The Core of Faith

Scripture: So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me. John 10:24-25

Observation: In answering the question about his Messiahship, Jesus provides a definitive answer - he says he  does the work of Messiah, and that would prove his authority to anyone who believes. And what are the actions that Jesus has done? He has restored sight to the blind, fed thousands, turned water to wine, walked on water, spoken of love, healed the crippled, restored life to the dead. He has done these things not once, but dozens of times - probably hundreds. In all cases, each action should be enough to prove his status. And in each case, what he does also fulfills prophesy.

Therefore, when asked if his it the Christ, Jesus is telling the Jews that they need to first understand what the Christ is and what he does, and then they will find Jesus has done all those things. With that, they can answer the question for themselves.

Application: At the core of faith is ... faith. No one believes in Jesus because they are told to. They believe in Jesus because they believe. They believe in signs and wonders. They believe in God as creator and in the redemption model of Jesus. They believe in the love of God manifested in the sacrifice of his son for our sins.

I believe in God, and I believe in Jesus, and I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the miracles of Jesus, the love of God, the power of the Spirit, and in everlasting life through that faith.

Prayer: Lord, today I only pray that others I know come to faith through belief in Jesus. I pray others will understand your love, and they will accept your grace. I pray they will recognize their sin and shortcoming, understand your forgiveness and path to redemption, and will accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Amen.