John 2:25 - Christ Knows what is in man

“For he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:25)

The inquisition against my soul is conducted by an omniscient prosecutor. Jesus Christ knows the heart of man more intimately than man knows his private, unspoken thoughts. The heart is cunning and has many effective strategies that easily fool us by cloaking its activity from our frail perceptions. But Christ does not suffer from our blindness. He is not so easily fooled as we are by the deceitfulness of sin. Christ calls Satan’s bluff and sees the truth behind sin’s lies every time. Trusting in Christ requires that we distrust ourselves. Those who are not suspicious of their own hearts must be suspicious of Christ. No one who is confident that he knows himself can fully embrace a gospel message that offers deliverance from self-deception by an all-knowing Savior. Being fully dependent on Jesus Christ requires that we seek deliverance from the ongoing deception of remaining sin. Christ frequently told his opponents what they were thinking before they shared their thoughts aloud. The path to Christian maturity will inevitably lead to a secure trust in Christ which nurtures healthy self-suspicion. But we are not left merely suspicious. Christ knew what was in man and died on account of that depravity. Since he was raised, we have been given the Holy Spirit who searches the depths of our soul. Christ is the great navigator of the human heart who guides us by his Spirit through his gift of repentance to discover paths of righteousness amidst the maze of our own corruption.