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In the Miracles of Jesus 241
(John 3:36). But now he is saying that they “believe,” even though his
word “finds no place” in them and even though they want to kill him.
What kind of belief is that? Before we answer, notice that this is not the
only situation where Jesus commented on a kind of “belief” that was
not saving belief.
When Jesus went to the Passover in Jerusalem, John comments,
“Many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing”
(John 2:23). But then he adds, “But Jesus on his part did not entrust
himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear
witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:24–
25). Evidently this “belief” was not a kind Jesus could trust. Something
was wrong with it. They had seen signs and believed he was doing them,
but that was not what Jesus was looking for.
Similarly, after the feeding of the five thousand, the crowds followed
him with great enthusiasm: “They were about to come and take him by
force to make him king” (John 6:15). This sounds like great faith and
allegiance. But Jesus says to them, “You are seeking me, not because you
saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (John 6:26). I take
that to mean that they saw the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand,
but instead of seeing it as a sign of a peculiar glory, they saw it as proof
that Jesus had the power to meet their physical needs and be a king who
could make their lives safe and prosperous. Jesus was not interested in
that kind of “belief.” What was wrong with it? What were they missing?
Even His Brothers Saw the Miracles but Did Not Believe
A key to the answer is found in the “belief” of Jesus’s brothers, which
John calls “unbelief”:
Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to
him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see
the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be
known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.”
For not even his brothers believed in him. (John 7:2–5)
That is a jolting statement: “Not even his brothers believed in him.”
And what is more jolting is that John gives this statement as the ground
(“for”) for what they had just said. And what had they said—“You