admirable goal in itself. He accompanies that in 11:40 stating that if you believe, you will see God’s glory. In 13:19 and 14:29 Jesus tells the disciples things in advance so that belief will be easier when events happen.

One of the most encouraging passages to me in Jesus prayer in chapter 17 where he prays that some will come to believe because of the message of his disciples. Belief will happen in the future (after this gospel is written) because others will continue to pass on this message. This is something I still hold to strongly.

Chapters 18-20 then focus on the passion narrative where Jesus is crucified and raises from the dead, the climax of this and every Gospel. Immediately after this account is when John gave us his them “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believe you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)

This theme, which is traced through the entirety of John’s gospel is significantly important to his theology. He shows rightly that it is through belief in God, and the one that he sent that we are saved. There is no action we can take to inherit eternal life, it is an acceptance of the truth as God has presented it.

John also seems to be making a large effort to show that people can and will come to believe because of many reasons. Some will seek belief because of the desires within them, some may require miraculous signs. Some will find the Son because of his teaching and others will require the message that has been passed down. It is important that we not limit people’s belief to coming form only one of these methods.