After the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to visit with Him. This noble group was made up of philosophers who would study the sky, having access to the prophecies of Balaam describing the coming of the King of Israel. One of the prophecies talked about a star connected with a scepter. Said the prophet: “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth” (Numbers 24:17, emphasis supplied).

These wise men saw from a distance the angels of God on the night of the birth of Christ appearing to some shepherds who expected the coming Messiah. While the shepherds were considering the promises of the coming Deliverer, the angel of the Lord, appeared to them, saying: “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:10–14).

To the wise men from the East, that multitude of angels appeared as a bright star. They connected the star with the prophecy of Balaam, and God gave them light to understand that the Divine King was coming.

Immediately, they started their journey by following the star. Arriving at Jerusalem, the star disappeared and they were directed to Herod and the Jewish leaders to ask about the newborn King. These travelers were greatly surprised with the indifference the priests manifested upon hearing such wonderful news.

Leaving Jerusalem, the star reappeared before them and directed them to Bethlehem, where they found Jesus.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, they recognized in the helpless, newborn baby, the Majesty of Heaven. And they worshipped Him, offering the best gifts appropriate for a King. In spite of the outward appearance of Jesus and His earthly parents—poor peasants from Nazareth—they could see the promised King.

Matthew chapter 8, verses 5–13, brings a remarkable testimony of faith revealed by another person who did not belong to the professed people of God.

A Roman centurion came to Jesus in Capernaum with a special request: “Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented” (verse 6). Jesus answered promptly: “I will come and heal him” (verse 7).

Observe carefully the declaration of the faith of the centurion: “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it” (verses 8 and 9).

The Roman officer first declared that he was not worthy for Jesus to enter under his roof. At the same time, in spite of his unworthiness, he strongly believed that Jesus had power and willingness to heal his servant with just one word uttered from a great distance. And he used that very simple reasoning, comparing the submission of disease to the command of Jesus to himself obeying the orders of his superiors, and his soldiers obeying his words of command. He declared with full assurance: “Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

Christ publicly commended the faith of the Roman officer, saying: “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (verses 10–12).

What Christ is saying is that those who fully trust in Him as their Lord and Saviour will be in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, in spite of professing to believe the truth or professing to be part of God’s people, those who do not believe in Christ will be outside of the kingdom.

If we compare the revelation of the faith of the centurion with other people of Israel, we can see how great was this man’s trust in Christ.

Many years before, when God commanded Gideon to lead His people against the Midianites, the Amalekites, and other peoples from the East, the man of God requested some special signs. When addressing the nobleman at Capernaum whose son was almost dying, Christ had said with sadness: “Except ye see sign and wonders ye will not believe” (John 4:48). But this centurion was different; he didn’t ask for any kind of sign. He simply believed that Christ had power to heal his servant in spite of the distance.

When Naaman, the captain of the Syrian army, had been told that the prophet Elisha could heal him from leprosy, he expected that the man of God would come and touch his body with his hands to restore his health. So, when the prophet sent him a message that to be healed he needed to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times, the Syrian captain became highly offended. But this centurion said to Christ: “Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

Christ really rejoiced with the faith of this Roman officer. While many of His own people rejected Him in spite of so many signs and wonders, this man from a pagan nation revealed full confidence in the Saviour.

“And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour” (verse 13).

“The centurion said of himself, ‘I am not worthy.’ His heart had been touched by the grace of Christ. He saw his own unworthiness; yet he feared not to ask help. He trusted not to his own goodness; his argument was his great need. His faith took hold upon Christ in His true character. He did not believe in Him merely as a worker of miracles, but as the friend and Saviour of mankind.

“It is thus that every sinner may come to Christ. ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us’ (Titus 3:5). When Satan tells you that you are a sinner, and cannot hope to receive blessing from God, tell him that Christ came into the world to save sinners. We have nothing to recommend us to God; but the plea that we may urge now and ever is our utterly helpless condition that makes His redeeming power a necessity. Renouncing all self-dependence, we may look to the cross of Calvary and say—‘In my hand no price I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling.’”1

Dr. Luke, the “beloved physician,” brings another great fact of faith:

“A woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind [Jesus], and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Luke 8:43–48).

This lady had been suffering for many long years. She had tried every available resource to recover from her disease. She had visited the doctors and spent all her means just to be disappointed and be told that her health problem was incurable. She had lost all hope in human help.

Then she heard about Jesus. She had never walked with the Saviour nor had any personal contact with Him. However, what she heard was enough to create a strong faith in the wonderful Physician.

Trying to reach Christ, she made great efforts to enter into His presence. She did her best to press her way through the crowd in the hopes of getting a chance to speak with the Master, to explain her health problem, and to ask for healing. But since Christ was always surrounded by such a huge crowd, the expected dialogue didn’t happen.

Finally, she was able at least to get close to where the Saviour was. It was her golden opportunity. She decided: “If I just touch His garment, I will be healed.” Concentrating all her faith in that one touch, she felt the power of Christ radiate throughout her body. She was made whole.

Christ could discern the great difference between the casual touch of the multitude and that touch of faith. And He invited the woman to testify of the blessing she had received from that contact. Jesus had another purpose in making public that experience. He desired to give her eternal salvation, not just to heal her physically. He said to her: “Thy faith hath made you whole. Go in peace.”

“When the suffering woman put forth her hand to touch Him, believing that she would be made whole, she felt the healing virtue. So in spiritual things. To talk of religion in a casual way, to pray without soul hunger and living faith, avails nothing. A nominal faith in Christ, which accepts Him merely as the Saviour of the world, can never bring healing to the soul. The faith that is unto salvation is not a mere intellectual assent to the truth. He who waits for entire knowledge before he will exercise faith cannot receive blessing from God. It is not enough to believe about Christ; we must believe in Him. The only faith that will benefit us is that which embraces Him as a personal Saviour; which appropriates His merits to ourselves. Many hold faith as an opinion. Saving faith is a transaction by which those who receive Christ join themselves in covenant relation with God. Genuine faith is life. A living faith means an increase of vigor, a confiding trust, by which the soul becomes a conquering power.”2

God’s true remnant people are recognized as those who possess the patience of the saints, “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

What is the “faith of Jesus” mentioned by John in Revelation?

“ ‘The faith of Jesus.’ It is talked of but not understood. What constitutes the faith of Jesus, that belongs to the third angel’s message? Jesus becoming our sin-bearer that He might become our sin-pardoning Saviour. He was treated as we deserve to be treated. He came to our world and took our sins that we might take His righteousness. And faith in the ability of Christ to save us amply and fully and entirely is the faith of Jesus.

“The only safety for the Israelites was blood upon the doorposts. God said, ‘When I see the blood, I will pass over you’ (Exodus 12:13). All other devices for safety would be without avail. Nothing but the blood on the doorposts would bar the way that the angel of death should not enter. There is salvation for the sinner in the blood of Jesus Christ alone, which cleanseth us from all sin. The man with a cultivated intellect may have vast stores of knowledge, he may engage in theological speculations, he may be great and honored of men and be considered the repository of knowledge, but unless he has a saving knowledge of Christ crucified for him, and by faith lays hold of the righteousness of Christ, he is lost. Christ ‘was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed’ (Isaiah 53:5). ‘Saved by the blood of Jesus Christ,’ will be our only hope for time and our song throughout eternity.”3