John 2:23-25

GENERAL JUDEAN MINISTRY

Text 2:23-25

23

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did.

24

But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men,

25

and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

Queries

a.

Why did Jesus not trust himself unto them?

Paraphrase

Now when Jesus was in Jerusalem, He did many signs during the seven days of the feast, Many of the people at the feast marvelled at these signs which they beheld Him doing and believed Him to be a prophet sent from God. But Jesus did not entrust them with the essence of His message and cause, for He knew the heart of every one of them. Jesus did not need that anyone should tell Him of the nature of man, for He was able to search their hearts and know what was in their very thoughts.

Summary

Jesus knows who His true believers are by looking on their hearts.

Comment

In John 2:23 through John 3:36 we have recorded a rather general Judean ministry. There is one exceptionthe specific conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21). The Judean ministry begins, of course, in Jerusalem, in the Temple, and continues for at least the duration of the Passover in the city. This ministry branches out into the land of Judea (John 3:22) and it lasts for about eight or nine months. We are able to calculate the length of time from the fact that Jesus began the Judean ministry at Passover time, and He is next found in Samaria about four months before the harvest (John 4:35). Harvest time and Passover time are identical and the Jews count their religious year from Passover to Passover. Thus Jesus was in Samaria about four months before the end of the year, or about eight months after the beginning of the year.

During the Passover feast (also called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and which lasts seven days) Jesus performed many marvelous signs. What they were, we are not told. One of the Jewish rulers was convinced by these signs that Jesus was a teacher sent from God (John 3:1-2). The multitudes also beheld these signs and many are said to have believed on his name. Just how sincere their faith was seems to be debatable, considering the attitude the Lord had toward them (John 2:24). Jesus had very little success in Judea throughout His entire ministry. It appears that those who believed on him here were interpreting His signs as harbingers of an impending militant Messiah who would spark a revolution and throw off all their oppressions. The serious student of the life of Jesus must familiarize himself with the situations and the expectations of the times in which Jesus lived, or he cannot appreciate the attitude of the multitudes toward Christ's marvelous signs.

The average Jew was poverty-stricken. He suffered at the hands of the Roman overlords, at the hands of the tax-collectors (publicans), and under the heavy yoke of the religious bigots in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 11:46). The Jewish nation had a proud heritage. It had enjoyed pre-eminence under David and Solomon, but during the hundreds of years since Solomon, this nation had suffered oppression and slavery at the hands of her conquerors. Israel had become the byword (Deuteronomy 28:37; 1 Kings 9:6-7) and the laughing stock of the heathen and the barbarian. It had been some four hundred years since God's last direct communication with His chosen nation. The people had doubtless heard and repeated rumors of the miraculous signs attending the birth of the son of a priest down in Jerusalem (John the Baptist). The multitudes would tell over and over again the story which had been started by some shepherds, of a babe born some thirty years ago in the city of David, and of the signs surrounding His birth. Suddenly, the one who came in the spirit and power of Elijah burst on the scene with his soul-searching preaching. Josephus says of him that he had great influence over the people who seemed ready to do anything that he should advise. One day when the crowds had come out to hear him, he pointed to a Galilean and cried, Behold, the Lamb of God. A few days later this same Galilean appeared suddenly in the Temple at Passover time and challenged the very throne of religious authority. And so this multitude of Judeans who were beholding His signs were anticipating these signs as omens that He was about to declare Himself the long awaited King, the One who would forever relieve their poverty, their political oppression and their religious burdens.

This is what Jesus saw when He looked on their hearts, and this is why He would not entrust them with His cause. He could not trust such carnally minded people with the full revelation of His teachings. Many would follow Him only as long as He would produce miracles and signs, but when He began to talk about their making His Word their spiritual foodabout self-denial and surrenderthey would go back and walk with him no more (John 6:66). Men were never able to deceive Jesus by outward appearanceHe knew just what was in the heart of anyone with whom He came in contact (cf. John 1:42; John 1:47-48). He later read the thoughts of His disciples, of Nicodemus, and of the woman of Samaria (cf. Mark 9:33-35; Mark 14:30; John 3:1-36; John 4:1-54). Enthroned in heaven, He still sees the motives and schemes of men's hearts (cf. Acts 5:1-42; Acts 9:1-43; Revelation 1:1-20; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22).

There is a second possible interpretation of Jesus-' refusal to trust Himself to them. Some commentators believed that Jesus avoided a situation where He must trust His physical person to them because of the enmity He had aroused in attacking the merchandizers of the Temple courts.
These three verses offer an excellent study of the meaning of the word believer. The English words believe and faith are derived from the Greek word pisteuo. It generally means believe, trust, be persuaded, adhere to and have faith. The Greek noun pistis (faith, belief) is used in the New Testament in a number of ways. It may be used to mean obedience (cf. Romans 4:12), or it may be used to mean the enlightened conscience of the individual Christian (cf. Romans 14:22-23). But in the context before us we have two other clear definitions of the word. In John 2:23 many believed on his name without really surrendering their wills to Him. Although they beheld the miraculous signs which He did, their belief was probably a carnal hope in a worldly Messiah. It is possible to accept the miracles of Jesus as actual facts and still not trust Jesus with one's soul to the point of surrender and obedience. The brethren of Jesus accepted the fact that He was doing miraculous works (John 7:3-4), but since He did not fit their ideal as the materialistic type of Messiah, they would not believe on Him. In John 2:24, the same word, pisteuo, is used, and the translators translated it trust. Trust is the best definition of pisteuo. There can be no faith and belief without trust. When we trust someone, we have confidence in his person and in his wordconfidence that his word is true. When the Lord invites us to believe in Him, He invites us to have confidence in His Word. When He promises us eternal life, it is always conditioned upon our confidence and trust in His Word as the Truth. How can one completely confide in and trust His Word without obeying its commands? It is impossiblefaith without obedience is dead!

Jesus had no confidence in these Judeans, and would not trust them because their belief was only superficial and carnally motivated. Their faith was one of accepting the factual evidence but refusing to surrender their hearts in trusting obedience to His Word. How do you believe in Jesus? Do you trust Him with a confidence that loves to obey?

Quiz

1.

How long was Jesus-' first Judean ministry? How do we know this?

2.

Considering the expectations of the people in Jesus-' time, what would they believe, having beheld His signs?

3.

What is meant by he knew all men?

4.

What does the word believe (pisteuo) means?