Believing in Jesus or Believing in the Signs?

John 2:23 ESV
“Now when He (Jesus) was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He was doing.”

Jesus said in John 6:44a, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” How does God draw the sinner to salvation? It is the work of the Holy Spirit to draw individuals to salvation. Is everyone drawn to Jesus for salvation? I believe that answer is yes, but not all will turn to Jesus for reasons only the individual will know themselves.

In today’s passage, Jesus comes on the scene and begins teaching. Often His compassion for individuals drew Him to heal, restore, and bring back to life in some cases. These signs and wonders drew many to Jesus, and many were healed by Jesus, but they did not all believe in Jesus as the Son of God. They believed in His name.

Believing in Jesus’s name sounds like they were true believers but obviously they were not, because the crowds that followed Jesus were following the signs. They were not hearing Jesus’s teachings and accepting Him as their Messiah.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The most important healing that can happen to us is the healing in salvation. That is a healing of the Spirit inside of us to know we belong to God, we know God, and He knows us.

Signs and wonders will amaze the onlooker, but the ultimate healing will take place when the onlooker looks beyond the signs and wonders and sees Jesus their Savior and Redeemer.

Believing in Jesus name in this scene of John 2:23, is the same principle as when we sign a document with our name on it. The receiver of the document believes that we are affirm that everything on the document is true and we attest to that by our signature. In essence they believe in our name.

Is believing enough? James says, “Are there still some among you who hold that “only believing” is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the demons believe this too—so strongly that they tremble in terror!” (James 2:19)

Believing has to turn into faith that Jesus is who He says He is. Faith has to turn into a commitment to Jesus. Remember, we do not have to be perfect to be His, we just have to be forgiven.

Prayer:
Lord, I surrender all to You. My life without You was dull and void. I give my life to You, come into my heart! In Your name Lord Jesus, Amen!