John

Chapter 2

(1) And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of
Jesus was there

The phrase “And the third day”

1. Speaks of the amount of time which had lapsed since Jesus left the
wilderness of temptation to begin His public ministry. His ministry began
with the incoming of the Holy Spirit upon Him, which took place when He
was baptized of John in the Jordan. This would have been 43 days earlier

The phrase “There was a marriage in Cana of Galilee”

1. Is the site of His very first miracle. Man’s efforts which is represented by
the water, will be changed into the rich wine of God’s provision
2. Cana in that day was a small town probably the size of Nazareth, and was
situated 7 miles north of that city

The phrase “And the Mother of Jesus was there”

1. Indicates she was already there, and may have been there long before
Jesus and the disciples arrived. Marriage feasts in those days lasted a
week or more

(2) And both Jesus was called and His disciples to the marriage

There is some indication in the Greek tense that Jesus and His disciples were invited
at the last moment. To be invited and not attend was an insult to the host. Jesus
attended even though He was separate from the sinners, but He did not isolate
Himself from them

(3) And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, they have no
wine

The phrase “And when they wanted wine”

1. Means they had run out of wine. This illustration given by John has been
heavily debated, with one side saying it was grape juice, the other
believing it was alcoholic wine. Given the scriptures on drinking and the
role of the high priest, one can draw the conclusion that this wine as
spoken of was non-alcoholic. The word wine in the Hebrew and Greek can
either mean “alcoholic” or “grape juice”. The following explanation below
gives the reason why I believe it was grape juice
a. If this wine is understood to be intoxicating, it places Jesus in the
position of providing men alcoholic wine who would have been well
drunk by then (John. 2:10)
b. Jesus would have been guilty of breaking His law against temperance
c. The amount of water turned to wine was approx.. 150 gallons. This
would have served as an invitation to drink, and would have placed
guilt upon Jesus of providing a flood of intoxicants for men already
well drunk
d. The word “good” was used to describe what the Lord had done (John
2:10). The word good in the Greek is kalos – Means “what is
intrinsically good”. Grape juice before it is fermented, does not have
the aroma of juice that is fermented. Again one could make the
argument that they viewed the alcoholic beverage as good, even
though it has been fermented. If one is to believe this is the case, again
Jesus would have been in violation of the Law in that the High Priest
was not to be consumed with any alcoholic beverage.
e. Since all God makes is good (Gen.1:31), it is unthinkable that He
would have made corrupted fermented wine at Cana, that in turn
would cause men to be drunck
f. Fermentation is a part of the alcoholic process, which is a kind of
decomposition, and it again is unthinkable that Jesus would bring into
being something that is decayed
g. “Good Wine” was a term used to denote the juice of destitute of spirit
as recorded by ancient Greek Scholar Pliny
h. Albert Barnes says: “The wine referred to here was doubtless such as
was commonly drunk in the Israel of that day” in other words, Israel
was known to drink the pure juice of grapes and call it “good wine”.
They of course drunk the alcoholic kind, but again did Jesus really
bring forth something that was decayed?
i. The common wine of that day, which was drunk in Israel, was the
simple juice of the grape
j. Is it reasonable to think that the first miracle would be of one to create
further intoxicants of a crowd of people, when He came to deliver
people from sin?
k. The men who had already drunk a considerable amount of wine,
praised the bridegroom for having kept the “good wine” until last
 l. Alcohol when drunken in large amounts, will diminished the taste
buds of the drinker. If those at the wedding would have already been
consuming alcoholic wine, then would not have been able to detected
its distinct taste
m. Wine in the Greek is Oinos – Is used more frequent and can mean
fermented or unfermented wine. Here are a few more meanings
broken out
i. Grapes as fresh fruit
ii. Raisins
iii. Thick grape syrup
iv. A thick jam
v. Fresh grape juice
vi. Fermented grape juice
n. According to Dr. Lyman Abbott (Biblical translator), fermented wine
in those days was the least common of all wines. The alcoholic content
was reltively small
o. In Hebrew, the word most used for wine is yayin – It is found 141
times in the OT and is used interchangeable between fermented &
unfermented depending on the context
p. See Prov. 20:1, 23-29-32 – This shows that Jesus would not have
broken His word on strong drink
q. Wine before prohibition, was to considered to be exactly as it was in
Bible times. It was referred to as either grape juice or intoxicating
beverage. After prohibition, the word “wine” was designated to mean
something that will make one drunk
The phrase “The Mother of Jesus said unto Him, they have no wine”
1. Is not given to mean that Mary was the intercessory mother of Jesus. For
she was rebuked that the words of Jesus “What have I to do with thee?”.
This passage shows a contrast between the carnal nature and the Holy
Spirit. Jesus could not have given into the authority of the sin nature, for
He declared the words “Mine hour is not yet come”, that is the moment
for me to act will be revealed by my father and his voice is the only one I
will listen to
2. Mary recognizes her error and steps aside and the disciples can see Christ
instead of her. Mary represents Israel. The messiah was born of that
nation but b/c of unbelief Israel became as the words of Hosea “Loammi”
– You are not my people, and I will not be your God, & He refused to
recognized her (Hos.1:29)
(4) Jesus said unto her, woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come

