Fickle Fans – November 9

Read John 2:23-25 (ESV)

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Reflect

Spend some time in prayer today thinking about this question: Are you a follower of Jesus or a fickle fan?

Any experienced athlete, musician, or celebrity knows that fans are fickle. One day, they are cheering for you in the stands, celebrating you in the media, and wearing your “merch.” The next day, they are booing you. Then, the media is either ignoring you because you are old news and people are putting your “merch” in the donate pile or the media is slandering you because you are bad news and people are lighting your “merch” on fire. Either way, it’s hard to find a forever fan.

Many people are fans of Jesus. They love His message about love, peace, unity, compassion, and forgiveness. It isn’t hard to find people who think Jesus was a great moral teacher—maybe even the greatest, most humble, loving man who ever lived. But what happens when Jesus starts to demand something from them? What happens when they realize Jesus taught about taking up your cross and following Him? What happens when they realize that Jesus doesn’t ask to be our superstar, He expects to be our Lord?

In today’s passage, the apostle John wrote that many people were believing in Jesus at this point because they saw the signs that he was doing. They were amazed at the supernatural power that He had. In their eyes, He was a superstar.

But Jesus knew that the hearts of mankind are fickle. He knew that many who claimed to believe in Him were merely fans, not followers. They were intrigued, entertained, and many were even convinced that He is the Son of God. But see, believing that Jesus is God is not enough. Even Satan and His demons believe that Jesus is God—they just have no desire to follow Him. Intellectual assent and true saving faith are two different things.

During His ministry, great crowds would follow Jesus around listening to Him preach, watching Him perform miracles, and bringing their sick to Him for healing. But—spoiler alert—not everyone in the crowd was still a fan of Jesus at the end. Some left when His teaching became too difficult and even offensive (John 6:60-70). Some, like the man with many possessions, left when they realized that following Jesus requires laying everything down for Him and loving Him more than anything else in our lives (Mark 10:17-22). Some religious leaders felt threatened by His power. Still others got caught up in the mob mentality at His trial and crucifixion. At the end, only a few faithful followers remained out of the multitude of fans.

The human heart can be easily swayed and you can’t fool Jesus. He is omniscient. He knows what is in everyone’s hearts. He knows who is truly saved and who isn’t. He knows who will fall away and who will stay. He knows who is a big fan of His and who is truly His follower.

Jesus never promised that being His follower would be easy. In John 15 and 16, He actually warns us that the world will hate us because it hates Him, that we will have sorrow and trouble in this world, and that some of us may even be killed because we bear His name! But He also promised that He’d send the Holy Spirit to help us, that our sorrow will turn to joy, and that He has overcome the world! Following Jesus no matter what, isn’t easy. But it is more than worth it. He is worth our full allegiance!

Today, I encourage you to search your heart in prayer. Are you just a fickle fan, ready to jump ship when the going gets too tough? Or are you a follower of Jesus Christ for life, no matter what?

Respond

Jesus, You aren’t my superstar, You are my Lord. You are the God of the universe and You are worthy of my faithful worship. But following You isn’t easy. Please give me courage to stay on Your side even when it’s hard, even when I’m hated, and even if I have to give up everything to obey You. You are worth it. Amen.

Reveal

Pair with a trusted friend this week. Read John 2:23-25 together, discuss who’s truly following Jesus, and choose one shared action to grow faith: pray for courage to share your story or perform a Gospel-centered act together.