JESUS KNOWS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs He was performing and believed in His name. But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for He knew what was in each person.

John 2:23-25

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How much do people know about you?

I mean, how much do they REALLY know about you?

You see, we are very good, maybe too good, at only letting people see what we want them to see. Complete transparency isn’t something you see in a person these days and this isn’t just in reference to our casual relationships with people. For there have been more than a few occasions when people who have been partners or acquaintances for a long time ended up discovering something that let them know that they only thought they knew their spouse or friend after having something come to light that had been long concealed.

In the end translation, no one can see inside another person’s heart and mind and soul to know who that person really is. Thus, no one can say they truly know someone.

Why even have this discussion?

Because it’s directly connectional with our scripture passage today as we are reminded about how Jesus relates to each and every one of us. Look again at these words as we continue our study of the second chapter of the Gospel of John:

Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs He was performing and believed in His name. But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for He knew what was in each person.  John 2:23-25

After Jesus had driven out the animal brokers and money changers from the temple courts and provided the Jews who questioned Him a description of the sign they would soon see to validate His authority, the scriptures tell us that many people believed in Him, seeing the signs and wonders He was performing. Jesus was winning people over, people who were entrusting themselves to Him.

Unfortunately, the sentiments were not reciprocated.

We know this because God’s word tells us that Jesus refused to entrust Himself to the people who were coming onboard with Him. He was yet to push the “I believe” button showing any sense of confidence in the imperfect sinners who were giving Him their allegiance.

So why didn’t He? What was keeping Jesus from rewarding those who trusted Him with His faith in return?

It was simple. He knew them.

In fact, the scriptures for today remind us of one very fundamental truth when it comes to Jesus and how we relate to Him:

Jesus knows everything about us. Everything.

Indeed, nothing is hidden from Him. He peers into the deepest depths of our hearts and souls, into those places where no one else goes. And all that we have thought, all we have said and done in secret, thinking we had concealed it effectively, is in plain sight of a Jesus who conducts what could be described as spiritual x-ray on all of us.

So what did He see when He looked at the Jews who were pledging their loyalty to Him?

Obviously, enough to keep Him from going all in with them as He probed within and ended up knowing “what was in each person”. Perhaps He could not only see the present state of their inner beings but a glimpse into the future and what would be His destiny to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. Maybe He saw ahead a time of how the people who would be praising and worshiping Him in one moment would be shouting, “Crucify!”, in days yet to come. Whatever was the case, Jesus wanted to have no part of a special union with the people who were uniting themselves to Him.

And that brings us to today and our personal relationships with Christ. What does He see when He looks into the minds and souls of each of us? Would He want to partner with us or reject us as He did the Jews in John’s day?

I can’t answer that question for you because I don’t know you.

What I can say with absolute confidence is that Jesus knows. And I guess that’s what matters most.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
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