The phrase “Jesus said unto her”
1. Is Jesus addressing Mary on her question

The question “Woman what have I to do you?”
1. Does not mean that Jesus was disrespecting her. Woman as it was used
then, was the same as our present use of “Madam” (Mat. 15:28, Jn. 4:21;
19:26; 20:15). The language shows that Jesus obeys only the Father, and
that Him being subjected to Joseph and Mary was now over. He is now the
“Servant of Jehovah”, and His work as the Messaiah has begun.
The phrase “Mine hour is not yet come”
1. Refers to the when and what He will do, according to what the Father
directs Him to do. Only God gave Him directions, and only from God did
He take those directions. Jesus came to do the will of the Father, which
was evident in everything that He did
(5) His mother said unto the servants, whatsoever he says unto you, do it

The phrase “His Mother said unto the servants”
1. Implies that Mary had something to do with the responsibilities of this
Marriage feast, which is why she came to Jesus about the wine
The phrase “Whatsoever He says unto you, do it”
1. These are actually the last recorded words of Mary. It was Mary’s way of
stepping aside and instructing the servants to turn from her to Jesus

(6) And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the
purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece
The phrase “And there were set there six waterpots of stone”
1. Represents Jesus using these vessels for a purpose. The number 6
represents the number of man, and always falls short of perfection, which
is represented by the number 7, which is called “God’s number”. The
material of stone represented the Law (Ex. 34:1)
The phrase “After the manner of the purifying of the Jews”
1. Had to do mostly with oral laws which were not originally given by God.
There were many washings of the hands, cups, brazen vessels, and tables
 (Mat. 15:2). All of these rituals purified nothing and were not given by
God
The phrase “Containing two or three firkins apiece”
1. Refers to 18 to 27 gallons depending on the size. This is symbolic of man
devising religion, which he thinks is far better than God’s way. This
miracle will portray the difference in man’s religion and Christ’s
Redemption. The Law of Moses as given by God was never intended to
save, but only bring to the surface man’s sin’s and direct man to the
redeemer. The waterpots symbolizes the insignificant man-devised
religious laws that could not save
(7) Jesus said unto them, fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to
the brim
The phrase “Jesus said unto them, Fill the waterpots with water”
1. Simply means that His hour had come and He had been given instructions
from the Father as to what He should do. This is the first miracle in 450
years, which was last found in Daniel Chp. 6
The phrase “And they filled them up to the brim”
1. Presents all that man could do, with the rest being left up to Jesus. This is
represented of those who are doing works for the Lord. This is a source of
great encouragement to know that the Lord is able to do great and mighty
things. We must listen to His voice and do what He says, believing that He
will perform the miracle.
(8) And He said unto them, draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.
And they bare it

