We find the following question relative to Jesus, in various forms 5 times in the Scripture. Who is this? (Mt 21:10; Lk 5:21; 7:49; 9:9; John 12:34)
Who is this Jesus? Do you know Him?
One might say, of course I know Him. But do you really know Him or do you just know about Him? It is one thing to be a student of the Bible and know about Him. And that is very important. To know the Scriptures is necessary. But I suggest one can know about Jesus and yet not know Jesus.
How well do you know your spouse? Well, that’s a silly question. My Teresa knows me better than anyone ever has. She knows things about me that no one else does. She knows my fears. She knows my dreams. She knows the things that are deepest in my heart and will move me to tears instantly. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself. How did we get to this point? By spending a lifetime together, communicating every day and sharing the ups and downs of life. She doesn’t just know about me, she knows me. And the reverse is true. I don’t just know about her, I know her!
So what is my point? It should be pretty easy to determine if we know Jesus or we just know about Jesus. Do we spend time with Him every day? Do we communicate constantly with Him? Is He an integral part of my life? Or is He compartmentalized into a few minutes here and there throughout my week? If we really know Jesus, then He is an intimate part of our lives.
So do you know Him or do you just know about Him? Consider the following.
Communicating with Jesus is a two way street. He communicates to me through the written word. So how much time do I spend listening to Him through the reading and meditating of His word? The Psalmist expressed it like this, Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psa 119:97). Could the same be said of me? Throughout my day, as things happen to me, do the Scriptures come to mind?
How about my communication to Him? This of course is through prayer. Paul said we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thes 5:17). Would that be an accurate description of my prayer life? Or does my prayer life consist of a few dry expressions throughout the day, assuming it is even that much?
A wise man once said that when one leads a public prayer, his private prayer life is on display. I think of that when I hear public prayers offered with empty phrases included such as “guard, guide, and direct us”. I don’t want to come across as too critical but I’m trying to get us to think about our prayer life, that is, our communicating to our LORD.
Another area worth mentioning is our attitude when praying. I can’t judge the heart of the one praying but I occasionally hear public prayers offered that cause me to wonder. These prayers are offered with an air of pride, almost like you would talk to someone at work.
I challenge you to do this as you pray. Imagine that you, like John in the Revelation, are allowed to enter the Throne room of heaven and stand before GOD the Father as you pray. I imagine your first thought is “I wouldn’t be standing, I would be prostrate on the floor.” That is my thought exactly. I’m not suggesting a prostrate prayer posture but I am suggesting an attitude within the heart similar to that. I can imagine a genuine humility and honest praise and worship at that time.
If I can grow to the point of a regular, intimate prayer life and a deep love of His word, then I will begin to draw closer to Him. And I have the following promise in James 4:8, Draw near to GOD and He will draw near to you.
Then maybe I can answer the question in the affirmative. Not only do I know about Him, I know Him! LORD, help us to have a more intimate relationship with You.