GENTRY — "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, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

John 2:23-25

Many, at the Passover feast in Jerusalem, believed that Jesus was the Messiah when they saw the signs and miracles which He worked among them. But though they had come to believe that He was the Messiah, Jesus did not entrust Himself to them. He, knowing all things and seeing the hearts of all men, knew their hearts.

These few verses contain an important truth for us to consider. It is not enough to just know and believe the facts about Jesus. We too have heard and read of His mighty miracles. We have heard and read of His sufferings and death and of His resurrection on the third day. And, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the promised Messiah and Savior. But, do we know Him and trust in Him as our own Savior? Have we committed our very hearts and souls to His keeping?

Jesus knows our hearts! This can be a frightening thought since, as the Scriptures testify, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). Yet the Lord Himself searches our hearts and tests our minds. He knows our every thought and desire. And, certainly, not a single one of us deserves that the Lord Jesus should commit and entrust Himself to us.

Yet, through His Word and the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus does reveal and entrust Himself to us. He first reveals our utter sinfulness and unworthiness before God, bringing us to confess and agree with God’s judgment that we are sinners deserving of His eternal wrath and punishment. But Jesus, through His Word, also reveals to us His great love and mercy. He so loved us that He went to the cross to suffer and die in our stead and take our punishment. He rose from the dead in victory, and He reaches out to each and every one of us with mercy and forgiveness and acceptance.

So many people in Jesus’ day believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah because of His mighty works, but they did not know and trust that in Jesus they had forgiveness and life. And so also today, many have come to know and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior; but they do not know Jesus and His love and mercy for them. Instead, their hearts remain closed and they continue on in their old ways, not seeing their lost and sinful condition or knowing the love and mercy of God toward them in Christ Jesus.

Though Jesus’ many mighty works and signs confirm the validity of His word and teaching, He has chosen to reveal Himself to mankind through His Word. Thus those seeking only signs and wonders and spectacular works are likely never to know Him; but to the ones sitting humbly at His feet, hearing and reading and studying His Word, Jesus will reveal Himself as their merciful and loving Savior.

Dear Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of man, open my heart to hear Your life-giving Word, to acknowledge and confess my utter sinfulness, and to trust in You and Your cross for my salvation. Amen.

From The Still Small Voice,Gentry,Ark.,Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible

Opinion, Pages 5 on 10/21/2009