GETTING STARTED
Have you ever been in a relationship that seemed one-sided? Where it seemed that all the other person was interested in was what he or she could get out of you? Wouldn’t it have been nice on the front end to know what the other person was all about? In John’s Gospel, we have a few short verses that give us a glimpse into a time that Jesus had a similar experience.
- What is your response to one-sided relationships?
READ THE WORD: JOHN 2:23-25 (ESV)
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
DIGGING DEEPER
1. Why was Jesus in Jerusalem?
2. What was he doing that was gaining so much attention?
3. Why would Jesus not “entrust himself” to the people claiming to believe in him?
4. What causes you not to trust someone?
5. Do you find yourself more interested in what Jesus can do for you or in who he is?
RESPOND TO GOD
We’ve all been burned in relationships, but we often don’t stop to think about our relationship with Jesus in the same way. We approach our Lord as a dispenser of gifts and not as the Creator of everything, the Holy One, or the Sacrificial Lamb who has taken away our sin. Jesus wants a relationship with us, not just our admiration. Praise God that his grace covers this sin as well!
- Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any areas in your relationship with God where you are “only in it for yourself.”
- Confess and repent, and then thank God for his grace and forgiveness!