Believe in God; Believe in Me FFOZ
What did Yeshua mean when he told us to believe in God and also in Him? The answer is in the Torah.
The Master’s words about His impending departure disturbed the disciples. Rabbi Yeshua knew that the turmoil and trauma of the hours to come would all but undo their faith—especially their faith in Him as the Messiah. He comforted them, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me” (John 14:1). In other words, despite the turmoil to come, the disciples should not let their faith in God falter; neither should they doubt the Master. The words “believe in God” might be either imperative or indicative. He might have told them to believe in God and also in Him, or He might have said, “If you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
In either case, He seems to have alluded to an important passage from the Torah about the children of Israel placing faith not only in God but also in Moses, the servant of the LORD:
When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses. (Exodus 14:31)
This teaches you that anyone who has faith in the shepherd of Israel, it is as if he believed in Him who spoke, and the world came into being. (Mechilta deRabbi Shimon bar Yochai)
The children of Israel proved their faith in God by believing in Moses. Our Master Yeshua is the prophet like Moses. Paul Levertoff says, “Through awakening faith in Himself He awakens faith in God.” Yeshua previously had told the disciples, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me” (John 12:44).
As the agent of God and manifest representative of the Father, He could tell His disciples, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).