“While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many trusted in His name when they saw the signs He was doing. Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.”, John 2:23-25 HCSB
• What does “trusted in His name” mean? The NASB renders this passage as:
“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”, John 2:23-25 NASB
• What is in man that Jesus knew about? I believe the passage is referring to sin! Besides Jesus, sin has been in and will be in every single human who has or will be born. When we do wrong (or sin), that wrong doing becomes a part of us and among other things, negatively impacts are view of God, other people, and life in general. More specifically, I believe when we sin, we allow the spiritual forces of evil to twist our perceptions of God, other people, ourselves, and life in general.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”, Romans 3:23 NASB
“for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”. Romans 7:11 NASB
• More specifically, I believe sin allows the spiritual forces of evil to distort our view of God, other people, ourselves, and God.