John 2:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

That these latter were not among the true disciples is shown by the added words: “But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them.” Why? Because He knew all men.

It is said that Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them and did not impart the whole teaching to them, because they were not true believers. He penetrated their hearts (Ps 93:11; Jer 17:10) and knew what was in them concerning Him.

"But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them." The disposition of those who have just believed is unstable, and their mind has not yet been confirmed by the recent miracles.

Since they still possess the word of catechesis as something immature, how can they be firm in piety?

Therefore Christ does not yet entrust Himself to the newly believing. By this He shows that nearness to God is a great and most beloved thing.

It is not easily given to everyone who wishes to take it, but is attained through striving toward the good, diligence, and time.

From this let the guardians of the Savior's mysteries learn that it is not fitting to admit a man prematurely within the sacred veils.

Behold, they already believed in Jesus, but Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them. Why? Because they had not yet been born again of water and the Spirit.

This has stirred us, and we stir our brothers who are catechumens. If you ask them, they already believe in Jesus. Yet because they do not yet receive His Body and Blood, Jesus does not yet entrust Himself to them.

What then must they do so that Jesus may entrust Himself to them? Let them be born again of water and the Spirit. Let the Church give birth to those whom she is preparing to bear.

They have been conceived; let them come forth into the light. There is a breast from which they will be fed. Let them not fear that, once born, they will suffocate. Let them not be torn from the mother's breast.

“But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them.” He did not commit Himself to them or rely on them as on His disciples.

But why? “Because He Himself knew all,” that is, every man, whether he was firm or unstable. Or else, He knew everything in everyone.

Yet Jesus, as if to soften the fearsome aspect in which He had revealed Himself before Jerusalem by His zeal for God's house, marked the following period of His stay in that city with several striking and beneficent miracles.

These drew people to Him still more and made them pay greater attention to the divine power that Jesus revealed in Himself through them.

The report that John had called Him the Messiah spread more and more among the people. The miracles led to its confirmation.

Indeed, many began to believe that they had found in Him their Messiah. Yet not all had the dispositions that the Lord required of those who wished to follow Him.

Most were accustomed to join the thought of the Messiah with dreams of earthly prosperity. They based these dreams on their supposed rights.

The Lord penetrated the way of thinking of His new followers and did not admit them close to Himself. He left time to separate sincere faith from false and self-deluded faith.

When Jesus Christ was in Jerusalem, He performed other miraculous acts besides the divinely authoritative expulsion of the merchants from the temple.

These miracles of Jesus Christ made a strong impression on the inhabitants and visitors of Jerusalem at the feast of Pascha, and many believed in His name.

Yet He who is omniscient and searches human hearts saw that this was a momentary impression upon superficial and easily excited natures.

It was ready to go out and wither after even a short absence of stimulating means. Therefore Jesus Christ did not admit these many, who had believed in His name because they were carried away by His miracles, into closer communion with Himself.

Many who had come to the feast saw the miracles performed by Jesus and believed in His name, that is, they recognized Him as the promised Messiah who had come.

But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all men. Although many believed in Him, they believed chiefly because they had seen the miracles He performed.

Faith founded on miracles and signs cannot be considered true and firm faith. People accustomed to seeing miracles demand ever new miracles to strengthen their half-faith. When such miracles are not given to them, they end in unbelief.

Therefore Christ did not trust such people and was not confident in the strength of their faith.

But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them, and so forth: according to the sense of the discourse, He did not entrust Himself to such believers as, for example, He entrusted Himself to His recently chosen disciples.

This shows that the faith of those who believed was not sufficiently perfect. It did not have the character of true faith, which the Lord desired from them.

Because He knew all men: here is the general reason why the Lord did not entrust Himself to them. He knew all men. He knew what was in each person's soul, and what inclinations and dispositions each had.

Faith produced only by miracles, founded only on the desire to see a miracle, and maintained only by this (Jn 2:18), is not faith in the proper sense.

During His stay in Jerusalem, Jesus Christ performed many miracles. The Evangelist John mentions this (v. 23), but does not describe the acts themselves, since they were already known from the other Gospels.

He only notes that Jesus Christ did not attach great importance to the manifestation of faith in Him shown by the people who were struck by the miracles they had seen (vv. 24-25).

The Lord, the Knower of hearts, teaches by this that faith based only on miracles is too superficial. It does not penetrate to the depth of the heart, easily weakens, and even passes into complete unbelief.

For this reason the Lord always refused unbelieving people when they asked Him for signs and miracles, as He also refused the devil in the wilderness.

Verses 23-25. "Many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did." The Evangelist does not say what miracles the Savior performed at the feast of Pascha.

"Many believed in His name." They recognized Him as the promised Prophet, as the Messiah.

Only the faith of some lasted two days, and then they attached themselves to His enemies. Others believed in a merely earthly king and gave no thought to eternity. Others believed, but changed nothing in themselves.

Christ Jesus saw the hearts of men and had no need for anyone to tell Him what this or that man was like. Therefore, although many dealt with Him kindly and respectfully, He did not entrust Himself to all.

He did not reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, which some could have used for evil.

The holy Evangelist passes over in silence the miracles and healings that the Lord performed in Jerusalem. Yet we know them: "the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them" (Mt 11:5; Lk 7:22), wherever the God-man is present.

"Seeing His signs, many believed." But what did these people believe, who saw these signs? That Jesus is the Christ? Or that Jesus is a prophet?

It seems that even those Jerusalem Jews who were ready to believe that the Messiah had appeared were afraid to declare their faith "for fear of the rulers," who from the first moment were hostile to the Lord. Compare Jn 2:24; 7 and many others.