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
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24
Jesus’ confrontation with the religious leaders segues quickly to his interaction with the crowd. People are enthralled with Jesus’ signs, yet he doesn’t trust them, already knowing what human nature is like. The text notes, “he knew what was in each person” (v. 25). What a sobering thought!
Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we so often indulge in the thought that we can hide our deepest nature from God. We show him and everyone else only the good, kind, Scripture-following side of us, but these verses show this is an incorrect assumption. There is no making ourselves look better for Jesus. He already knows it all.
Reflect on Psalm 139:23-24, which also addresses God knowing the deepest part of us. If nothing can be hidden from Jesus, what is he seeing in you now? Are there things you are trying to hide from him or think you are succeeding in hiding from him? Ask God to search your thoughts and transform you.
By Jessica Rust