The command “And He said unto them, draw out now, and bear unto the
Governor of the Feast”
1. Presents all that was done. Jesus said nothing and did nothing that was
visible or obvious. It is not known when the water turned to wine (i.e.
was it at the command, or as they took it to the governor). It took faith on
the people to see the miracle
The phrase “And they bare it”
1. Proclaims their obedience. This act of the servants is a portrayal of all
who labor for the Lord. Water was all these people had. With Jesus, great
 and mighty things happen. He can take whatever we have, and if we do
what He says He will turn it into whatever is needed.
2. The water is like the Gospel. As the preacher is prepared to deliver it to
thirsty souls, the task seems great at first. However, once the anointing of
the Holy Spirit comes, the water is changed into the wine of the joy of the
Lord
3. Mary serves as the example of how we should take whatever need we
have to the Lord. It doesn’t matter how small or great, we must take it to
Him. This shows us also that Jesus is concerned about even the smallest of
need
4. Whatever Jesus tells us to do, we must do. This requires much prayer and
consecration to the Lord. We must live close enough to Him, in order to
hear that “still small voice”
5. Jesus desires to be a part of our everyday lives

(9) When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew
not where it was (but the servants which drew the water knew), the governor of the
feast called the bridegroom

The phrase “When the ruler of the Feast had tasted the water that was made
wine, and knew not where it was”
1. Proclaims that he had no idea what had been done. This had only taken
place in the front of a few people. This can be likened to the Gospel which
goes to the sinner. They partake of the Gospel, but have little
understanding as to its origins
The phrase “But the servants which drew the water knew”
1. Refers to those who witnessed what Jesus told them to do. They did not
understand it, and neither can it be understood in the natural sense.
The phrase “The governor of the feast called the bridegroom”
1. Indicates that the governor was surprised that there was no more wine,
and as the one in charge of the events, he calls the bridegroom. He tastes
the wine thinking it was of poor taste, and if it would be fit to serve to the
guests. To his amazement, the wine is very, very good
(10) And said unto him, every man at the beginning does set forth good wine, and
when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But you have kept the good
wine until now
The phrase “And said unto him, every man at the beginning does set forth
good wine, and when men have well drunk, that which is worse”
1. Proclaims the surprise of the governor at the quality of the wine. He had
no knowledge of what took place regarding Jesus performing this miracle
2. The words “Well drunk” means they had drunk freely, and not
intoxicated. It is natural to give the best first, then the next best, and so
forth and so on. The governor is amazed because the best wine was
served last and not first according to his observation. Again he did not
know that the wine was newly made, and that everything Jesus does is
very good
The phrase “But you have kept the good wine until now”
1. In effect says that the best was saved until the last
a. With the world all good things come during the times of youth, with
old age bringing the opposite
b. The believer serving the Lord gets better with old age, and in effect
the best is saved for last
(11) This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his
glory, and his disciples believed on Him
The phrase “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee”
1. Means that this was the first miracle that Jesus performed. Any other
record of Jesus performing miracles prior to this one are false. Jesus did
no miracles until after His anointing with the Holy Spirit. Here is the
purpose of this miracle
a. Jesus showed His approval of marriage by performing a custom at a
marriage feast
b. To proclaim His power to change things, whether they are man,
situations, or events
c. The Lord desires to be part of everything that we do
d. Encourages those who work for the Lord. We serve a God who can
work miracles, and there is nothing He cannot do
The phrase “And manifested forth His Glory”
1. Tells us several great truths:
a. His Glory is indeed accompanied by great power, however this power
is totally opposite from the rest of the world. Man uses power to get
glory for themselves, however, Jesus used His power for others hence
the term “His Glory”
b. The Greek word for Glory is “Doxa – means the nature and acts of God
in self-manifestation, what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in
 whatever way He reveals Himself in these respects, He is revealed in
the Person of Christ, in Whom His Glory has ever shone forth and ever
will do
c. All of these meanings have to do with changing the negative of a
person, into a positive. In other words, Jesus did not make anyone to
be blind, but He made many to see (blind here is referring to sin). He
did not cause anyone to have leprosy, but rather He healed them of
their leprosy. He did not at the time of His earthly ministry bring
judgement, but rather the opposite. Therefore it was “Glory”
2. The word manifest means in this case to manifest or proclaim something
openly, in that there is no doubt to its origin. All of His miracles were
done in a way, that all doubters would not be able to accuse Him of
trickery. That is the reason why He did everything in open
The phrase “And His disciples believed on Him”
1. Does not mean that they had formerly disbelieved Him, but that their
faith increased due to the manifestation of His Glory in the changing of
water into wine

