“23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.”
-John 2:23-25
This passage breaks my heart. Jesus had just done miracles. The people around claimed to believe in His name. There is clearly some belief (v. 23). But Jesus knew something. He knew they didn’t really believe Him and know who He was. They had a faith He did not trust. Matthew Henry says it this way,
“Our Lord knew all men, their nature, dispositions, affections, designs, so as we do not know any man, not even ourselves. He knows his crafty enemies, and all their secret projects; his false friends, and their true characters. He knows who are truly his, knows their uprightness, and knows their weaknesses. We know what is done by men; Christ knows what is in them, he tries the heart.”
And what was the result of our Savior’s knowledge? He did not entrust Himself to them. The word translated as “entrust” comes from the word we normally translate as faith, belief, or confidence. So let’s say it a few other ways to really see what’s going on. Jesus did not have faith in them. Jesus did not have confidence in them. Jesus did not believe them. Why is this? John has included this in Holy Scripture. It is an important and necessary detail. We need to understand this fact.
We are just men. We can look on others’ actions, listen to their words, and assume things. Jesus is different. He is God. When He looks on others He sees the heart, the true state of what is going on. He sees the hidden things. And His judgment is perfect. Jesus had no faith in the faith of those who claimed to have faith in Him. He saw what they were about. They may have believed something, but it was not what they should have believed. Therefore, He didn’t put His trust in them. That sounds hopeless. If I put myself in Jesus’ shoes I would be heartbroken. So often people might look on us and offer praise and even promise their faithfulness and support, but when the heart is revealed later we can find that our trust or confidence in their assertion was off base and without merit.
On the flipside, Jesus kept moving. His actions were not dictated by men’s faithfulness. They were independent. His faithfulness is the revelation of who He is. He is sovereign. No surprise or provision could make or break His action to accomplish His great pleasure. He had decided to empty Himself by becoming a man and going to die on a cross on behalf of weak, untrustworthy people like you and I. His face was “set like flint” to go and die. And He did this in spite of man’s weak beliefs. All of the competing wills were no match for His will.
So how should we live in light of this verse? With much hopefulness! Later in this same gospel account Jesus would disclose more and more of who He was to His chosen disciples. They were among those who believed, but didn’t. Even after they scattered and hid at His crucifixion, He came to them and revealed Himself. He comforted, consoled, and restored them. He commissioned them in His name and gave them the gift of His ever abiding presence by His Spirit. Being broken, sinful, faith-lacking humans is no match for His love. His will is not overcome by it. He accomplishes all that He pleases to accomplish. That includes the salvation of those He has chosen to save by faith in Him. Where we lack, He is able to come and provide, comfort, console, restore, and commission for His great name’s sake. Live with more confidence in Christ’s faithfulness than confidence in your faith. Hold on to Him and wait. He will prove faithful. He always does. But take heed of Matthew Henry’s warning, “Beware of a dead faith, or a formal profession: carnal, empty professors are not to be trusted, and however men impose on others or themselves, they cannot impose on the heart-searching God.” Trust Jesus. He is tested and true. He is trustworthy.