The Need for Trust

The Gospel is John 11:1-45

“Believing” is a central theme of John’s Gospel. What does this mean? What does it mean to believe in Jesus?

The New Testament word translated as “believe” can just as well be translated as “trust.” Trust isn’t an intellectual process. Jesus didn’t want us to think the right things about God, but rather to trust in Him and thus open ourselves to the flow of Divine Love into our lives and into the lives of others.

The purpose of the Gospel stories is to help the reader to discover how the deep truths therein apply in our lives today.

This Gospel includes, “Jesus wept” which shows us Jesus’ humanity, compassion and love. He was weeping not just over Lazarus and those who loved him, but also us and our afflictions today. He raises us from our afflictions, “valleys of the dry bones,” today and now.

Trusting in Jesus is necessary to God’s love and spirit entering into us, moving through us, and out into the world. Ours now are the hands, the feet, the eyes of Christ.

Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.