(12) After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brethren,
and His disciples. And they continued there not many days
The phrase “After this He went down to Capernaum”
1. Has to do with this city being of lower elevation than Cana which was
approx.. 700 feet higher in altitude. Capernaum would become His
primary place of ministry
2. Capernaum was a very energetic trading center, that was quite large in
size, that was prospering greatly from the fishing business on the sea of
Galilee, and the great trade routes which ran near from the north, east,
and south
The phrase “He and His mother and His brethren and His disciples”
1. Provides one with some interesting thoughts. First off, no mention of
Joseph is made so it is assumed that he has died. There also is no mention
of the half-sisters of Jesus, and it is possible that they were married and
living in Nazareth
2. Brethren here is referring to His half-brothers, with the word disciples
referring His disciples. There is clearly a distinction of the two words.
The 4 brothers of Jesus are:
a. James
b. Joses
 c. Simon
d. Judas
e. The scriptures reference His sisters when it was recorded “Are not His
sisters here with us?” They were also referred to as “His own kin”, &
“His own house”
3. Jesus is called Mary’s “firstborn” according to Mat. 1:25, Lk. 2:7. The
natural inference is that she had other children. The Greek word proto-
to-kos is used in Romans 8:29, Col. 1:15-18, Hebrews 1:6, 11:28, 12:23
and Revelation 1:5, and it means “the first of others”. Had Jesus been their
only child it would have been “monogenes”, which occurs in Luke 7:12,
8:42, and 9:38
4. It was predicted in Ps. 69:8-9 that Mary would have other children and
the Messiah would have brothers, for the verse reads: “I am become a
stranger unto My brethren, and an alien unto My Mother’s children
5. The natural meaning of “His brethren” would have never been questioned
but for the fact of pagan corruption in the Church, in seeking to raise
Mary from a handmaid of the Lord (Lk.1:38), to that of Mother of God and
invest her with divine powers as a goddess
6. Mary according to the catholic church, identifies her with the goddess of
paganism, who in the pagan world is suppose to be the mother of a divine
son, who is yet a virgin. This deity was known in Egypt as Isis, the mother
of Horus. In India, this deity is known as Isi, In Asia Cybele, in Rome
Fortuna, in Greece Ceres, in China Sing Moo, and is known in other lands
by different names
7. Joseph could not have had any children prior to Jesus, for if He did Jesus
could not be the legal heir to David’s throne, which by law went to the
firstborn
8. Concerning “His brethren” going with Him to Capernaum, the evidence is
that they had not taken a stand against Christ. There is not information on
all half-brothers, James & Jude became great pillars in the early church,
and even wrote 2 short Epistles which bear their names in scripture. We
know that these two did not come to the faith until after the resurrection
for John says “For neither did His brethren believe in Him” John 7:5
The phrase “And they continued there not many days”
1. Has reference to the Passover, which was to commence shortly. As was
their custom, they would attend the Passover in Jerusalem, which would
be the first since Jesus had begun His ministry
(13) And the Jews Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem
The phrase “And the Jews Passover was at hand”
 1. The Passover was originally called “Jehovah’s Passover”. Due to the Jews
being corrupt, it was now known as “The Jews Passover”. The Holy Spirit
specifically pointed this out to show that man can take what God has
established or done, and corrupt it. Men start out correct, but little by
little corruption sets in, and that which once belonged to God, is no longer
The phrase “And Jesus went up to Jerusalem”
