is believe? (John 4-9)

In the first three gospels there are many miracles, many parables about the kingdom and some teaching about how to treat others.  John’s gospel seems to have more emphasis on believing in Jesus so you gain eternal life.  Unfortunately, at least for me, it’s rather vague.

For example, somebody asks what the people can do in order to do what god wants us to do.  And Jesus replies to believe in the one God sent (Jesus).  And later, that all that see the Son of Man and believe will have eternal life.  Serious question:  Believe what exactly? 

In an earlier post I wondered where all the people who were crying for the crucifixion of Jesus came from.  I now know.  They show up in John.  Many people grumble about Jesus.  In the earlier gospels Jesus is enigmatic about his identity.   I am not sure if Jesus ever calls himself the Messiah.  He allows others like Peter to call him the Messiah.  In John, he often refers to himself as the one who came from God.  And that people can only get to the father if they believe in him and that no one can come to Jesus unless the father makes it possible for him to do so.  (Maybe that’s the problem facing non-believers.  For some reason God doesn’t want us to believe.)

Jesus gets people angry because he tells them that he is the light, that he is the bread of life, that he is the one – the only one - through which eternal life is possible.  I can see why there is anger.  I can see a god-fearing Jew at that time wondering at the audacity of someone saying that they could not reach god unless through someone who just showed up out of nowhere.   Killing him might be a little extreme, but I can see why they would be upset.  And I can see why people of other religions might be upset today when people don’t think it possible for them to reach god except through Jesus.   Why the need of a middleman?

Anyway, there are several times when regular people not just the religious authorities are angry at Jesus and want to have him arrested.  These must be the people who shouted for his death.

John includes the famous story of the woman who was about to be stoned for adultery when Jesus asks for the person who is without sin to be the first to throw a stone.  All walk away and rightly so, but why do we feel so strongly about this story.  How would we feel had it not been a poor woman accused of adultery, but some perverted child molester or a sadistic serial killer?  

Finally (for this post) Jesus talks about the truth setting us free.  And the truth?  Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.  So I suppose stop sinning and you will be free.  That makes sense – if we are ever really told what constitutes sin.  In John it appears that not believing in Jesus (and what exactly are we to believe) constitutes this sin.