The Great Wall of Unbelief: Embracing True Faith
Journey Through the Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Easter is just around the corner. It is the time when we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It is appropriate then for us to arrive at our text today. We are in the Gospel of John and chapter 2. As we continue our Journey through the Gospel of John, we come to Christ's conversation with the Jews. As you may recall from last week’s message, Christ was in the Temple. While there, He noted the money-changing tables and all the covetous activity in His House. It was no longer a house of worship or prayer but a den of thieves. Christ acted swiftly. He made Himself a small whip of cords and drove the money changers out of His House. He overthrew their tables and poured out their money. He cleansed His House of the greed and covetousness. Now, as you might imagine, this drew everyone's attention. It caused quite a stir.
Let’s read our text.
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
Last week, I mentioned that John’s Gospel differs from the others chronologically. In John’s Gospel account, the Holy Spirit saw fit to place the cleansing of the temple and this conversation with the Jews at the beginning. However, chronologically speaking, these events come at the end of Christ’s ministry. These events occur during the week leading to His death and subsequent Resurrection.
It is also important to note that this conversation does not happen immediately after He cleanses the temple. Matthew records that when He had finished running the money changers out of the Temple, He, along with His disciples, left the Temple and the city and went to the village of Bethany. They then stayed overnight there. The next day, they reentered Jerusalem. As they walked through, Jesus, who was hungry, spotted a fig tree and approached it. However, He found the fig tree was fruitless. He then pronounces judgment on the tree, which immediately withers away. The disciples are amazed at how soon the fig tree. It is then that Christ says to them.
21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
They then arrive at the temple and are greeted by several religious leaders, including the chief priests. It is then that they challenge the Lord Jesus with this question.
23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
If you put things in context, the day before Christ drove out all the money changers and profiteers, it doesn’t take much stretch of the imagination to know that word spread quickly. I imagine the chief priests were some of the first to learn of Christ’s activity from the day before. As we know how things work, I would also imagine these chief priests profited from the money laundering they had allowed in the Temple. Thus, they were angry over the loss of profit and the challenge to their authority. All of which leads them to confront Christ concerning His authority.
Again, as you read Matthew and John’s account, we find that this conversation of Christ with the Jewish religious leaders centered around two things. Matthew records Christ’s answer as they challenged His authority to cleanse the Temple. However, John records Christ’s answer to their continued insistence that He, the Lord Jesus, produce physical evidence that He had the authority to do what He did. This morning, our concern is with John’s account and Jesus’s answer regarding a sign.
Here is what I believe God wants us to know and understand from this exchange!
Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are the only proof anyone needs that He is God. Unfortunately, too many people miss its significance because of their sinful condition. The world is filled with people who believe only what they want. Sadly, most never honestly believe Christ’s atonement through His death, burial, and resurrection. As a result, their unbelief has serious spiritual consequences. For example, a person’s unbelief becomes a great wall or barrier, preventing them from having a wonderful, personal relationship with God. Thus, at the heart of this story is the topic of unbelief.
Let’s start with this thought!
Unbelief is the Great Barrier between God and Man
Unbelief is the Great Barrier between God and Man
18 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
Note that these Jewish leaders, who knew and understood Scripture (Old Testament Law and Prophets), focused on physical evidence. They demanded a sign.
Now, stop and think about this for a moment! Christ, the God of the Universe, walked among them for three long years. As He did, He performed miracle after miracle. Christ performed approximately 37 miraculous things, from turning water into wine to raising people from the dead. How many signs did they need? Those are just the ones God the Holy Spirit chose to place in Scripture. The Holy Spirit also indicated that Christ did way more than the ones recorded. Yet, Christ stands at the end of His earthly ministry, and these religious leaders still have not believed. I find it interesting that, in this Gospel, the next chapter is about a religious leader approaching Jesus and how he was confused about Jesus’ mission. Even stranger is that these religious leaders were the leading authority on all things about the Law and prophets. Yet, Christ, the Messiah, the Lamb of God, is standing among them, performing all kinds of miraculous works, and they are clueless.
What is happening here? They chose to believe only what they wanted to believe. In doing so, they did not believe in Christ. Their unbelief greatly hindered them from seeing and understanding that God was there. He was standing in front of them.
