John 2:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people

NIV: But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.

NASB: But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, because He knew all people,

CSB: Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all

NLT: But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people.

KJV: But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

NKJV: But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,

As God incarnate (John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:4–6), Jesus had supernatural wisdom of other people's hearts and minds. He knew many of them were only interested in entertainment. Jesus was careful not to "entrust" Himself to the people in the sense that He didn't deeply explain His ministry or mission, as He would do for others (Matthew 13:10–11; Mark 4:10–12). Jesus' conversations with the Pharisees and His miracles certainly provided a good show. Over time, people would fall away as they realized that fireworks were not the main purpose of Christ's ministry (John 6:60–66). God doesn't perform wonders simply to keep us amused (Matthew 12:39).

Some claim only a miracle will make them believe; it's almost certain they won't believe even if they see one (Luke 16:30–31). Simple intellectual belief is not identical to trust, which is the essence of saving faith (Ephesians 2:1–10; Hebrews 11:1). The gospel requires each person to submit to Christ's Lordship (Romans 10:9), not merely admit that He exists (James 2:19). It's likely the unspecified signs (John 2:23) are what inspired Nicodemus to seek Jesus out, as described later (John 3:1–2). He knew that true miracles were messages from God (Luke 9:41–43; John 11:43–44). Only someone bringing God's message could do the things Christ did.

John 2:24—3:15 describes a meeting between Jesus and a Pharisee. The last two verses of chapter two highlight the fact that Jesus knew men better than they knew themselves. Nicodemus was the ancient equivalent of a politician, cleric, and professor all rolled into one. Jesus proves that this man doesn't understand religion as well as he'd like to think. In contrast to the loud, public spectacle of clearing the temple, this encounter is a private, nighttime meeting. Their actual conversation was probably longer than the summary recorded here.

Jesus attends a wedding where He performs His first miracle: turning water into wine. This symbolizes a transformation of human rituals into divine sacrifice. Few people are even aware that a miracle has occurred. Jesus then drives crooked businessmen out of the temple, scolding them for turning a sacred area into a crass marketplace.

Chapter 2 begins to show Jesus' "signs," or miracles, which will prove that He is the Savior. The miracles will become more spectacular over time, but they start quietly. Contrast is an important part of the gospel of John. The quiet, joyful miracle at the wedding is starkly different from the loud public spectacle of clearing the temple. Jesus' first miracle symbolizes His mission. During the temple clearing, He also predicts His death and resurrection. This sets the stage for Jesus' private discussion with Nicodemus, a respected and influential man.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.