1. Proclaims Jesus making the trip to Jerusalem. There is no biblical record
that Jesus spent a single night in Jerusalem during His public ministry.
Jesus would always retire to either Bethany, or the Mount of Olives. The
reason being, is that Jerusalem as the center of Judaism, proved very
hostile toward Christ, and in fact they rejected Him out right
(14) And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the
changers of money sitting
The phrase “And found in the Temple”
1. Spoke of the place where God was suppose to reside between the Mercy
Seat and the Cherubim. There is no record this had been the case for the
last 600 years, as Ezekiel saw the Lord depart from resting on the mercy
seat, and at this point He had not yet returned, and would only return in
the Person of Jesus Christ (Ezek. 11:22-23)
2. The Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies had not been in the
presence of Israel since Solomon’s Temple had been destroyed by
Nebuchadnezzar. This was in the year 586 B.C. There is no record of what
happened to the Ark, and the Holy of Holies in Herod’ Temple was in
name only
3. The Lord dwells in our hearts and not in houses made with human hands
(1 Cor.3:16). As Jesus searched the temple (i.e. the hearts of men) He
found only wickedness and not the Spirit of the Lord
The phrase “Those that sold oxen and sheep and doves”
1. Probably refers to the court of the Gentiles.. The three animals mentioned
here, were those most frequently required. Jews arriving from all over the
Roman Empire would need a market where these animals could be
obtained. It was not the selling of the animals to which Jesus objected, but
where they were being sold
The phrase “And the changers of money sitting”
1. Refers to those who exchanged acceptable coins for those bearing the
image of Caesar, or any foreign prince. Such were not allowed in the
Sacred Treasury of the Temple. The practice was not condemned, but
where it was being done. It must be noted that the church building is not
 the “House of God”, but the temple is (i.e. the body). There is nothing
wrong with dedicating a building to God, but we must realize that it is our
hearts that the Lord resides, for there is where the true Temple &
Building is
(15) And when He had made a scourge of small chords, He drove them all out of the
temple, and the sheep, and the oxen, and poured out the changers money, and over
threw the tables
The phrase “And when He had made a scourge of small chords”
1. Represents the Lords’ first cleansing of the Temple. The 2nd and last is
found in Matthew 21:12. Here He was a Son over His Father’s House, in
Luke 2:46, He was a Son in His Father’s House. It ceased to be such on His
leaving it (Matthew. 23:38, 24:1)
The phrase “He drove them all out of the Temple, and the sheep and the oxen”
1. Jesus took a very serious step in removing this abomination from the
Temple. According to Josephus, over 250,000 animals were sacrificed
each Passover. The market would have been a very busy place. Priests
sold licenses to the vendors, so there was great money making ventures
2. Since Jesus is our example, we should take note how He went to great
lengths to uphold the scriptures.. We must also realize that Jesus is the
only one who can clean the temple
The phrase “He drove them all out of the Temple, and the sheep, and the oxen”
1. Proclaims what He did, but in turn the religious officials drove Him out.
When the religious leaders drove Him out and objected to what He had
done, they in effect destroyed their reason for being. In A.D. 70, the very
Temple that Jesus drove them out, is the very same one that was
destroyed
The phrase “And poured out the changers money, and overthrew the tables”
1. Tells us several things:
a. What He did was scriptural (Ps. 69:9). The scriptures must be our
guide as well
b. He did not at all seek any type of compromise
c. The zeal He exhibited should be our zeal as well
