Believe in What You Hear (John 10:40-42)

Today's scripture: John 10:40-42

After several days of walking through the desert of the Pharisees' opposition to Jesus, today's verses offer the respite of the cool spring of truth.

Jesus returned to the Jordan, the place where John had baptized Him, the place where the Father had affirmed Him as Son (see Matthew 3:16-17). I imagine this to be a time of reconnection for Jesus. He'd just spend hours affirming His divinity to the hard-hearted Pharisees, yet they continued to deny His claim. In fact, yesterday's verses ended with their "seeking again to seize Him."

So, having "eluded their grasp," Jesus now had some quiet moments to remember God's voice of affirmation. Perhaps He spent time in prayer. Perhaps He merely sat and listened to His Father's voice. As He stayed "beyond the Jordan," performing no miracles—or at least none about which we're told—He had significant impact. Unlike the closed-eared Pharisees, we're told, "Many came to Him ... saying ... 'everything John said about the man was true.'"

They "believed in Him there," not because of what they'd seen, but because of what they'd heard.

This has great impact for us today. We don't see Jesus with our eyes or touch Him with our hands. We may never even see a miracle. But because of what we hear of Him, because of the evidence, we can believe that "everything ... about the man [is] true."

The scriptures affirm Him. Extra-biblical sources acknowledge Him. Changed lives point to Him.

He was—and is—God the Son, part of the triune God. He is Savior, Redeemer, Shepherd, and Friend. We can trust Him. We can believe in Him. We can commit our lives to Him.