Have you ever been somewhere and walked by or spoke with someone only later to find out that they were someone you should already know? Aarron, my youngest son out and saw Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs player) and immediately recognized him and took the opportunity to talk with him. I wonder if we would recognize Jesus if we ran into him on the street.
“10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” – John 1:10 (ESV)
Jesus was certainly someone that should have been known at the time. He was talked about and his coming was highly anticipated as the Messiah. Yet you can see that in verse 10, the people did not know him. Not even his own people, the Jews, received him with open arms.
“11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” – John 1:11 (ESV)
We believe that we are in a unique situation in this age where anything we want to know is at our fingertips and that somehow makes us smarter or more knowledgeable, when in reality we only have more information. Having information does not an indication of knowledge. I may have read something but have not studied it, and therefore do not really know it. I have read about woodworking and recognize the tools, but knowledge of how to use them and create with them escapes me.
The information we have about Jesus is really good and thorough. It is good that we are reading and looking into God’s Word. But, to really know, we have to study. Daily looking into and applying God’s Word to our lives, reviewing to understand, and gaining a deeper visual of Jesus and how we can be more like him will aid in our ability to truly know. When we “know” the characteristics of Jesus and work hard to be more like him each day, I can imagine bumping into him and just knowing who it is I have finally met.
I don’t know if I am there yet, are you? Do you have deep understanding of who Jesus is? What does your study of God’s Word look like, are you using it for information or to gain valuable knowledge of Jesus Christ? Would you know Jesus?
Trevor's Thoughts 