‘By this we believe you came forth from God’

Published 5:36 pm Friday, July 27, 2007

By Staff
"By This We Believe You [Jesus] Came Forth from God."
The crisis of belief for centuries has been, where did Jesus Christ come from?
When Jesus was taken before Pilate, the Jews were determined to kill Him because He said He came from God, and they said He did not, and that His claim was blasphemy. Pilate asked that piercing question stated in the gospel of John, chapter 18, verse 38, "What is truth?"
The question remains today and should stir our souls. If we truly believe Jesus Christ came from God, everything He said and did should be the absolute pattern for our lives.
Just before Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He had a discourse with His disciples beginning in John, chapter 13, and continuing through chapter 17. In chapter 16, verse 30, the disciples declared, "we believe that You [Jesus] came forth from God." These men had followed Jesus for three years, living and serving with Him. Why would any questions remain?
Jesus Christ was God in human form-fully God, fully man. He had laid aside His heavenly glory for His mission on earth (Philippians 2:5-8). In our human thinking, everything about Jesus as a man spoke against Him being who He said He was. His birth circumstances abounded in questions. The insiders knew that Mary the mother of Jesus was pregnant when she became Joseph's wife (Matthew 1:18-20).
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but He lived in Nazareth. We have no record that Jesus ever pulled out His birth records to prove that He did fulfill the prophecy recorded in Micah, chapter 5, verse 2. Jesus let the words of Nathaniel, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" in the gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 46, pass without further comment.
Jesus did perform miracles, that is, supernatural acts without natural explanation. The first miracle was turning water to wine in John, chapter 2, verses 3-10. The result of the miracle is stated in John, chapter 2, verse 11: "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him."
There was always some tension about the miracles of Jesus, as there would be today if we heard reports of a "miracle." In the gospel of John, chapter 6, after Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish into enough food to feed 5,000 men and their families, the people experienced the miracle, but followed Jesus for the benefits of the miracle, not for the miracle maker Himself (John 6:26).
Later in John, chapter 6, as Jesus outlined the price of being a Christ-follower, the people who had just experienced a miracle turned and walked away saying, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" (John 6:60).
One would think following the Creator God would be easy, but there is something in us that complicates obeisance to anyone but ourselves. The Jews in Jesus' day sought Him out and killed Him for the sole reason that He said He came from God. They elevated their systems and opinions above simple truth.
In our day, more energy is directed against the claims, teaching, and principles of Christ than any other one thing. There seems to be and is a huge worldwide diabolical plot to remove any mention or vestige of Christ.
If the disciples of Christ walked with Him and struggled with unbelief, we must look deep in our hearts and see if we are bread-seekers or Christ-seekers. There is nothing more radical than being a follower of Christ.
Jesus Christ came from heaven to reveal God the Father and to redeem fallen mankind. It takes faith beyond reason to accept Jesus for who He says He is and to realize our great need of His salvation.
Jesus asked His followers in Matthew, chapter 16, verse 15, "Who do you say that I am?" The same question lies at our feet. How we answer is crucial to our lives and future.