Many Believed

As he was saying these things, many believed in him. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:30-32 ESV)

“Many believed in him.” Finally, some good news. Jesus’ dialog with the religious leaders in Jerusalem seemed to be going nowhere, and it was getting increasingly hostile. So these words - “many believed in him” - came as a breath of fresh air.

If only Jesus could have left well enough alone. His once-burgeoning popularity had been on the decline, and this uptick was a welcome change in that trend. Why couldn’t he just accept his success - enjoy it, even celebrate it?

Here’s why: “He himself knew what was in man” (John 2:25). Take a look at the rest of the chapter, bearing in mind who it was that Jesus was dialoging with: “the Jews who had believed in him.” Go ahead - I’ll wait…

Makes you think, doesn’t it? Jesus won’t let his listeners off the hook. And John won’t let his readers - including you and me - off the hook, either. He keeps on challenging our assumptions about what it means to be a “believer.”

“Many believed in him.” Good news, but only the beginning.