Lent 3: Gospel, John 2:23-25                             

John 2:23-25

This week’s gospel has an additional tag or extension to the reading and I’m going to focus on that. It comes on the tail of Jesus clearing the temple of “crass commercialism,” as Luther called it. The first of possibly two clearings which showed the high regard Jesus, the Son held for the holy house of His Father.

“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing” (John 2:23). Just a quick assessment beginning with this question: “Who wouldn’t?” Knowing the proneness of human beings to be “suckers” first and to generally fall for the spectacular without much discernment, of course many “believed” in the miracle worker. I love John’s answer, “But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them because he knew all people, and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25). 

There you have it. It’s a sharp garnering of the truth and Jesus of course gets it 100% correct. Men and women are always drawn to the fantastic. And I love a great illusionist as much as the next guy. But the difference here? The miracle worker isn’t feeling pressure to gain a crowd. At least not with the works He performs. He would much rather gain followers by those listening and being convicted that His words were true. The truth. 

Jesus is not “hard up” for followers. Neither should the church “bend over backwards” to make the message of Jesus more acceptable. No. God is fully capable by the power of the Holy Spirit to convict, convert and build the church. Let’s remember Jesus here as we think through and pray for guidance in our witness as the church. We have much to learn. And Jesus is always willing to teach.