As I was contemplating their unbelief this week, I noted three things about true belief versus unbelief. This story demonstrates each of these characteristics.
Here is the first one!
True belief never requires physical proof or a sign.
True belief never requires physical proof or a sign.
These men required physical proof. Give us a “sign.” The word “sign” means a marvelous event manifesting a supernatural act of a divine agent. Again, I ask how many marvelous and supernatural acts Christ needed to do before they would believe. The issue is not how many miracles were required to believe. The problem is they chose not to believe. Any person who exhibits true faith needs no physical evidence; they accept what cannot be seen based on their hope in what God has promised. You would think that so-called “religious leaders” would know this more than anyone else.
To understand true faith, go with me to Hebrews 11 and note the Holy Spirit’s definition of faith aka true belief.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This is an interesting verse. The word “substance” here has an entirely different meaning than we usually understand in English. For us, substance is any physical matter. However, in Greek, the word means a title or deed. We recognize a deed as a legal document producing legal evidence of ownership. Faith is the title or deed by which one shows they legitimately believe. This verse explains that faith is the title deed of “things hoped for.” That entire phrase is one Greek word. It simply means what is expected. Stay with me here. This verse is crucial to our understanding of faith. Faith is the title deed producing legitimate ownership of an expectation. Faith is also “the evidence of things not seen.” Another great synonym for evidence is the word “proof.” Faith is the proof of “things not seen.” Anything that is not seen cannot be perceived by sight. Thus, faith has nothing to do with signs or physical proof.
Faith is the product of expecting God to fulfill His promises and then proving it by acting on things we cannot physically see or know. In other words, faith is entirely spiritual.
This makes sense when we consider our story for today. These religious leaders may have been religious, but they were far from spiritual, as John explains in Chapter 1. These men were the same men to whom Jesus came, but they did not receive Him. They were the same men with no idea that the Lamb of God was standing among them. Even when Christ manifested Himself to them utilizing all miraculous works, they still refused to believe.
Here is another characteristic of true belief contrasted with unbelief.
True belief takes God as His Word and holds fast to its promises.
True belief takes God as His Word and holds fast to its promises.
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Here is another excellent verse about faith. In this verse, the Holy Spirit tells us where faith comes from. It comes from “hearing.” The word “hearing” refers to listening to a speech, an announcement, or a proclamation. Thus, faith comes through the proclamation of God’s Word. Again, it speaks to the fact that faith is a spiritual action. It happens when a person opens their heart to the message of God’s Word.
Christ gave us a great illustration of this. He used the metaphor of someone sowing seed. You can find His illustration in Matthew 13 and Mark 4. In that illustration, the sower sowed seed on all types of soil, representing the many hearts of men. Some seeds fell by the wayside, some on stony ground, some on places filled with thorns and thistles, and some on good ground. If you recall this story, you know that Satan swept away the seed which fell by the wayside. The seed that fell on stony ground spouted for a short time but eventually died because the roots had nowhere to grow. Then, the seed that fell among the thorns and thistles also died as it sprouted and was choked out by the thorns and thistles. However, some seeds fell on good ground, sprouted, and became fruitful. The seed, as Christ noted, was the Word of God. Each person heard the Word of God. What was the difference in each person’s life? It was their faith. However, each person received the Word of God and had the opportunity to believe. Those whose hearts were open, good ground, ready to receive, believed and became healthy, fruitful plants.
My point is this. True belief happens when people open their hearts and ears to the Word of God. In doing so, they accept what God says at face value and then cling to its promises. Any person whose heart is like the good ground is a person who allows the Holy Spirit to work in them so they are able and willing to accept the hearing of God’s Word.
It is obvious that these men were not true believers. How do we know? At every turn, they argued with Christ. They refused to accept His authority as Logos, the Word. Instead, they rested upon their own opinions as their authority, and even though Christ walked and talked with them, they did believe because of their unbelief.
Here is another characteristic of true faith versus unbelief.
True belief supersedes popular opinion or current trends.
True belief supersedes popular opinion or current trends.
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
Note that these believers received God’s Word as His Word and not the Word of men. In other words, they did not give in to what was popular or current. They chose to believe in God and His Word regardless of what others believed. Their faith was not determined by popular opinion. They went against the grain of what was culturally accepted. As they did, they suffered persecution. What was the difference? They believed.
