Bible Study Series: John 2:23-25, Jesus kept the required festivals. John also tells us that Jesus did not entrust himself to people for one simple reason.
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Let’s begin.
Scripture: John 2:23-25
23 While he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the Feast, many believed in his name, seeing him perform the signs. 24 But Jesus himself did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people 25 and because he did not need anyone to testify about humanity, for he knew what was in humaity. (John 2:23-25)
Comments
23-25:
The Passover came first, and then the Feast of Unleavened Bread, often counted as one festival. Passover is one of three spring festivals required by law (Tabernacles or Booths and Pentecost are the other two).
Festivals in Leviticus 23 from a NT Perspective
The key points in that definition: popular usage merged Passover and Unleavened Bread for practical reasons; the Greek can be translated as the lamb itself, so the figurative usage is easy to apply to Christ’s sacrifice (1 Cor. 5:7). (To this day, modern Greeks celebrate the pascha by eating a lamb.) The latter usage of the term “Easter” is the church’s choice to take over a pagan festival. You can certainly skip the term if it bothers your conscience and biblical values.
The ancient Israelites were not supposed to eat leavened bread during this time. They were in such a hurry to leave Egypt that they could not wait for the yeast to raise the lump of dough. In this context yeast symbolized sin and hindrance. We are to keep the Passover, but only in a spiritual sense: “with sincerity and faith.” We are to get rid of the old yeast or moral corruption in our lives and the life of the church. Christ is our Passover lamb, and he protects us from God judicial wrath or judgment, when we are in union with him.
“name”: Believing in his name means to believe in him, his person, his character, and his being—who he is, the Lord, the Son of God and the Messiah. The noun name stands in for the person—a living, real person. Let’s develop this thought, so it can apply to you.
What’s in a name?
You carry your earthly father’s name. If he is dysfunctional, his name is a disadvantage. If he is functional and impacting society for the better, then his name is an advantage. In Jesus’s case, he has the highest status in the universe, next to the Father (Col. 1:15-20). He is exalted above every principality and power (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). His character is perfection itself. His authority and power are absolute, under the Father. In his name you are seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). Now down here on earth you walk and live as an ambassador in his name, in his stead, for he is no longer living on earth, so you have to represent him down here. We are his ambassadors who stand in for his name (2 Cor. 5:20). The good news is that he did not leave you without power and authority. He gave you his. Now you represent him in his name—his person, power and authority. Therefore under his authority we have his full authority to preach the gospel and set people free from bondages and satanic spirits and heal them of diseases.
They believed in his name because of the signs which they saw him work. But what kind of faith was it? How deep did it go?
However, Jesus does not reciprocate or return the favor. He did not believe in humanity or humankind. It’s the same Greek verb: pisteuō (see above). He knew that humankind was fickle or untrustworthy. He did not need people to teach him about humanity, for he already knew it—it was not consistent or reliable. In my experience people do not know themselves. They never stop to consider the thoughts going through their own minds. They follow these thoughts and their impulses. It’s both sad and maddening in turns. Jesus was right not to entrust himself to people.
“I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jer. 17:10, NIV)
What God does, Jesus does.
This section could be titled “Superficial Faith” (Bruce, p. 77).
“testify”: “The theme of witness … pervades the whole Gospel. The witness to the truth of God’s self-revelation in the Word is manifold: it comprises the witness of the Father (5:32, 37; 8:18), of the Son 8:14, 18), of the Spirit (15:26); the witness of the works of Christ (5:36; 10:25), the witness of the scriptures (5:39), the witness of the disciples (15:27), including the disciple whom Jesus loved (19:35; 21:24). The purpose of this manifold witness, as of John’s witness, is ‘that all might believe’: it is the purpose for which the Gospel itself was written (20:31)” (Bruce, comment on 1:6-8). The terms “witness” or “testimony” carries a legal meaning “of testifying or bearing witness to the true state of affairs by one who has sufficient knowledge or superior position” (Klink, comment on 1:7).
Finally and incidentally, John records that Jesus stayed in Jerusalem during the feast and worked miracles. This anchors the chronology and supports the interpretation that there were two temple cleansings, as Bock noted.
As to the signs, again see this post:
What Are Signs and Wonders and Miracles?
Jesus worked many more signs than just the eight listed in the table, above.
Klink: “The suggestion of this verse [23], then, is not that the crowds understood Jesus, in sharp contrast to the temple authorities; rather, it is claiming in fact that they did not understand him. Just as the temple authorities were blinded by their own agenda and understanding of God, so also were the people. The prologue has already informed of this irony (see 1:11)” (comment on v. 23).
“humanity”: the Greek noun encompasses both women and men. I could have translated it as “people,” but the noun is singular. Some translations go traditional and say “man.” But I like to be clear that Jesus has in view all of humanity.
Mounce on Jesus’s knowledge of people: “His knowledge was not simply a general understanding of human nature of specific person. For example, Jesus saw Nathanael approaching and declared him to be ‘a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false,’ to which Nathanael replied, ‘How do you know me’? (1:47-48). People’s hearts are open before God, and nothing can be hidden from his sight (Luke 8:17)” (comment on vv. 24-25).
GrowApp for John 2:23-25
1. Jesus was on a mission which already produced opposition. People believed in him for the miracles. He did not fully believe in their consistency and reliability.
2. Have people let you down? How have you forgiven them and moved on?
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SOURCES
For the bibliography, click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 