A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (July 10, 2017)
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in His name [identifying themselves with Him] after seeing His signs (attesting miracles) which He was doing. But Jesus, for His part, did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people [and understood the superficiality and fickleness of human nature], and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man [and human nature], for He Himself knew what was in man [in their hearts—in the very core of their being]. (John 2:23-25, Amplified Bible)
In the Gospel of John, Chapter 2, we see an account of Jesus going to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. It is recorded that many people saw the signs and miracles that He was doing and believed in His name, but Jesus did not entrust (or commit) himself to them. What exactly is the scripture trying to tell us here?
In the natural, this would have been the perfect place to start a church. It was a ready-made congregation. We could have called it the “The Miracle Church of Jesus”. That is how it would normally work in the natural. However, Jesus was not called to build a local church, but rather a universal church. Jesus knew His calling from His Father and was not going to be distracted by human nature. He came to save the world, not to create a denomination. He had to stay true to that calling and not get pulled off course by the flattery and manipulation of man.
The Apostle Paul had to later deal with this same human nature aspect when working with the newly formed Corinthian church:
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)
This same battle with human nature has now morphed into thousands of different Christian churches and denominations, all of which believe that they have a corner on the truth, which causes contentions. I often wonder how Jesus is going to bring all this together, but He is, because that is what He prayed for in one of His last prayers on this earth:
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Let us all remember who we belong to. We belong to Jesus, the one who saved us, not to a denomination or to the leader of any ministry. Our allegiance is to the Son of God and His Word, not man.
