And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
He needs no one to tell Him about people, for He Himself sees what is in every person and every heart, with all its motives, thoughts and intentions. Though He truly took human nature with its infirmities, bodily pain and anguish of soul, He still knew this as the Father's divine Son, with the Spirit given without measure, and His divine knowledge did not relieve His suffering. He read the guilt, hatred and secret plots of the priests, leaders and Pharisees who watched to accuse Him, and He knew that comparatively few would receive Him as Redeemer and that their rejection would bring ruin, a knowledge that grieved Him to weeping over the people He came to save. Because He knew men, He would not entrust Himself to those moved only by miracles, He exposed hypocrisy in parables that spies could not turn into accusation yet honest hearers could understand, and He chose humble, teachable fishermen for His work over learned, respected men who believed but lacked courage to confess Him. Since human judgment is from a limited standpoint and may decide and counsel wrongly, He alone is to be sought to learn the secrets of the heart, and His perfect understanding of the effect of every word calls His messengers to bear opposition patiently without sharp, retaliatory rebukes.
Christ's Knowledge of Hearts
He knew what was in every person and every heart, and needed no one to testify to Him or to explain human character, hearts, motives and intentions. His searching gaze read into the soul as He looked upon Nicodemus, discerning all that lay within. He did not entrust Himself to those who believed after seeing His miracles, because He knew all people and knew their motives, and He had to watch those who continually sought grounds to accuse Him.
Though He truly took human nature with its infirmities and experienced real bodily pain and soul anguish, His divine nature still knew what was in human beings. His divine attributes did not relieve that suffering, and the Spirit was given Him without measure for His earthly mission. He remained the Father's beloved Son with perfect knowledge and authority, unlike frail, failing people. He knew every human heart and fully understood the effects of every word He spoke, which frail people cannot know concerning their own words.
He understood the hearts, thoughts, guilt and motives of the priests, leaders and Pharisees who watched Him. He knew their hatred and desire to accuse Him, and that the priests knew they had extorted the people and hated Him because He exposed them and threatened their influence. He knew the Pharisees' hidden movements, plans and coming events even when they thought their spying was hidden from Him.
He knew that comparatively few would accept Him as Redeemer and acknowledge their need of divine help. He knew the Jews were rejecting the help sent to save them and that this rejection would bring ruin and judgment upon themselves. This knowledge of their rejection and coming doom grieved Him deeply to weeping and crying out for the people He came to save.
He discerned that many educated, respected and learned men who believed His teaching lacked the moral courage to confess Him for fear of the priests and rulers and loss of reputation and status. They were proud of status and fixed in tradition, so knowing hearts He chose humble, obedient, faithful and teachable fishermen to do the work rather than learned leaders and educated, respected men. He discerned also that the returning crowd's talk and visits would lack humility and grace and would distract from His mission.
Actions Guided by Knowledge
He knew what was within every person and needed no one to explain human character to Him, and because He knew all people and their motives He did not entrust Himself to those who believed in Him after seeing His miracles. He had to watch those who continually sought grounds to accuse Him. He understood the hearts and motives of the leaders who watched Him, including their hatred and desire to accuse Him.
That knowledge shaped His teaching, enabling Him to speak in parables that exposed hypocrisy and wrongdoing without giving watching spies grounds to bring an accusation against Him, while the truth remained clear to honest hearers. He also discerned that the talk and visits of the returning crowd would lack humility and grace and would distract from His mission, so He returned privately with His parents rather than with the crowd. That private return gave them time to reflect on the prophecies of His suffering and death. His separation from them for three days pointed ahead to His death and three days lost to them, so that when He revealed Himself again their faith could rest on Him as Redeemer and advocate.
Knowing hearts and motives, He chose humble, obedient, faithful, teachable fishermen to do the work rather than learned leaders and educated, respected men. He understood that many educated and respected men who believed His teaching lacked the moral courage to confess Him, fearing the priests and rulers and risking their reputations and status. Those learned leaders were proud of their status and fixed in tradition.
Counsel for Believers Today
He knows the secrets of the human heart, while human beings judge only from a limited human standpoint and may make wrong decisions or give wrong counsel, so He alone is the One to be sought to learn what is hidden in the heart. Because He knows the heart and gave His life as a sacrifice so that humanity might lay hold upon divinity, prayer for sick, unconverted people in heathen lands may be offered directly to Him without waiting for them to be converted. When prayer and work for the sick are joined together, He gives victory and spares life and opens hearts to be converted.
Because He knows what is in man, people need to be educated line upon line and precept upon precept in health and temperance, with intellect and conscience aroused to practice true reform. They are to be temperate in all things in order to preserve their physical powers in the best condition for acceptable service. Ministers are to be made intelligent in true health reform and to teach its principles by precept and by quiet, consistent example, with instruction given at large gatherings followed up with publications. He fully understood the effect of every word He spoke, though He took human nature and remained the Father's beloved Son, and His perfect knowledge and authority are unlike those of frail, failing people who cannot know what their words will do. His example teaches God's messengers to bear opposition patiently and to avoid sharp, retaliatory rebukes that may drive souls away from the truth.