d. Jesus was led by the Father, as we should be led by God as well
(16) And said unto them that sold doves, take these things here, make not my
father’s house an house of merchandise
The phrase “And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things here”
 1. Does not mean that He was less physical with these, but that they were
most likely caged
The phrase “Make not My Father’s House an House of merchandise”
1. Presents Jesus claiming God as His Father. He said “My Father’s House”
and not “Our Father’s House”. This in essence says that He is the Son of
God. After the second cleansing of the Temple, He used the term “Your
House”, and then added “is left unto you desolate” (Mat. 23:38)
2. The temple was a type of Jesus. All of its duties carried out, were symbolic
of what Jesus would do at Calvary & the resurrection. So two things are
said here:
a. When they rejected Him the were rejecting all for which the temple
was supposed to stand. They had long forgotten what and whom the
temple represented. They had made a religion out of its ritual, not
understanding anymore to whom it pointed
b. When Jesus paid the price at Calvary, the temple which was a mere
type was no longer needed. Jesus had become the sacrifice
c. The duty of the priests who served as the mediator between God and
men was now no longer necessary. Due to Jesus paying the price for
our sins, He now serves as our “Great High Priest”, & as our
“Mediator” between God and men (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. Chpt 9)
d. The Holy of Holies could only be entered once a year, and that was
done by the High Priest, where he would offer up blood on the mercy
seat. It was called “The Great Day of Atonement”. This had not been
done for nearly 600 years, due to the loss of the ark of the covenant on
which sat the mercy seat
e. Due to Jesus having applied His own blood to the mercy seat of
Heaven, now any believer can enter “boldly unto the throne of Grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” Heb.
4:16
f. So upon completion by Christ of what the Temple represented, it
ceased to be of use, and was eventually destroyed
(17) And this disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal of thine house has
eaten me up”
The phrase “And His disciples remembered that it was written”
1. Indicates that this was present tense, not something they later
remembered. If they had continued to follow the Word, any
misunderstanding of the mission of Christ would have been avoided
The phrase “The zeal of thine House has eaten me up”
 1. Is taken from Psalm 69:9. This is a foreshadowing of the reproach and
agony which will come upon Christ. The idea is that His Holy zeal for
God’s House would bring the wrath of the religious authority upon His
head, and ultimately consume Him, i.e. “eat Him up”
(18) Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, what sign shows you unto us,
seeing that you do these things?
The phrase “Then answered the Jews and said unto Him”
1. Is the beginning of the opposition, which would only grow in intensity
The question “What sign shows you unto us, seeing that you does these
things?”
1. Tells us that since they were questioning Him, they sensed His great
power and Authority. Anyone else who would have done such a thing
would have been arrested on the spot, if not stoned. Even though it is not
mentioned here, it seems that from verse 23 that Jesus had already begun
to perform miracles which added authenticity to His claims
2. With the great crowds who gathered to His miracles, added with the
authority with which He spoke, these religious authorities knew that He
was completely out of the ordinary. So they asked for a sign.
3. Jesus had no doubt been overheard claiming God as His Father, and His
Father as the owner of this “House”. As God’s Son, the “House” technically
was His, with Him having the authority to do in His House what He
desired

