He knew what was in a man

“[Jesus] did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.” John 2:25
This verse puzzled me for a long time – I didn’t understand what it meant, or what it was referring to. Like much of the gospel of John, it’s one of those things that I needed to mull over for quite a long time, but when the understanding came, it was worth it for the insight that was revealed.
We know that God knows us better than we know ourselves. In Psalm 139 we read, “You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord” (Ps. 139:2-4).
The verse has two implications, which can be summed up as applying to mankind in general and to each person in particular.
Jesus didn’t need anyone to tell Him what it was like to be human. He experienced humanity to the utmost. We read in Hebrews, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
Secondly, Jesus didn’t need anyone to tell Him what someone else was thinking or what their motives were – He knew. In many cases their motives were selfish and superficial, only following Him because of His popularity and His ability to perform miracles (John 2:23). This was why John writes, “But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men” (John 2:24).
For some people, knowing that God knows everything about us, including our thoughts, scares them. But I find it immensely comforting – that the God of the universe should care that much about little old me!