23 While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many people believed in him because they saw the miracles that he performed.
24 Jesus, however, was wary of these believers. He understood people
25 and didn't need anyone to tell him about human nature. He knew what people were really like. (He knew what was in their hearts)**
(from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)
**Some translations
These three verses, I believe, summarizes the whole of John chapter 2. It clearly says that Jesus knew everyone’s heart. From the moment the mother of Jesus ask Jesus for help, to whom he replied 4 "Dear woman, that's not our problem,"..."My time has not yet come." NLT; to the money-changers and merchants of which Jesus zealously drove them all away from God’s temple; to the very people who believed in him only because they saw the miracles He performed. He knew each and everyone of their hearts.
Jesus knew that His mother’s heart was pure and that Jesus knew that she knew that Jesus would never say no to her! If you noticed her Mom went straight to the servers and said in John 2:5b “Do whatever he tells you." NLT. In a way this is what you call a true faith. Faith that can actually make Jesus move His hands and the result was the very first miracle of Jesus Christ and in magnificent form! Water turning into wine is not ordinary! Jesus knew that this faith was in His mother’s heart. He knew it!
Jesus also knew what was in those traders, merchants and money-changer’s hearts! It’s not much of greediness but more of disrespect! They have no love for God at all! Those people bringing all the pooping animals into the Temple area and yelling at the top of their voices to get people’s attention to buy their products were disrespecting God’s house of worship. The very being of Jesus is respect for His Father. That’s why John 2:17 says "Passion for God's house will consume me." Passion for God is love for God and love for God is respect to God! He knew that the hearts of those people were full of disrespect which burned Jesus with Holy anger, to the point that He drove them all away. He drove them all away. Wow! What passion, what respect Jesus had for His Father which He knew none of those people in that Temple had in their being.
Jesus knew the nature of those people who believed Him as well. Sure they believed in Him but it was superficial. Jesus knew they believed Him because they saw wonders and miracles. Human nature is to see then believe. They saw the miracles, they saw the signs so naturally they believed. But this kind of belief, as Jesus knew, is very superficial. This kind of belief relies only on solely what they can physically see and what they have seen. That’s why Jesus in John 2:24, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all. He knew that the nature of those people is to betray Him into the hands of death. Jesus knew all of these.
And Jesus knows your very nature right now. The best thing about it though is the fact that Jesus has given you an opportunity to choose as to how He would know you as. Which of these groups of people would you allow Him to know you as? Would you be the faith-filled person that will move the Hands of Jesus? Would you be the person who shows disrespect and who has no love for God? Or would you be the “since-I-don’t-see-it-I-don’t-believe-it” natured person of whom I dubbed the superficial believer?
A prolific JIL Pastor once told me during the JIL WIN Congress last May 18, “What you choose to do today will choose what you will be tomorrow!” So I challenge you today with these 2 words: Your choice!
TheDavid is next for tomorrow’s study on John chapter 3.
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