Christian Art | Easter To Pentecost
John 16: 29-33 | King James Audio Bible
29 His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.
30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.
31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The disciples enthusiastically acknowledge the divinity of Jesus, proved to them in these Bible verses by Jesus’ knowledge of their thoughts, which only God could know. Jesus has indeed spoken plainly to the disciples. Now it may be with some reproachfulness that he asks them: ‘Do ye now believe?’ They have spent such time with Jesus, have witnessed signs and miracles, and now they accept his teachings and express their faith in him.
Jesus in these verses additionally points to the fragility of the disciples’ faith in him. For the moment, they are enthusiastic in their declaration of faith, but very soon they will abandon Jesus, when he is given over into the hands of his enemies. Our faith must be firmer than this, as we confront life’s difficulties and may at times struggle to see God at work in the world and in society. Our faith must be strong as we communicate God’s love to other people, through simple acts of kindness as well as through sharing, explicitly, our Christianity. Our faith must be strong when we suffer, and when our offerings to others are rebuffed.
Christ’s words are an example to us of how we should be when the world seems to flee from us, leaving us feeling alone. Christ will, in truth, not be alone, even when he is at his most physically abject through the course of his Passion. He knows that the Father is with him. This is both perfect knowledge and perfect faith. In a similar way, when we find we are struggling, God is with us.
Christ’s words, then, are for our time. We do indeed face tribulations. The world, contemporary society, does not in so many ways tend toward faith, and there is much that is actively opposed to faith. There are times when we may look at our society and find our love and faith and hope draining from us, confronted, as we may feel ourselves to be, by a spiritual desert. But we must blink and look again. The world, though often hostile, is seeded with love and faith and hope, sometimes most obviously, at other times when we take just a little care to scratch the surface of our impressions of other people, and so to discover the good that shines within. Christ has overcome the world.
‘As light strikes the eyes of a man who comes out of darkness into the sunshine and enables him to see clearly things he could not discern before, so light floods the soul of the man counted worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit and enables him to see things beyond the range of human vision, things hitherto undreamed of.’ St Cyril of Jerusalem
King James Audio Bible Endnotes
‘Do Ye Now Believe?’ | A Call To Deeper Christian Faith
Theologian William Barclay suggests that Jesus’ question to the disciples, ‘Do ye now believe?’ is not a rebuke, but rather an invitation to deepen their faith. Barclay writes, ‘It was not that Jesus thought that their faith was insufficient; it was that he knew that their faith had not yet been really tested. He knew that before the night was over, they would see him taken prisoner, tried, condemned, and crucified, and that then their faith would be really tested.’ (Barclay, William. The Gospel of John. Volume 2. Westminster John Knox Press, 2001)
Similarly, in his book The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reflects on the significance of the disciples’ scattering and the tribulations they faced. He writes, ‘The disciples had to learn the hard way that faith is only real when there is nothing left to hold onto but God alone. They had to lose their faith in order to find it again in its true form.’ (Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. Touchstone, 1995)
Theologian and author Timothy Keller also explores the idea of faith in the face of trials and tribulations in his book, Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering. Keller writes, ‘Faith in God does not prevent hardships but rather enables us to face them with confidence and hope.’ (Keller, Timothy. Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering. Penguin Books, 2015)
A Call To Deeper Faith
As we approach Pentecost, the question ‘Do ye now believe?’ remains a call to examine our own faith and to deepen our relationship with God. It also reminds us that belief in Jesus is not an intellectual acknowledgment of his divinity but a commitment to follow his teachings and to bear witness to his love and grace.
In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis writes about ‘believing in’ God. He writes, ‘Believing in God is not the same as believing things about God. It is possible to believe that God exists and to believe nothing else about Him.’ (Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. HarperCollins, 2001)
Therefore, the question of whether we truly believe in Jesus is not about acknowledging his existence or even recognizing his divine nature. It is about trusting in him as our Lord and Savior, and living our lives in accordance with his teachings.
In the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.’ (Galatians 2:20, KJV)
Faith Through Doubt And Fear
Jesus’ question ‘Do ye now believe?’ challenges Christians to confront our doubts and uncertainties. Even the disciples who had witnessed Jesus’ miracles and teachings faced moments of doubt and fear. In the Gospel of Mark, after Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus appears to the disciples and rebukes them for their unbelief and hardness of heart (Mark 16:14).
The Christian faith is not one that denies or suppresses doubts and questions but rather one that embraces our uncertainty and seeks answers through prayer, scripture, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Theologian Frederick Buechner writes, ‘Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.’
In his book The Case for Christ, journalist Lee Strobel documents his journey from atheism to Christianity through investigating the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. Strobel’s journey shows that faith is not just blind belief but a rational and informed decision based on the evidence.
