We seem to know an awful lot about other people, particularly celebrities. We know everything from the birthdate to the favorite color of any number of famous people. Does that mean we know them?
What does knowing Jesus look like?
NAME: Jesus of Nazareth
DOB: December 25, 0 (or at least that's what we tell everyone, unless of course we go with the true story which is He was always from the beginning as the Word)
PARENTS: mary and joseph, and God
OCCUPATION: carpenter and messiah
KNOWN ACQUAINTANCES: Peter, James, John, Matthew, Andrew, Judas, Phillip, Bartholemew, Thomas, Thaddeaus, Simon, Mathias
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: turned water into wine, healed the blind man, fed thousands with just 5 loaves of bread, raised the dead, cured the lame, rose himself from death
DIED: was crucified at the age of 33 for crimes against the Jewish authority
ROSE AGAIN: three days later, He rose from death and appeared to His followers
CURRENT RESIDENCE: He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven.
This could be a page in some fan magazine, right? All the facts and information about Jesus that we need to know him.
It's silly really how many people believe they know the celebrities they follow. We can know about a lot of things and certainly research a lot about people. But to KNOW someone...well, that's a bit different isn't it?
In Greek, eido means to see mechanically, academically; to inspect, examine and observe. However, ginosko means to absolutely know by intimate experience, to feel, comprehend, perceive. When we talk about knowing someone, which "know" do we mean?
In all relationships, we must first know about someone before we come to know them intimately. Learning about my husband when we were dating was important so that I could trust him, trust his choices, his behavior and his love for me enough that I was willing to be vulnerable with him.
The same is true in our relationship with Jesus. Yes, we must learn about God....His character, His promises and His choices, but we should not stop there! After we know about Him, we move into an intimate knowing of Him and that is where our lives change because His love transforms us from the inside.
Don't just be a fan of Jesus, collecting memorabilia and factual information. Move deeper into a relationship with Him and become intoxicated with His presence, not merely interested in His accomplishments.
