Is there anyone you would really like to meet? Or better yet, is there anyone you would really like to get to know? There is a great difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing the person. Someone can know a lot about a politician, artist or sports star but this much more different than actually knowing him or here. Being able to repeat every detail about Andrew Luck, his pass rating, which college he went to, his sack to touch down ratio or even the fact that he still carries a flip phone doesn’t mean that you know Andrew Luck.
Like knowing facts about your favorite politician, artist or sports star, I’m afraid many know a lot about Jesus but don’t actually know Him. There are those who profess to be Christians, but nothing about their life shows that they are. There are those who study theology, some who can quote a lot of Scripture or even debate doctrine but this is not an indication that they know Jesus. Being a member of an organization, following a set of disciplines or faithfully attending church is all fine but it does not mean that you know Jesus. In Philippians 3:10, Paul says “that I may know Him”, referring to Jesus. In the simplest terms, knowing Jesus involves seeking after Him. Not seeking favor or blessing, not seeking His miracles or power, not revival or even an answer to a problem but simply seeking to know Jesus. Knowing Him involves intimacy, relationship and a longing to be with Him. It means looking to His word to see how we can please Him. It’s being so crazy about Jesus that nothing can keep us from His house or missing an opportunity to be with Him. It means being faithful to pray because we want to know He thinks about things in our life. There’s a big difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 7: 22-23, “22. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23. And then I will declare to them ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
Like Paul, my prayer in 2015 is “That I May Know Him.” How about you? Do you know about Jesus or do you know Him? Let’s get it right in 2015!