What do people mean when they say they believe in Jesus?

TL;DR:

Believing in Jesus isn’t just knowing who He is—it’s trusting Him personally as Savior and Lord. True belief involves knowledge, agreement with the truth about Him, and a committed, trusting relationship.

what does the bible say?

Belief in Jesus Christ involves three facets. We must know Him, most importantly that He is the Christ—the Son of God and Son of Man—who saves sinners through His sinless sacrifice (Romans 5:6; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 Timothy 1:15). However, belief also involves accepting His role as the Messiah incarnate (John 1:41; 4:25-26; Hebrews 2:14), His divinity (Mark 1:1; John 1:1, 14; 1 John 4:2; John 4:34), His resurrection from the dead (Acts 10:40), and His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 1:3). Believers must also recognize Christ’s heavenly power (Acts 10:42). . His perfect sacrifice atoned for our sins so we could be forgiven (Colossians 2:13-14), made righteous (Romans 3:21-22), reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18), receive the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:14), receive eternal life (John 3:16), and eagerly await a new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13). After knowledge of God comes assent and agreement to that knowledge, although this alone isn’t enough for us to become children of God as even the demons do this (James 2:19; Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24). Full belief comes when we take the important step of putting our trust in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-13; John 20:28).

from the old testament

Isaiah 53 is often called the “Suffering Servant” chapter, and it prophesies the suffering the Messiah would undergo, prophecies that fit what happened to Jesus. Old Testament Messianic prophecies like this buttress our belief in Christ.
Likewise, Psalm 22:16-18 similarly describes details of Jesus’ death, which further increases our knowledge of Jesus as Savior.

from the new testament

To believe in Jesus involves knowledge about who He is. He is the promised Messiah, which means "anointed one" (John 1:41; 4:25-26), the only begotten Son of God (Mark 1:1) who is the embodiment of God's promise to send a Savior who would reverse the curse of sin and death and destroy Satan (Hebrews 2:14).
Jesus is the second Person of the Trinity, God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14), who took on human flesh, lived a perfect, sinless life of obedience to God the Father, died for the sins of the world, and was resurrected after three days (1 John 4:2; John 4:34; 1 Peter 2:22; Romans 5:6; Acts 10:40). He then ascended into heaven where He currently sits at the right hand of the Father (Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus will one day return to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42) and promises that all who believe in Him will be forgiven their sins, declared righteous because of His righteousness, be reconciled to God, receive the Spirit of God, and inherit eternal life in a new earth and new heavens (Colossians 2:13-14; Romans 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:18; 2 Timothy 1:14; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:13).
While having all this knowledge is not necessary in order to believe in Jesus, we do need to know that He is the Christ who came into the world in human flesh in order to save sinners such as us (1 Timothy 1:15).
To believe in Jesus, we must assent to our knowledge of Him. Knowledge alone will not save us. We must agree with what the Scriptures tell us about who Jesus is if we are to believe in Him. However, assent or agreement alone will not save us, either. Even Satan and the demons know who Jesus is and even assent to the knowledge they have (James 2:19; Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24).
To believe in Jesus means to trust in Him. This means that we must embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and trust that through believing in Him we are saved (Romans 10:9-13; John 20:28). Believing in abstract that Jesus died for the sins of the world isn’t the same as trusting that He died for us. Believing in Jesus means trusting that because of His life, death, and resurrection, we can be personally forgiven of our sins, justified before God, and live eternally with Him.

implications for today

The phrase "to believe in Jesus" means knowing Him, assenting to our knowledge of Him, and ultimately, putting our trust in Him. No specific prayer garners salvation, but those who believe in Him and aren’t sure how to pray might want to consider this: "Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God, that You came to earth and lived a perfect life, that You died the death that I deserve due to my sins, that You rose again victorious over sin and death, and that You offer me salvation. I believe You are who You say You are and that You alone can save me. I believe in You and want to follow You. Please forgive me of my sins and make me Your child. Thank you!"

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understand

Believing in Jesus means knowing Him, assenting to our knowledge of Him, and ultimately, putting our trust in Him.
Simply recognizing Jesus’ as Messiah isn’t enough as even Satan and his demons know that.
Trusting in Christ doesn’t require a special ceremony but can be done immediately and in prayer.

reflect

When did you first truly understand who Jesus is and what His life, death, and resurrection mean for you personally?
How has your trust in Jesus changed your decisions, relationships, or priorities?
How does your life currently reflect that you have put your faith and trust in Christ?

engage

How can we clearly explain to others the difference between knowing about Jesus and genuinely trusting Him as Savior and Lord?
What steps can churches take to help believers move from mere knowledge of Christ to a life fully surrendered to Him?
How do we address cultural misconceptions about salvation when sharing the significance of Jesus’ death and resurrection?