Trust in the Lord | Understanding John 2:24 (John 2:23-25)

Topic: Trust in the Lord | Understanding John 2:24

Reading: John 2:23-25

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did; 24 but Jesus did not trust himself to them, 25 because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.

Introduction and Overview

Jesus was many things. He came to this world as the Son of God and He epitomised the love of God. He taught people about how to live together in a way that would please God. And Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we received the opportunity of salvation. And anyone who chose to take up His offer will eventually inherit eternal life. We can trust in the Lord with all of our heart.

But, Jesus Himself did not trust Himself to any man. He taught about the need to trust in the Lord, but we see in these verses, especially John 2:24 and John 2:25, that Jesus did not trust Himself to man.

And why would He? Man has continually failed God for many, many generations. Going all the way back to Adam and Eve, man chose his own way rather than the way of God. Man rejected God, and this has been the way of man from the beginning. So, Jesus would not trust Himself to man. But Jesus came to show us who we can trust. We can trust Him and we can trust God who only wants the very best for all people, if they will turn to Him and trust in the Lord.

Key points from reading:

Man is not trustworthy.
We cannot put our trust solely in any person.
We can only trust in the Lord.

Discussion:

Scripture: John 2:23 – Jesus at the Passover
- A great many people came to Jerusalem during the time of the Passover. This was a great feast and holiday for the people of Israel as they remembered how they were set free from the bondage of the Egyptians. It was both a time for great sorrow and great celebration. Many people died in Egypt, but through that sign from God, the people of Israel were set free from bondage.
- In the same way, we are set free from bondage through the death and resurrection of Jesus. He died to take away our sins, and that was reason for great sadness and sorrow. But then He arose from the grave after three days and gave us life. His death and resurrection show the great love Jesus and God the Father have for all people. Through this means we can come to God to receive salvation through faith and by grace.
- Also, in His offering of Himself we should understand that we can trust in the Lord in all things. What man could do what Jesus did, to selflessly die on behalf of all mankind and to bear their sins and due condemnation? Only Jesus was capable of such a sacrifice, and in knowing this we can truly trust in the Lord.
Scripture: John 2:24 – Jesus trusted no man
- In the previous verse we saw that as Jesus came to Jerusalem for the Passover, many people followed Him. They had seen the wondrous signs and miracles He had performed and followed Him in awe. Jesus taught them as He travelled and they were amazed at His teachings. But Jesus did not trust them.
- In John 6:15a we see these words, “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king…” The people wanted to take Jesus against His will and by force, to crown Him king. But this was not the purpose of the visitation of Jesus. Yes, He was and is the King of kings, and Lord of lords, but this was not His purpose. He came as an ordinary man to preach the gospel of salvation. As we see in Matthew 20:28, “…the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- His purpose was to teach people to believe in God and to trust in the Lord. It was not His intention to be served as a king. He came as a servant giving all of His followers an example to do likewise. True religion is about service, not personal exaltation. To grow in Christ is to descend into service rather than rise to be served. Trust in the Lord and serve God. That was the message.
Scripture: John 2:25 – Trust in the Lord
- Jesus did not trust Himself to any man because He knew what was in man. He knew that man was full of sin and desires that lead to nothing good. Man by nature stands opposed to God, and it is by walking the hard, narrow road that we need to find His way. It is only when we trust in the Lord, listening to His words and not the words of men, that we can really begin that walk.
- Mankind had proven unreliable ever since he Garden of Eden. So, how could the Son of God trust any man? People are all seeking their own ways and what benefits themselves. Jesus even said of the multitudes that followed Him after feeding the five thousand, that they followed for the wrong reasons. Note what it says in John 6:26, “Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
- People are only interested in what they can get. They were not following Christ because of the signs, but to get a free feed! They had not yet learned to trust in the Lord. And because people are basically self-serving, Jesus did not trust Himself to any man. Which is not to say this situation never changed. Jesus certainly trusted His disciples. Jesus trusted them in the end before His death and He handed responsibility to the disciples to grow the church. He especially trusted Peter, telling him to take care of and teach the fledgling church.
- While it may be that Jesus did not trust Himself to any man while He walked the earth, the same cannot be said in reverse. Jesus died for you and me. He gave up His life so we could live into eternity with Him and God the Father. We truly can trust in the Lord because He is worthy of our trust, praise and worship.

Prayer Points:

Pray and thank the Lord that He is trustworthy and that He trusted in the work given Him by the Father for our benefit. Trust in the Lord in with all of your heart and in all things because He is worthy.
Pray also when dealing with people that that the Lord will show you who you can trust. And also that He will show you those people to whom no trust is due and of whom you should be wary.