John Series Part 12
Revelation 3: Jesus Knows All Men,
John 2:23–25
Pastor Rodney A. Fry, MA, MDIV, MS, LPC 11/7/21
(2:23–25) Introduction: this is a brief passage packed full of powerful truths. Jesus revealed that He knew all men.
1. Fact 1: many believed in Jesus (v.23).
2. Fact 2: Jesus did not commit nor entrust Himself to men (vv.24–25).
1 (2:23) Belief—Profession, False: first, many believed in Jesus. There are two very significant facts here.
a. Many believed in His name. The word believe (episteusan) is in the Greek aorist tense, which means they believed once-for-all. Their belief was genuine, at least the belief of some. However, the belief of others was not genuine. The fact that Jesus knew “all men” (all of those professing belief) and did not commit Himself to them shows the inadequacy of their faith (v.24).
b. They believed because of the miracles (semeia).
DEEPER STUDY
(2:23) Signs—Miracles—Power—Works—Sensationalism: there are four words used in the Bible for miracles or signs. These words are used to describe the works of God, and they show why people believed in Jesus.
1. Teras means the spectacular, staggering, amazing, dazzling. Many believed in Jesus because of the spectacular signs He performed. However, such belief made a person only a spectator, not a participant in His life. The word teras also means the sensational; that is, it appeals to the sensations of men. Many believed and followed Jesus because it made them feel good and comfortable and secure. Such belief is weak and often fails. This word is never used by itself to initiate faith in the Lord Jesus. If a person is to have genuine faith in the Lord Jesus, he must have some basis other than the spectacular sign (teras).
“And some [seed] fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.… They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away” (Lu. 8:6, 13. See note, pt.2—Lu. 8:11–15 for discussion of this person.)
“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lu. 9:62).
“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (He. 10:38).
2. Dunamis means power—unusual, extraordinary power; effective, explosive power. There were those who were attracted to Jesus because of the unusual power (dunamis) they witnessed. They believed because of the power. Such is a legitimate belief and leads to salvation for everyone who believes.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Ro. 1:16).
“But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Co. 1:24).
“And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching” (Mk. 6:5–6).
3. Ergon means distinctive works, deeds, and miracles. Such works come from God (Jn. 14:10) and bear witness to Christ. They point men to Christ (Jn. 5:36; 10:25). Some men look at the very special works of Christ and believe because of the works (ergon).
“If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him” (Jn. 10:37–38).
“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake” (Jn. 14:11).
4. Semeion means a sign that characterizes the person, his nature and character. A few throughout Jesus’ ministry did believe because they saw in the miracles exactly who He was, the very Son of God.
“This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him” (Jn. 2:11).
“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (Jn. 20:30–31).
However, the word semeion is also used of those who believed the signs but did not have the highest or right kind of faith. Their faith was not a faith that committed itself
a. It was a faith that arose only from …
• a mental conviction, a head knowledge, an intellectual belief
• a surface acceptance of the fact that Jesus was the Savior
“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men” (Jn. 2:23–24; believe and commit are the same words).
b. It was also a faith …
• that only sought Jesus for what a person could get out of Him
• that never gave any thought to what a person might do for Christ
• that was unaware of the cost of discipleship, unaware that a person had to sacrifice himself and give all he was and had to Christ in order to become a follower of His ()
“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled” (Jn. 6:26).
2 (2:24–25) Belief—Jesus Christ, Knowledge of—Sin, Secret: second, Jesus did not commit Himself to men. The word “commit” is the very same word as “believe” in v.23.)Jesus did not trust nor believe in the people; He did not commit Himself into their lives or hands. The verb is continuous action: Jesus kept on refusing to trust men, kept on refusing to commit Himself into their lives. Two reasons are given for this continuing attitude of Jesus.
a. Jesus knew all men. The idea is that He knew every single man personally. Not a person escaped His knowledge.
b. Jesus knew what was in man. No one needed to tell Him about man. He knew man’s nature: his depravity, evil, deception, and fickleness. He knew the men He could trust and could not trust. He knew every man who professed to believe, yet would …
• betray Him
• deny his faith under pressure
• forsake Him, turning back to the world
• slip and fall back into sin
• be weak and easily influenced, tossed to and fro
• prove untrustworthy
• lack zeal and genuine commitment
• lack courage to stand
Jesus knew all this about every man. Nothing was hid from Him. Therefore, He was not able to commit Himself and His blessings to some men despite the fact that they professed to believe.
