THE OBJECT OF THEIR FAITH: the name of Christ. The name of anything is that by which it is known; so the name of Christ is that revelation of the Saviour proposed for faith’s acceptance. So faith may vary in different ages, persons, and even in the same person according as the object is fully or partially unveiled and apprehended. Faith can never travel beyond the bounds of testimony. What was offered to Abraham was a Saviour to come Joh_8:56); to his descendants, a Saviour come; to John’s disciples, the Lamb of God; to Nathanael, the Son of God and the King of Israel; to the rulers and people of Jerusalem, the Messiah. As such He had been rejected by the former and was now accepted by the latter. The same name, now completely unveiled, is still faith’s object (Act_3:16; Act_4:12).
II. THE GROUND OF THEIR FAITH--the miracles of Christ; signs, visible pictures of Christ’s Messianic work as well as attestations of His Divine mission (Joh_3:2; Act_10:38). In the same sense they are still helps to faith; they are obstacles only when considered impossible. They are not continued because unnecessary, having been superseded by a complete historical revelation and by a conscious indwelling of the Spirit.
III. THE CHARACTER OF THEIR FAITH.
1. Sincere, as far as it went. If afterwards those who believed in Him took up stones to kill Him (Joh_8:31; Joh_8:59) that constituted the damningcharacter of their crime. But some who now believed afterwards became disciples (Joh_4:45).
2. Incomplete. It did not go far enough. Resting satisfied with intellectual acknowledgment of Christ it did not pass on to spiritual surrender. It had taken the preliminary step of believing in Christ’s name; it wanted that additional of trusting in His person.
3. Superficial: occasioned by the impression produced by miracles and liable consequently to disappear when that impression failed.
IV. THE TREATMENT OF THEIR FAITH.
1. The nature of it: Reserve. He did not trust Himself to them, enter into close relations with them, unite them to Himself as disciples. When Christ puts Himself into the hands of a believer, the result is salvation and eternal Joh_6:50-54).
2. The reason of it: Insight. He knew what was in them saw they had not fully surrendered themselves. When a soul does so faith is complete. Christ’s knowledge of the human heart was the deepest ground of the different treatment accorded to the Baptist’s disciples; and that knowledge was
(1) instantaneous. He knew at a glance without investigation Joh_6:64; Joh_13:1; Luk_6:8; Act_1:24; Heb_4:13).
