(Can any of us truly say that we really know Jesus?

Some of us know him afar off, and some of us don’t want to know him any more than we already do.

Some do not know him at all, and we can all remember a time when we knew him not, when we were deceived and ignorant.

However, Jesus greatly desires for us to know him:)

 

Job 36:26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

 

Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

 

Jeremiah 9:6b  through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.

 

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

 

Titus 1:16a They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him,

 

I John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

 

(Even John the Baptist admitted that he really didn’t know him, yet he did what was told him to do:)

 

John 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

  33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

 

(When we don’t know Jesus, or when we don’t know him very well, we worship something, but it certainly isn’t Jesus:)

 

John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

 

(How well do we know somebody? What’s your spouse’s favorite color? How does your boss like their coffee?

What about Jesus? What does he love the most? What would he want the most for us to do? What do we do that grieves him most?

Is he pleased with our daily life? How often do we think about Jesus? Do we really want to know him even better?)

 

John 8:19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

  55a Yet ye have not known him; but I know him:

 

(Even though Jesus is so close to us, and yet we don’t even know it:)

 

Luke 24:16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

 

John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

 

John 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

 

(Jesus greatly desires for us to know him:)

 

Psalms 9:16a The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth:

 

Psalms 46:10a Be still, and know that I am God:

 

Psalms 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

 

Isaiah 37:20b  that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.

 

Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

 

Isaiah 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

 

(When things are happening around us, whether good or evil, do you recognize where Jesus is at that moment?

Do you recognize what Jesus is doing, and trying to say to you, at that moment?)

 

Isaiah 52:6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.

 

Jeremiah 31:34b  for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD:

 

(We absolutely should not imagine what Jesus is like! He can, and will, only be known by revelation:

We may have been taught, and learned a lot of things about Jesus, who he is, and what he has done.

Yet, there is a special relationship between the Father and the Son.

This is critical that we are open to this, to receive the revelation his way, whether to first be saved, or even to know him more.

1: We can never really know Jesus unless the Father draws us:)

 

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

  65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

 

(2: And we can never really know the Father, until Jesus reveals him to us:)

 

Luke 10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

 

John 7:28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

  29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

 

(There is no way around these two important things, and anything else will still be ignorance and confusion:)

 

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

  8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

  9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

 

(And then, only when Jesus opens our eyes:)

 

Luke 24:31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

  35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

 

(Whether to first be saved, or later to know him more, the pattern is the same:)

 

Psalms 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

 

(Whether to first be saved, or later to know him more, it’s only by the book:)

 

I Samuel 3:1b And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

  7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

  21b  for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

 

(And it involves humbling ourselves and repenting:)

 

II Chronicles 33:13b Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

 

(Then by faith, from his word, we know him, and the great things that he has revealed about himself:)

 

Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

 

Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

 

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

 

I John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

 

(Then for our growth and sanctification, it is critical that we are open to the operation of the Holy Ghost:)

 

John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

 

I John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

 

(It is wonderful that we know Jesus, but is far more important that he knows us:)

 

Galatians 4:9a But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God,

 

(Our fellowship with Jesus is tied to our really knowing him:)

 

Psalms 36:10a O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee;

 

Psalms 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

 

Jeremiah 22:16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD.

 

I John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

  13c I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

  14a I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.

 

Hosea 6:3a Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:

 

Hosea 8:2 Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.

 

(Through knowing Jesus, and knowing him even more, we can have great confidence that he will work through us:)

 

Daniel 11:32b  but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

 

(We should not be grieved when we realize that Jesus wants us to know him more than we do:)

 

John 21:7a Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord.

  17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

 

(So, what if we already know much about science, history, economics, art, or politics?

Why, now, would we want to spend so much of our time, in order to know more about those things?

Whatever time we have left on this earth, why wouldn’t we want to know Jesus more than we do?)

 

I Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

  16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

 

(Knowing Jesus will be the only thing that will matter when he comes for us, and forever after that, being with him:)

 

II Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

 

.