It requires faith

In the gospel books of Matthew and John we have two very different stories regarding Jesus, but both of these scripture passage narratives reveal the same profession of faith.

The first narrative involved Jesus questioning his disciples about who the people say that Jesus is. Jesus asked them, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”

Read this passage of scripture.

Matthew 16:13-20
¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Jesus asked his disciples first what men outside of his circle his 12 disciples were saying about Jesus. They tell him what the people think.

Then Jesus asked his twelve disciples whom they think he is. Simon, one of Jesus’ disciples boldly professes to Jesus “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus then informs Simon that God gave him this revelation of faith, and then Jesus names Simon “Peter,” or as the Greek word Petros means ‘a stone’ or ‘rock.’ Upon Peter Jesus will build his Church, or as the Greek word ekklesia denotes ‘an assembly of called out ones.’

Note that after this profession of Peter, Jesus charges his disciples to tell no man that Jesus was the Christ.

Jesus in his time of ministry did not go around boasting he was the Christ, instead he left that conclusion for the people and the Pharisees to decide for themselves who Jesus was.

For each person, each individual, must decide and come to the true revelation of who is Jesus on their own.

Thus, faith is required. It was their faith Jesus sought, not fame or a title.

The next narrative is in the story of Jesus raising up Lazarus from the dead.

Read this passage of scriptures from the book of John.

The first part of the story gives us a bit of history regarding Lazarus who was sick and died.

John 11:1-16
¶ Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. 7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. 8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. 11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Jesus states to his disciples, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

Jesus has, by this time in his ministry, healed many people and he could have healed Lazarus, but instead will use Lazarus’ death to glorify God.

Read on.

John 11:17-27
¶ Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

It is evident that Martha, Lazarus’ sister, has great faith in Jesus and his abilities. She told Jesus, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”

While Martha has great faith, she doesn’t understand what Jesus meant when he told her “Thy brother shall rise again.” Martha understood about the resurrection of the dead in the last day,
but Jesus was speaking about a resurrection in the immediate future.

Jesus then tells Martha, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

Jesus then askes Martha if she believes him in this.

Jesus again in John, like in the previous scriptures in Matthew, is seeking faith.

He is seeking Martha’s faith.

Martha replies “Yes Lord.”

She believes.

She further confirms her faith by saying “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

And with that confirmation of faith, Jesus proceeds to raise up her brother Lazarus.

Read on.

John 11:28-44
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 ¶ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

Note that when Jesus comes and meets Mary, the other sister of Lazarus, and the other Jews weeping over the death of Lazarus, Jesus is described by the writer of John as being “troubled.” The text says “he groaned in the spirit.”

While it’s not mentioned here, it could be that Jesus was “troubled” not at the death of Lazarus like all of the others, rather for their lack of faith in him, or his abilities. After all only Jesus knows what he is capable of doing as he was sent by God.

Read on.

John 11:35-44
Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

It’s clear from the scriptures that Jesus was troubled in his spirit at the lack of faith around him, but also troubled by their lack of understanding when he said to Martha “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

Then Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Jesus then performs, what man calls a miracle, when he raised Lazarus from the dead.

Nothing is impossible to God, even raising the dead to life, but God requires our faith in him.

Both of these scriptures in Matthew and John illustrate that point; God, Jesus, seeks our faith in him.

It is your faith in Jesus, he is interested in.

It is by faith you call on God.

It is by faith you believe in Jesus.

It is by faith one receives the revelation of Jesus, the Christ.

As Jesus asked his disciples, “whom say ye that I am?”

You have to answer that question for yourself.

Do you believe?

Do you have faith?

Jesus died for your sins!

Do you know Jesus?