Similarly, in his book The Reason for God, Tim Keller argues that faith and reason are not opposed but rather complement each other. He writes, ‘Faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic.’ (Keller, Tim. The Reason for God. Penguin Books, 2009)
Jesus, as he journeys to Jerusalem, has dispatched seventy disciples to go on ahead to preach and heal. The seventy have returned with wonderful news, that Christ’s name is power over demons, and, we sense, that the Gospel is preached and received; the harvest is truly plentiful [ … ]
The reading for Saturday of the Third Week of Lent, attributed to Saint Gregory Nazianzus (c. 329–390), is a meditation on mercy as an essential Christian duty. Gregory, one of the Cappadocian Fathers, was a theologian and preacher whose writings shaped Christian thought on the Trinity, Christ, and the moral life. In this reflection, Saint Gregory Nazianzus argues that true worship is not found in sacrifice alone but in acts of love toward the poor [ … ]
In the Bible, a miracle is an event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency. Miracles are often seen as a sign of the intervention of God in the affairs of human beings. In the Old Testament, the most famous miracles are the Ten Plagues of Egypt, in which God punished the Pharaoh for refusing to release the Israelites from slavery, and the parting of the Red Sea, in which God allowed the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptians by opening a path through the sea. In the New Testament, the miracles of Jesus are a central part of his ministry and are seen as evidence of his divinity. These include healings, such as the restoration of sight to the blind and the raising of the dead, and acts of nature, such as turning water into wine and walking on water. Is There A Theological Significance To Jesus’ Miracles? In the Christian tradition, the miracles performed by Jesus are seen as a manifestation of his divinity and as proof of his authority to teach and heal. Many of these miracles are described in the Gospels of the New Testament, which are the primary source of information about the life and teachings of Jesus. The purpose of the miracles, according to the Gospels, was to demonstrate Jesus’ power over natural forces and to show that he had the authority to forgive sins and offer salvation to those who believed in him. Why Did Jesus Ask To Keep His Miracles Secret? ‘Tell No One Of This.’ In the Gospels, there are a few instances where Jesus tells people not to tell others about what he has done for them. For example, in the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus healed a man who was possessed by demons, he told the man, ‘See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a proof to them’ (Matthew 8:4). In this case, it seems that Jesus was concerned that the man’s testimony might not be believed or might be misunderstood, and so he asked him to keep the experience to himself for the time being. It is difficult to say for sure why Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle without knowing the specific context in which the request was made. However, some possible reasons that come to mind include: To avoid drawing unnecessary attention to himself. In the Gospels, Jesus often tries to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, especially from the authorities who are hostile to him. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might be one way of avoiding unwanted attention and allowing Jesus to continue his ministry without interference. To allow the person who was healed to experience the transformation for themselves. In some cases, the person who was healed might have been skeptical or unsure of what had happened to them. Asking them to keep quiet about the miracle might have given them time to reflect on the experience and come to their own understanding of it without being influenced by others. To test the person’s faith. In some cases, Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle as a test of their faith. If they were truly grateful for what Jesus had done for them, they would be willing to follow his instructions and trust that he had a good reason for asking them to keep quiet. These are just a few possible reasons why Jesus might have asked someone to keep quiet about a miracle. It is important to remember that the Gospels are ancient texts and that we must be careful not to impose our own interpretations on them without considering the historical and cultural context in which they were written. To avoid creating conflict or division. In the Gospels, Jesus often encounters people who are skeptical or hostile to his teachings, and he sometimes tries to avoid confrontations with them. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might be one way of avoiding a confrontation or a heated debate that could disrupt his ministry. To avoid being misunderstood or misrepresented. In some cases, the person who was healed might not have understood the full significance of what Jesus had done for them, and they might have tried to explain it in a way that distorted or misrepresented the truth. Asking them to keep quiet might have given Jesus time to explain things to them more fully and help them to understand the true meaning of the miracle. To avoid becoming a spectacle. In the Gospels, there are many instances where people are amazed by the miracles that Jesus performs, and they often try to make him into a kind of celebrity or showman. Asking someone to keep quiet about a miracle might have been one way of avoiding this kind of attention and keeping the focus on the message that Jesus was trying to convey. What Is The Significance Of Miracle Of The Wedding At Cana? In the Christian tradition, the wedding at Cana is significant because it is the first of the miracles performed by Jesus that is recorded in the Gospels of the New Testament. This event is described in the Gospel of John, where it is said that Jesus, along with his mother Mary and his disciples, attended a wedding in the town of Cana. At the wedding, the host ran out of wine, and Mary asked Jesus to help. In response, Jesus turned water into wine, which is seen as a miraculous act that demonstrated his power and authority. In the Gospel of John, after Mary asks Jesus to help with the wine at the wedding in Cana, he replies, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). This statement is often seen as indicating that Jesus was aware […]
