Scripture: John 2:23-25 (ESV)
“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”
Those who know me, know I am a dork. I love computer games, I can explain to you why a the half-elves are the best race in fantasy games and why close up card magic is far superior than stage illusions. I love stage magic and slight of hand, and one of my fond memories is staying up late with my dad and watching the latest magic show on tv. At one stage there was a series in which the masked magician would reveal how these magic tricks were done. But here is the thing, once you peak behind the curtain stage magic is forever broken. It is magic while you don't know how it's done, but once you do, it is ruined.
In our passage we meet a lot of people who responded to Jesus, much like a crowd responds to a stage magician. But notice what our text says: the people believed in Jesus, but only because they saw the signs and miracles he was doing. But Jesus didn't entrust himself to them because he knew “what is in man”.
That is such a revealing statement. These people were coming to Jesus for what they could get from Jesus. Jesus saw into their hearts and he knew what they were there for. They came for the show, they came for the signs, they came for the miracles. But they did not come for Jesus. Their prize was the gifts they got from the Son of God, but not the giver of the gifts.
But here is the thing: this isn't just a problem these people had. This is a problem that lives in the heart of man. Jesus didn't need a sign to be convinced of the brokeness of our hearts… We needed literal acts of God to convince us of the purity of his.
So where does this leave us?
With two questions to ponder:
First: If it's true that your heart needs a literal miracle from God to give you faith, why would you ever want to trust and follow where your heart goes?
Second: Why are you following Jesus? Is it for the gifts you get, or to get the giver?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank your for the incredible gift of faith. Thank you that you worked a miracle so I could believe. Please help me follow your heart, not mine. Amen
Spiritual Challenge:
Today reflect on this question: If you lost all the benefits of being a Christian in this life, would following Jesus still be worth it?
Jesus Knows What Is in Man