Day 22-Wednesday, March 6th
John 6:41-51
A Help for Belief

At the seeming height of His popularity, Jesus has the opportunity to increase both His fame and influence among the crowds. Instead, He chooses to challenge the thinking of the crowd and this ultimately has the opposite effect.

One would think that, after the different miracles they have heard of and seen with their own eyes, this crowd would be eager to embrace Jesus and believe in Him as the Messiah who was promised to come. This doesn’t happen.

Rather, the crowd, baffled that Jesus is claiming to be “bread of life” that “came down from heaven”, grumbles among themselves that they know Jesus did not come down from heaven because they personally know His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph.

At this the Jews there began to grumble about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?” John 6:41-42 NIV
For those who lived in the days Jesus walked this earth, knowing His earthly family must have been a genuine challenge to belief. Jesus understands this and makes it clear that true belief does not originate in human hearts but with the Holy Spirit pursuing their hearts and drawing them to God.
Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:43-44 NIV

This is verse is beyond essential if we are to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in our coming to salvation through faith in Jesus.

Despite all our doubts and excuses, God, through the influence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds, draws us to Himself and works the miracle of belief in our hearts. It is this belief in Jesus that saves us, and it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit that seals us for eternal life.

Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. John 6:47 NIV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30 NIV

In effect, Jesus is telling these Jews, I know it is hard to believe after generations of striving to fulfill the Law; God will help you believe-it will be a joint effort!

This juxtaposition between simultaneously doubting and believing can be seen clearly in the account of the healing of the boy with an unclean spirit in Mark chapter 9.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:21-24 NIV

Surely, we can relate to the exclamation of the father in verse 24, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

These Jews wanted to believe in Jesus but were struggling with doubt on many fronts and this doubt was winning the war for their hearts.

Questions to consider:
What are some things that you have always doubted about God and the Bible?
Ask God today to help you believe in the things in which you doubt the most.
(If you don’t consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus, ask God to help your unbelief today.)

Scroll to Top