The Temporary Believer
A Sermon on John 2:23-25
Originally preached Dec. 5, 1965
Scripture
23¶ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25And needed not that any …
Sermon Description
What do Jesus’s miracles mean to the Christian? Did they bring the Christian to faith, or are they simply impressed by them? In this sermon on John 2:23–25 titled “The Temporary Believer,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expresses the danger of believing in Christ solely based on spectacle. True believers come to Christ because of who He is, not merely for the miracles He performed. Many came to faith after seeing Christ’s miracles, but they did so in confession of sin because they realized their spiritual state in relation to God. Faith in the signs Christ performed did not lead people to salvation, but faith in the God who performed them did. Dr. Lloyd-Jones clarifies that God’s word, not wonders, leads people to faith. The distinction is important: wonders are phenomenal to behold, but God’s word articulates the truth of Christ to needful souls. This means that Christ’s teaching about His person and the good news was what brought people to Him, and miracles were further affirmation of His legitimacy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also exhorts his listeners that they must believe “on” Jesus, not merely “in” Him. The difference, he explains, is that those who believe on Jesus are trusting Him with their souls; those who believe in Jesus merely trust Him to be a spectacle.
Sermon Breakdown
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The passage under consideration is John 2:23-25. Many believed in Jesus when they saw the miracles he performed, but Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew what was in their hearts.
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There are two categories of people referred to in this passage: those who could not see the signs Jesus gave (the Jewish leaders) and those who believed because of the signs (the "many"). The "many" are the focus of this sermon.
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These "many" are referred to as temporary believers or false professors. They seem to believe but do not have true faith. Examples of similar people in Scripture include the five foolish virgins, those referred to in Hebrews 6, and those referred to in 1 John 2:18-19.
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These people were attracted to Jesus because of his miracles and teaching, but they did not truly understand who he was. They were interested in the new, novel, and spectacular. They craved authority and were credulous.
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These people believed in Jesus' name but not on him. Their belief was superficial and partial, focused on only certain aspects of Jesus like his miracles or teaching. True belief engages the whole person: head, heart, and will.
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These people completely misunderstood Jesus. They saw him as a miracle worker, king, or political figure but not as the Messiah and Savior. In contrast, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael understood Jesus' true identity.
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These people never saw themselves as helpless sinners in need of a savior. They thought they were in control of their lives and chose to follow Jesus on their own terms. True believers have been humbled and convicted of their sin.
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These people honored Jesus with their lips but their hearts were far from him. We must examine ourselves to see if Jesus has truly committed himself to us, if we understand who he really is, and if we have been humbled in our sin.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding the Sermon on John 2:23-25 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
What is the difference between believing in Jesus' name and truly believing in Him according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the critical difference is that those who merely "believe in His name" have a superficial, partial faith that is often based on miracles or signs alone, while true believers commit their entire being to Christ. Lloyd-Jones explains: "The trouble ultimately with these people is this, that they've only believed in His name. They've never believed on Him. They have never truly committed themselves to Him." True faith engages the whole person—mind, heart, and will—not just one aspect, and sees Christ in the fullness of His person rather than merely as a miracle worker or interesting figure.
What were the characteristics of the "temporary believers" mentioned in the sermon?
The characteristics of "temporary believers" or "false professors" include:
- Being attracted to Jesus primarily for His uniqueness or novelty
- Being impressed by His teaching mainly because it was critical of established religion
- Being captivated by His miracles and signs rather than His message
- Having a spirit of credulity that readily accepts anything exciting or new
- Having wrong motives, such as desire for importance or power
- Having a partial belief that engages only the head, heart, or will—but not the whole person
- Misunderstanding who Jesus truly is by focusing on limited aspects of His ministry
- Never seeing themselves as completely helpless sinners in need of salvation
- Remaining "in charge" of themselves rather than fully surrendering
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain why Jesus did not commit Himself to those who believed in His name?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus did not commit Himself to these people because He could see their hearts and knew their belief was defective. Though they appeared to believe because they saw His miracles, their faith was superficial and self-serving. Jesus knew they weren't truly following Him for who He was, but for what they hoped to gain. Lloyd-Jones states: "He knows when people profess to believe in Him when they see the signs. He knows when it is something base like this, unworthy and mercenary, which panders only to the flesh that is really animating them."
Jesus recognized they had never been truly convicted of sin, humbled, or broken. They were following Him out of interest or excitement rather than from a genuine understanding of who He was and why He had come. They had a partial view of Christ, seeing Him perhaps as a miracle worker or teacher, but not as the Son of God and Savior of sinners.
What is the relationship between signs/miracles and true faith according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, signs and miracles should lead people to faith in Christ, but faith based solely on miracles is insufficient. He quotes one of the early church fathers who said, "True faith is founded on God's word, not on wonders." Lloyd-Jones explains this seeming paradox: "It is clear that the signs should lead us to believe in Him. That is why those who don't see them and appreciate their significance are condemned for not believing in Him. But it is made equally plain and clear that belief in Him and being impressed by the signs alone is not enough."
Signs were meant to point people to Christ's true identity and mission, not to be an end in themselves. Those who stop at being amazed by the miracles miss the deeper reality to which the miracles point. True faith appreciates the signs but moves beyond them to embrace Christ Himself in the fullness of His person and work.
How can Christians examine whether their faith is genuine according to this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers several tests for genuine faith:
- Examine whether your faith engages your entire being—mind, heart, and will—not just one aspect
- Consider whether you've been truly humbled and broken by a recognition of your sin
- Ask if you've seen yourself as a "helpless, hopeless sinner" in need of salvation
- Reflect on whether you're following Christ for what He can give you or who He truly is
- Consider if you've surrendered control or if you're still "in charge" of yourself
- Ask if you're willing to "deny yourself, take up the cross and follow" Christ wherever He leads
- Examine whether your view of Christ is complete, seeing Him as the Messiah and Son of God, not just as a miracle worker or teacher
- Consider whether your heart is truly committed to Him or if you only honor Him with your lips
Lloyd-Jones urges his listeners: "May God give us grace to examine ourselves. We claim to be His followers, don't we? Has He committed Himself to you? That's the question."
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.