Right.
While Jesus walked the earth, those SEEing His 
miracles, were just like atheists everywhere: they rationalized, & excused themselves, & outright refused to believe, even after "physical proof". why? because they did NOT wanna. - So Jesus said to the few, who got their act in gear: John 20:29 "Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you've seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me but believe 
."
and
God/Jesus specifically said: Want to live in Heaven? -
Convert, and become as a little child.
Why would God ask a grown person, to revert AS as
little? child.
Obviously because a
little child is
teach-able.
God knew He could teach me as a Kindergartner (even in a communist-country); God knew I would to Him listen... and I
did.
(in stark contrast: are atheists the world over, who DONT wanna be saved, DONT wanna convert,
DONT wanna listen as a
little child; - and then blame God, for their stupidity.
And such nonsense they call "logic"
) and God said
that they too, to their peril failing - will have their reward.
Either way, God has done His
part in all the ways He can,
short of 'force'; but God will never force you to Heaven,
so you can say "God forced me into Heaven, & I don't even wanna be here". - No,
No.
God will allow you
the reward... you demonstrate to Him, as a mortal.
Jesus' ministry was full of "signs and wonders" and he used them as a basis for encouraging people to believe.
John 10:25-26
25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
Jesus appeals to his miracles as evidence.
John 10:37-38
If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
In other words, "If you can't take my word for it then look at the miracles!" Why would Jesus say that if needing miraculous evidence to believe is so evil?
And again ...
John 14:11
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
And ...
John 20:24
24Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
Here Thomas demands a sign before he will believe and as we know, he was allegedly given one. Obviously Jesus would prefer that people would just take his word for it in all these passages ... but he never withholds a sign when one is necessary.
More....
John 2:23
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.
John 3:2
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
John 11:43-45
"And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him."
Those texts show that some people who even met Jesus, would not accept him based upon his words alone, which is why he provided them with tangible, first-hand evidence to convince them to accept his words. Even after the Holy Spirit supposedly came to the church, in the NIV, Acts 14:3 says So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. Considering that Jesus had supposedly performed many miracles in front of thousands of people, including many miracles that were not recorded, and had appeared to hundreds of people after he rose from the dead, and had criticized his disciples for their unbelief, and that there were thousands of surviving eyewitnesses who were still around, and that the Holy Spirit had come to the church, I find it to be quite odd that God provided even more tangible, firsthand evidence. In my opinion, this brings into question the truthfulness of the claims.
Today, surely we need tangible, firsthand evidence much more than people did back then since there are not any eyewitnesses who are still alive.
What kind of God would withhold evidence that would prevent many people from spending eternity in hell (separations from god) without parole? If love and mercy are about anything, they are about second chances, and rehabilitation.
