There are moments when the Holy Spirit does not merely teach but confronts, forcing us to reckon with the reality of Jesus in ways we cannot ignore. This morning was such a moment. With coffee and cream in hand, I sat enjoying the boho decor in my apartment in the heart of Sandton, Johannesburg, as I delved into John 2. What began as exegesis turned into an invitation—one that unsettled me, unmade me, and left me mourning my own humanity.
The Unshakable Authority of Jesus’ Words
John 2:19-22 recounts a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry:
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.” (John 2:19-22, ESV)
This passage struck me—not simply because of Jesus’ prophecy about His resurrection, but because of what the disciples believed after it was fulfilled. John states that they believed both the Scriptures and Jesus’ words.
This is no insignificant placement. Leon Morris notes that placing Jesus’ words alongside Scripture carries profound Christological implications—it equates Jesus’ spoken word with divine, written revelation.¹ This means that Jesus’ words were not secondary to Scripture, nor were they merely interpretations of divine truth; they were Scripture, spoken in flesh.
This understanding is crucial: Jesus is both the fulfillment and the embodiment of Scripture itself.
Superficial Belief and the Divine Trust Issue
The latter portion of John 2 presents a stark contrast:
“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.” (John 2:23-25, ESV)
John presents two types of belief:
1. The belief of the disciples, which was rooted in truth—Scripture and Jesus’ words.
2. The belief of the crowds, which was rooted in signs—superficial and fleeting.
Charles Morgan observes that if faith is nothing more than admiration for the spectacular, it will create applause but not true discipleship.² Jesus knew what was in man—He was not deceived by their enthusiasm. F.F. Bruce further notes that Jesus did not entrust Himself to those whose faith was rooted in miracles because He saw the inconsistency and fickleness of their hearts.³
This passage confronted me:
Do I trust the Word of God because it is true, or do I seek verification through signs?
Do I believe Jesus because He is the Word, or because I need reassurance that I am in control?
John: The Disciple Who Saw What Others Missed
It is no accident that John’s Gospel is different from the other three. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, John was not just chronicling what Jesus did—he was revealing who Jesus is. John alone begins his Gospel with the pre-existent Word:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, ESV)
And John alone was entrusted with the final, unalterable revelation of Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation.
The theological weight of this cannot be overlooked. Could it be that John’s depth of understanding—his recognition that Jesus was God and the manifestation of Scripture itself—made him the only disciple whom Jesus trusted to write the final revelation?
John is explicitly called “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23). He was the only disciple present at the crucifixion (John 19:26-27), the first to believe at the empty tomb (John 20:8), and the only one entrusted with writing Revelation.
John saw past the miracles and into the Messiah.
Why Don’t We Trust the Word?
As I wrestled with these texts, I was confronted by a question that burns into the core of faith itself:
Why don’t we trust the Word of God—both the Messiah and the Holy Written Words?
Is it because we are so seduced by physicality; so conditioned to believe only what we can see, measure, and manipulate?
Or is it because deep down, we fear the supernatural—because if it is true, then we must admit we are not in control?
And if we are not in control, then who is?
And if someone else is in control, is He good?
This is the fundamental struggle of humanity. Satan’s first deception in Genesis was not to deny God’s existence, but to distort His goodness:
“Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1)
If God’s Word cannot be trusted, then neither can His character. And if His character is in question, then faith crumbles under doubt.
Mourning Myself, Humanity, and the Cost of Faith
I mourned this morning. Not just for myself, but for humanity.
I mourned because I saw my own intrapsychic biases—the psychological conditioning that has shaped my need for control.
I mourned because I saw how faith in Christ costs us ourselves—and that mourning is part of surrender.
I mourned because I realized that my longing to trust God more deeply meant I had to let go of my illusions of autonomy.
And yet, in that mourning, I saw the invitation—an invitation to become like John in a world that has settled for milk-faith.
This is not insignificant. It is no coincidence that my pastor, Pastor André of Rivers Church, Sandton, has declared the vision for this year to be “Great Faith”.
Do I want the deepest revelations that Jesus offers to those who seek Him?
I want every ounce God knows I can assimilate.
Does this terrify me?
Yes—my ego screams because it is dying.
Yes—my delusions of control rage because they are being dismantled.
But my love affair with God—Yeshua, Yahweh, Holy Spirit—beckons me forward.
Hillsong’s Oceans echoes my heart’s cry:
“Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders.”
And that is my prayer: Lord Jesus, lead me. Lead us.
In Jesus’ Holy Name,
Amen.
Final Thought
True faith does not require signs—it requires surrender.
Jesus entrusts His deepest revelations not to those who demand miracles, but to those who believe His Word is enough.
John saw this, and it changed everything. Do we?
References
1. Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.
2. Morgan, G. Campbell. The Gospel According to John. London: Pickering & Inglis, 1931.
3. Bruce, F. F. The Gospel of John: Introduction, Exposition, and Notes. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.
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