23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
Believer, beware of putting your emphasis on the accolades of man rather than on the accolades of God. It is an easy trap to fall into often catching us unawares in its vice, tightly turning our motives into pleasing the creature in lieu of the Creator. We are to live our lives for an audience of One. We all live “coram Deo” – before the face of God - whether we choose to believe this fact or not. Opinions and biases do not alter the Truth.
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Heb 4:13 (NIV)
Jesus did not entrust Himself to man because He knew them – He was aware of the weakness of some and the wickedness of others. He knew their natures, their dispositions, their intentions and their affections certainly unlike mankind who scarcely knows himself in that way. His knowledge came not from others information but rather by His own omniscience.
“Be thoroughly acquainted with your temptations and the things that may corrupt you.” Richard Baxter
“Human action is frequently the hasty result of passion, or fear, and is followed by regret and alteration; but nothing can take the Almighty by surprise, or happen otherwise than He has foreseen.” H. Spurgeon C. H. Spurgeon
As believers, our actions should always be conforming to the claims of a higher Authority. I am reminded of Peter and John’s words to the religious leaders of their day after being warned not to speak again in the name of Jesus:
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Acts 4:18-20 (NIV)
Contrast Peter and John’s actions with those of some of the shortsighted leaders who desired man’s praises over God’s. We are told in John:
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. John 12:42-43 (NIV)
Christian, is that true of us as well? Do we care more about what man thinks of us than what God thinks? Far be it from us!
“To inoculate me from the praise of man, God baptized me into the criticism of man, until I died to the control of man.” Francis Frangipane
"There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self." Aldous Huxley
Fear of man will control us even as the fear of God should control us. Remember what Scripture states:
7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Prov 1:7 (NIV)
“Men who fear God face life fearlessly.” Richard Halverson
Jesus confirms the words in our verses for today:
41 "I do not accept praise from men, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? John 5:41-44 (NIV)
The example Jesus set for all of us to follow is obedience to God cloaked in humility – He came to do his Father’s will, nothing more, nothing less. We would do well to follow His lead. Paul tells us in Philippians:
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Phil 2:3-8 (NIV)
"People never improve unless they look to some standard or example higher or better than themselves." Tryon Edwards