Do you believe this?

John 11:26
And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Martha had believed who Jesus is and that He had power from God. However, she was still set in her way of thinking that if his brother was to be healed, then he cannot die first. This is obvious to anyone. It would strectch anyone's imagination that Yshua could heal his brother after he had passed on. Yet walking with Yshua is faith in Him, that we should let go of any preconceived ideas and accept that God can do anything that we have not even thought of.

Jjust as through one man sin entered the world

Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

A commentary gave a good and likely true perspective in Scriptures about, sin came to all man because of Adam's first sin; but it does not say that God punished all humanity. Rather the curse is the consequence of man's sin, that the perfect order of creation began to break down. A common misunderstanding for most people whether believers of Yshua or not, is that people think that the most important thing is to be good, and do good. So morality has become the pillar of false religions as well misguided forms of Christianity. What God is really interested in from the beginning, as seen from the Old Testament and Yshua's teachings, is obedience to Him and glorifying Him. Instead, the original cause of the sin, which is man's determination of his own destiny "I am my own god", magnifies through the cursed generations. So God has planned and executed the only way that man can be saved back to Himself, and that is through the believe and surrender to our Lord Yshua.

Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?

John 11:40
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

God says that when we believe we will see His glory. It is easy to believe when we are at a spiritual high, when everything seems to be going well. However, when there is serious troubles, then that is where our test begins. It can either strengthen our faith or kill it. "Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me" (Matthew 11:6). Furthermore, it appears that when we step out in faith, then things happen which causes us to struggle and our vision blurred. This is the time when we need  to have absolute trust in God, since he would not forsake us.

Do you now believe?

John 16:30-31
Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?"

In this scene, Jesus has explained things to his disciples using clear language rather than parables, and his disciples voiced their appreciation for that. They went further to proclaim their believe that Jesus is from God, since they now thought they understood His teachings. Then Jesus challenged them whether they really believed now?

We may hear and read the teachings of Jesus. We may even serve Him and His church in non-trivial and tiring ways. Or we may be continuing to live in our lives of sin. The question to reflect on, as our Lord Himself puts it, "Do you now believe?" Can we still fail if we believe? Can we still live outside His promises when we believe? Only the Lord Himself can answer those questions, and for that, we need to be close to Him

Will He not much more clothe you

Matthew 6:30
Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

It is sometimes hard for us to imagine how much God cares for us. This passage uses the analogy of wildlife to show how much God cares. The birds and plants and all other animals are created by Him, including us humans. Yet the wildlife go about their natural things and it is obvious that God provides for them.
Humans are the height of God's creation. It should also be obvious that He cares for us too. No matter we can understand it or not, we need to have faith like Abraham and believe that God will care for us.

And he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar

Genesis 22
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.

This is the famous account of Abraham going through with sacrificing his son Isaac on God's commands. Often this account has been used to teach the strong faith towards God, in particular the strong faith of Abraham that we can use as an example. It almost holds Abraham at the pinnacle of faith to which we must aspire to.

Looking deeper into the story and thinking about the reality of the events may reveal even more startling lessons. A few points worth considering:
- The context which is often not revealed in detail is that Isaac is the promised one whom the blessings and promises of God would go to. Abraham knew this. Abraham must reasoned that whatever God asked him to do to Isaac, yet Isaac would still be able to fulfill that promise. The believe in God's promises to come true is the core of Abraham's faith.
- Sarah would not have agreed if she knew about it - which is most likely why Sarah was not told. Abraham would have believed even if he sacrificed Isaac, somehow Isaac would be able to come home with him.
- Abraham was not a perfect man, and his faith was certainly not perfect. But this part of Abraham's life showed clearly his obedience and trust in God's promises to him, even though sacrificing Isaac would destroy the promise immediately.
- Abraham had no trouble believing God can do the impossible.

He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him

Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees who genuinely sought to understand Jesus and God through Him. Jesus well known response is to tell him to be born again. Jesus explained about being born again from the Spirit and that we require faith to understand the heavenly things. It is also through these discussions that we get the famous John 3:16 verse "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Some time after John the Baptist had baptised Jesus, John was still continuing his ministry. John continues to point the way to Jesus, declaring He is God's Son. John also stated that it is necessary to believe in Jesus to have everlasting life, otherwise God's wrath is still on those who don't believe.




John 3
The New Birth

1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.[a] 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but[b] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”



John the Baptist Exalts Christ

22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”

27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”