“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
• (I read somewhere that the Net Bible is for computer nerds and so that got me interested in seeing how it renders passages.) The net Bible renders this passage as:
“Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.”, John 2:23-25 NET
• Humans can’t be trusted in our evaluations with each other because we are all sinful (and emotional) people and therefore easily deceived by the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. God’s love for and evaluation of us is all that matters (which I believe is implied in the above passage). How do we know whether or not our actions please God (actions that are not specifically addressed in the scriptures)? That is something I wrestle with on a daily basis. Why is it so hard to determine what is and what is not pleasing to God?
“Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out — the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Messiah have now come, **because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown out: the one who accuses them before our God day and night**. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the earth and the sea, for the Devil has come down to you with great fury, because he knows he has a short time.”, Revelation 12:7-12 HCSB
“Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. So that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, **because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God**, has been thrown down. But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!””, Revelation 12:7-12 NET
• It’s hard to feel right with God and hard to know what decisions to make when the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms are constantly accusing us…day and night!