He needs no one to tell Him about people, for He Himself sees what is in every person and every heart, with all its motives, thoughts and intentions. Though He truly took human nature with its infirmities, bodily pain and anguish of soul, He still knew this as the Father's divine Son, with the Spirit given without measure, and His divine knowledge did not relieve His suffering. He read the guilt, hatred and secret plots of the priests, leaders and Pharisees who watched to accuse Him, and He knew that comparatively few would receive Him as Redeemer and that their rejection would bring ruin, a knowledge that grieved Him to weeping over the people He came to save. Because He knew men, He would not entrust Himself to those moved only by miracles, He exposed hypocrisy in parables that spies could not turn into accusation yet honest hearers could understand, and He chose humble, teachable fishermen for His work over learned, respected men who believed but lacked courage to confess Him. Since human judgment is from a limited standpoint and may decide and counsel wrongly, He alone is to be sought to learn the secrets of the heart, and His perfect understanding of the effect of every word calls His messengers to bear opposition patiently without sharp, retaliatory rebukes.
Christ's Knowledge of Hearts
He knew what was in every person and every heart, and needed no one to testify to Him or to explain human character, hearts, motives and intentions. His searching gaze read into the soul as He looked upon Nicodemus, discerning all that lay within. He did not entrust Himself to those who believed after seeing His miracles, because He knew all people and knew their motives, and He had to watch those who continually sought grounds to accuse Him.
Though He truly took human nature with its infirmities and experienced real bodily pain and soul anguish, His divine nature still knew what was in human beings. His divine attributes did not relieve that suffering, and the Spirit was given Him without measure for His earthly mission. He remained the Father's beloved Son with perfect knowledge and authority, unlike frail, failing people. He knew every human heart and fully understood the effects of every word He spoke, which frail people cannot know concerning their own words.
He understood the hearts, thoughts, guilt and motives of the priests, leaders and Pharisees who watched Him. He knew their hatred and desire to accuse Him, and that the priests knew they had extorted the people and hated Him because He exposed them and threatened their influence. He knew the Pharisees' hidden movements, plans and coming events even when they thought their spying was hidden from Him.
He knew that comparatively few would accept Him as Redeemer and acknowledge their need of divine help. He knew the Jews were rejecting the help sent to save them and that this rejection would bring ruin and judgment upon themselves. This knowledge of their rejection and coming doom grieved Him deeply to weeping and crying out for the people He came to save.
He discerned that many educated, respected and learned men who believed His teaching lacked the moral courage to confess Him for fear of the priests and rulers and loss of reputation and status. They were proud of status and fixed in tradition, so knowing hearts He chose humble, obedient, faithful and teachable fishermen to do the work rather than learned leaders and educated, respected men. He discerned also that the returning crowd's talk and visits would lack humility and grace and would distract from His mission.
Actions Guided by Knowledge
He knew what was within every person and needed no one to explain human character to Him, and because He knew all people and their motives He did not entrust Himself to those who believed in Him after seeing His miracles. He had to watch those who continually sought grounds to accuse Him. He understood the hearts and motives of the leaders who watched Him, including their hatred and desire to accuse Him.
That knowledge shaped His teaching, enabling Him to speak in parables that exposed hypocrisy and wrongdoing without giving watching spies grounds to bring an accusation against Him, while the truth remained clear to honest hearers. He also discerned that the talk and visits of the returning crowd would lack humility and grace and would distract from His mission, so He returned privately with His parents rather than with the crowd. That private return gave them time to reflect on the prophecies of His suffering and death. His separation from them for three days pointed ahead to His death and three days lost to them, so that when He revealed Himself again their faith could rest on Him as Redeemer and advocate.
Knowing hearts and motives, He chose humble, obedient, faithful, teachable fishermen to do the work rather than learned leaders and educated, respected men. He understood that many educated and respected men who believed His teaching lacked the moral courage to confess Him, fearing the priests and rulers and risking their reputations and status. Those learned leaders were proud of their status and fixed in tradition.
Counsel for Believers Today
He knows the secrets of the human heart, while human beings judge only from a limited human standpoint and may make wrong decisions or give wrong counsel, so He alone is the One to be sought to learn what is hidden in the heart. Because He knows the heart and gave His life as a sacrifice so that humanity might lay hold upon divinity, prayer for sick, unconverted people in heathen lands may be offered directly to Him without waiting for them to be converted. When prayer and work for the sick are joined together, He gives victory and spares life and opens hearts to be converted.
Because He knows what is in man, people need to be educated line upon line and precept upon precept in health and temperance, with intellect and conscience aroused to practice true reform. They are to be temperate in all things in order to preserve their physical powers in the best condition for acceptable service. Ministers are to be made intelligent in true health reform and to teach its principles by precept and by quiet, consistent example, with instruction given at large gatherings followed up with publications. He fully understood the effect of every word He spoke, though He took human nature and remained the Father's beloved Son, and His perfect knowledge and authority are unlike those of frail, failing people who cannot know what their words will do. His example teaches God's messengers to bear opposition patiently and to avoid sharp, retaliatory rebukes that may drive souls away from the truth.