Thought 1. Some so-called believers (those who make false professions) never receive the indwelling presence of Christ. Christ cannot commit Himself to them. Tragically, this means that He …
• cannot give the assurance of salvation: the confidence that a person is really saved
• cannot give the Holy Spirit to live within the heart of a person: the presence and knowledge of Him
• cannot give the fullness of life: the sense of completeness and the security of God’s care and of being looked after
• cannot give the hope and certainty of eternal life
• cannot commit and entrust His mission into their hands
“And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32).
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Ro. 6:23).
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Ro. 8:5–6).
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Ro. 8:13).
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Co. 6:17–18).
Thought 2. Christ knows everything about everyone. As this Scripture says: He knows “all men” and He knows what is “in man”: all his thoughts and deeds—good or bad, done in the light or in the dark, in the open or behind closed doors, publicly or secretly.
“For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known” (Lu. 12:2).
“And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain” (1 Co. 3:20).
“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Co. 4:5).
“For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (Ep. 5:12).
“I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” (Je. 17:10).
“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD” (Je. 23:24).
“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed” (1 S. 2:3).
“If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity” (Job 10:14).
“For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings” (Job 34:21).
“For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Ps. 1:6). “O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee” (Ps. 69:5).
“Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance” (Ps. 90:8). “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways” (Ps. 139:2–3).
“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings” (Pr. 5:21).
“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ec. 12:14).
“Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?” (Is. 29:15).
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding” (Is. 40:28).
“For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD” (Je. 2:22).
“For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes” (Je. 16:17; see Je. 32:19).
“Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth” (Eze. 8:12; see Eze. 11:5).
“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him” (Da. 2:22).
“And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face” (Ho. 7:2).
DEEPER STUDY
(2:24) Believe (episteusan)—Commit (episteuen): the word “commit” is the very same word “believe” (see Jn. 2:23). This gives an excellent picture of saving faith, of what genuine faith is—of the kind of faith that really saves a person.
1. Saving faith is not head knowledge, not just a mental conviction and intellectual assent. It is not just believing the fact that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. It is not just believing history, that Jesus Christ lived upon earth as the Savior just as George Washington lived upon earth as the President of America. It is not just believing the words and claims of Jesus in the same way that a person would believe the words of George Washington.
2. Saving faith is believing in Jesus, who and what He is, that He is the Savior and Lord of life. It is a man giving and turning his life over to Jesus. It is a man casting himself upon Jesus as Savior and Lord.
3. Saving faith is commitment—the commitment of a man’s total being and life to Jesus Christ. It is a man’s commitment of all he is and has to Jesus. It gives Jesus everything; therefore, it involves all of a man’s affairs. The man trusts Jesus to take care of his past (sins), his present (welfare), and his future (destiny). He entrusts his whole life, being, and possessions into Jesus’ hands. He lays himself upon Jesus’ keeping, confiding in Him about his daily necessities and acknowledging Him in all the ways of life. He follows Jesus in every area and in every detail of life, seeking His instructions and leaving his welfare up to Him. It is simply commitment of a man’s whole being, all he is and has, to Jesus. (See notes—Jn. 4:50; pt.4, He. 5:5–10.)
There are three steps involved in faith, steps that are clearly seen in this passage
1. There is the step of seeing (Jn. 2:23) or hearing (Ro. 10:16). A man must be willing to listen to the message of Christ, the revelation of truth.
2. There is the step of mental assent. A man must agree that the message is true, that the facts of the case are thus and so. But this is not enough. Mere agreement does not lead to action. Many a person knows that something is true, but he does not change his behavior to match his knowledge. For example, a man knows that eating too much harms his body, but he may continue to eat too much. He agrees to the truth and knows the truth, but he does nothing about it. A person may believe and know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and yet do nothing about it, never make a decision to follow Christ. This man still does not have faith, not the kind of faith that the Bible talks about.
3. There is the step of commitment. When the New Testament speaks of faith, it speaks of commitment, a personal commitment to the truth. A man hears the truth and agrees that it is true and does something about it. He commits and yields his life to the truth. The truth becomes a part of his very being, a part of his behavior and life.
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. (2004). The Gospel according to John
