His Knowledge (2:23–25)

His Knowledge (2:23–25)

The Gospels don't go into detail about the miracles Jesus did while He was in Jerusalem for Passover. These signs must have been what really caught Nicodemus's attention (John 3:2). Many people said they believed in Him because of the miracles, but Jesus did not accept their profession. Regardless of what the individuals stated or what others commented about them, Jesus remained unconvinced. He didn't believe what people said. Why? He knew what was in each person's heart and mind because He was God.

The Greek word for "believed" in John 2:23 and "commit" in John 2:24 is the same. These people had faith in Jesus, but He did not have faith in them! They were "believers who weren't saved." Responding to a miracle was one thing, but giving your life to Jesus Christ and following His Word was something else (John 8:30–31).

John was not trying to downplay the importance of our Lord's signs. He wrote His book to record these signs and to get people to believe in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life (John 20:30–31). But John makes it clear throughout the book that just believing in miracles isn't enough to save someone. It would be a good start to see the signs and believe in them. In fact, the disciples started that way and had to grow in their faith (see John 2:11 and 22).

The gospel of John reveals a division among the Jewish people regarding the significance of these miracles (John 9:16; 11:45–46). The same miracles that made Nicodemus want to follow Jesus made some of the other religious leaders want to kill Him. They even said that Satan gave Him the power to do miracles! The miracles of our Lord were both testimonies (John 5:36) that proved He was the Son of God and tests that showed what was in people's hearts (John 12:37ff.). The same things that opened some people's eyes made others' eyes even more blind (John 9:39–41).

It's important to understand that Jesus linked His miracles to the truth of what He said. He knew that people are drawn to the sensational. The five thousand people He fed wanted to make Him King, but when He preached a sermon on the Bread of Life, they all left! Jesus Christ brought "grace and truth" (John 1:17). Jesus fed the hungry with grace and taught the Word with truth. Because they desired the material food but not the spiritual truth, they departed from Him.

John's gospel shows many times that "He knew what was in man." Jesus knew what kind of person Simon was (John 1:42). He knew Nathanael well (John 1:46ff.) and told the Samaritan woman everything she had ever done (John 4:29). He knew that the Jewish leaders didn't love God (John 5:42) and that one of His disciples wasn't really a believer (John 6:64). He saw the adulteress's heart change (John 8:10–11) and the hearts of His enemies full of hate (John 8:40ff.). In the Upper Room message, Jesus told His disciples what they were really thinking and feeling several times.

As you follow our Lord’s ministry in John’s gospel, you see Him moving gradually out of the bright light of popularity and into the dark shadows of rejection. At first, it was easy for people to join the crowd and watch His miracles. But then His words started to get through to people's hearts, and conviction followed. Conviction can either lead to conversion or opposition. You can't be neutral. People had to make a choice, and most of them chose not to follow Him.

Yes, Jesus knows what people are thinking. "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." (John 4:48). People who want His works but reject His Word can never share His life. The Christian way is not "seeing is believing" (John 11:40; 20:29). We believe first, and then we see. Miracles can only lead us to the Word (John 5:36–38), and the Word is what gives us saving faith (Rom. 10:17).
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The Lord's precise understanding of the human heart serves as further evidence of His divinity, as only God can know the inner self. This short paragraph gets us ready for the important interview with Nicodemus that is written about in the next chapter. From John 2:25 to 3:1, the word "man" is used again and again. Nicodemus wanted to know more about Jesus, but he ended up learning more about himself!