People of true faith need no sign or physical proof. They hear God’s Word and gladly open their hearts to its promises. They do not allow the world's opinions to influence them as they receive the truth of Scripture.
In contrast, any person who constantly seeks physical proof, refuses God's Word at face value, and gives in to what is currently popular is a person of unbelief.
These religious leaders were people of unbelief. They did not accept the Word of God, Who stood there with them that day. It is no wonder they completely missed the point when Christ said...
19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
They immediately assumed He was speaking of the entire Temple structure. Yet, here is something disturbing.
22 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
The religious leaders were not the only ones who did not believe. His disciples did not fully believe Him until He died and rose again. Only then did they remember His words and believe the Scriptures.
What makes it so hard for people to believe and accept Christ? What is this enormous barrier of unbelief?
The answer can also be found in our text. It is man’s depravity.
Men’s Depravity is the Bedrock of Unbelief
Men’s Depravity is the Bedrock of Unbelief
24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
Christ knew “all men…what was in man.”
What a statement from the Holy Spirit! There was no need for any person to attest to man’s inability to believe. Christ already knew what was in men's hearts. How did He know? He is God and is omniscient. He knows all things, including men's hearts. But there is another explanation.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
The day our father Adam reached out, took a bite of the forbidden fruit, and disobeyed God's one simple command, sin came into the world. Shortly after that, Scripture tells us...
8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
I submit to you this morning that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, was the One who, on that day, called out to Adam, “Where art thou?” You see, He was there. He knew what man had done. He knew that sin had entered man’s heart. He had a plan. What was His plan for sinful man? His plan, as noted that day in the temple, was to die for all men’s sins and, in three days, rise again.
Here is my point!
The great byproduct of sin is unbelief. Man’s sin and depravity became the bedrock or the foundation for sin.
I contend from Scripture that the day Adam sinned, not only did spiritual death occur, but it also created unbelief. Thus, Christ knew what was in all men.
All people are born into this world already at enmity with God and with hearts depraved by sin.
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
I believe Romans 8 gives us the correct understanding of my point.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
What does this teach us? It teaches us that man is born already with a carnal mind and flesh. As such, every person is born at odds with God and filled with a heart that festers unbelief.
Note some descriptions of the heart and man’s unbelief in Scripture.
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, There is none that doeth good.
2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
This same passage is repeated in the New Testament.
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
17 And the way of peace have they not known:
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
In Jeremiah, the Holy Spirit depicts the heart this way.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Thus, we must heed the warning found in Hebrews 3:12
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
The wonderful news is that this same heart of unbelief and be a heart of belief.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
One of the great ministries of the Holy Spirit is His ability to convict sin. Christ spoke of this when He promised to send His Spirit as a Comforter. Note what He said in John 16:8-13
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Did you note verses 8 and 9? The Holy Spirit will “reprove” the world of sin. Why? Verse 9 holds the answer. They do not believe in me. In verse 13, Christ spoke of the Holy Spirit guiding us into all truth. He will show us things to come. I submit to you that the Holy Spirit can cut through your unbelief this morning. He can and will help you see the truth of Scripture. If you open your heart to God’s Word and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, your heart of unbelief will be transformed into a heart of belief. He will pave the way for righteousness and salvation.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
True belief in the Word of God is the avenue through which God’s grace is poured out.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This morning, I shared with you what God wanted us to know from His Word. Unbelief is the biggest barrier many face when confronted with the Gospel. What is the Gospel? The good news is Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Unfortunately, too many people miss its significance because of unbelief. Unbelief has severe spiritual consequences. It prevents people from knowing and experiencing a wonderful, personal relationship with God. Here is my question for you? Are you one of those who have not truly believed in God’s Word? Are you still resisting the idea that Christ died for you and rose again on the third day? I encourage you to open your heart and believe this morning. Don’t seek physical proof, for this is a spiritual decision, not material. Take God as His Word and cling to its promises. The simple promise from God to you is this.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Do not let this wicked world and its opinion keep you from believing this morning. Open your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to have His way. Respond to Christ. He is the way, truth, and the life. No one comes to God except through Him.