(19) Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple and in three days I will
raise it up
The phrase “Jesus answered and said unto them, destroy this temple”
1. Referred to His body and not the structure built by Herod. It would be
correct to think that when He made this statement, that He was pointing
at His body. This was the first time that Jesus mentioned His coming
death, and the manner in which He would die, i.e. His body would be
destroyed by crucifixion.
The phrase “And in three days I will raise it up”
1. Spoke of His resurrection, and exactly when it would be, three days after
His death. The sign that they demanded is the sign they rejected
(20) Then said the Jews 40 and 6 years was this temple in building, and will you rear
it up in 3 days?
The phrase “Then said the Jews 40 and 6 years was this Temple in building”
1. Refers to that which was commenced by Herod the Great in 20 B.C. He
tore down Zerubbabel’s Temple, which had stood for nearly 400 years in
order to build this temple which was far larger and more extravagant.
The work was actually continuing at the time this conversation was going
on, and continued until 64 A.D. under Herod Agrippa, the grandson of
Herod the Great
The question “And will you rear it up in 3 days?”
1. Is spoken in sarcasm. Even though Jesus very well pointed to Himself
when He said “Destroy this temple and in 3 days I will raise it up”, those
who hated Him would not have known His meaning
(21) But He spoke of the Temple of His body
This was said after the fact. Whether His disciples properly understood Him
when this happened is not known. The indication from the next verse is that
they only correctly understood it later.
(22) When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He
had said this unto them, and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus
had said
The phrase “When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples
remembered that He had said this unto them”
1. Seems to say that all the things He had said in His public ministry, at least
that which had been noted or remembered.
The phrase “And they believed the Scripture, and Word which Jesus had said”
1. Portrays them comparing what He had said with what had already been
written in the Old Testament.
(23) Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed
in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did
The phrase “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the Feast Day”
1. Speaks of the same time in which He had cleansed the Temple
The phrase “Many believed in His Name, when they saw the Miracles which He
did”
1. Proclaims Him healing the sick, and casting out devils during His visit.
The Jews who were questioning Him, and those who were upset with Him
cleansing out the Temple, would have been faced with this miracle
 working power. There was no doubt that thousands of people were
gathered around Him at every opportunity, and at this time the religious
leaders would not have pressed upon Jesus with anything more than
questions
(24) BUT JESUS DID NOT COMMIT HIMSELF UNTO THEM, BECAUSE HE KNEW ALL
MEN
The phrase “But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them”
1. Means that He paid little attention to their praises which was occasioned
by the miracles. Their faith was a shallow faith, and was not rooted in the
scriptures but rather on outward observances
The phrase “Because He knew all men”
1. Refers to the fickleness of man, especially those whose faith is misplaced.
The faith of these individuals was based upon evidence, i.e. miracles, and
involved no consciousness of sin and its eternal doom and effects. This is
what made their faith and all whose faith is the same as this as being
worthless.
2. Jesus is showing us what true faith is. Faith must be anchored in the
scriptures and must not be swayed by outward circumstances. Jesus here
is speaking of His own ministry. The healings and miracles were genuine,
and people accepted Him not for the right reasons, but simply for what He
could do. Jesus in turn did not respond to such accolades of praise. The
following should be noted concerning this passage
a. The people at that time probably assumed that Jesus would deliver
them from Rome. They were looking to use Jesus instead of Jesus
using them
b. The believer must be careful to respond only to that which is
scriptural and respond correctly. What Jesus was doing was
scriptural, but the way the people were responding were unscriptural,
for they were looking for deliverance from Rome & not from sin
(25) And needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man
The phrase “And needed not that any should testify of man”
1. Means that he alone properly discerned the true nature of man. As a
result of the fall, man is distorted, twisted, perverted, and spiritually
blind. Man is attentive to the things on the surface, and because it can’t
stand on scriptural grounds, it has no lasting strength. Sadly, people still
fail to realize this and they just go through religious motions with no real
relationship with Christ, and no real biblical knowledge
The phrase “For He knew what was in man”
 1. Does not draw a favorable picture towards man, but still Jesus died for us.
What is in man is pride, deception, and unbelief. These three things
continue to plague man even to this day. Man is deceived, and can be
further deceived very easily. All who rely on their intellect to explain the
origins of life are deceived, and along with this deception, man is full of
unbelief, pride, self-righteousness, and he runs to do evil
The phrase “Total depravity”
1. Is used by some to explain what and who man really is. This statement says
that in no way can man desire God on his own, without the help of the Holy Spirit.
Within himself he has no desire for God, but will actively oppose Him.