Knowing Jesus

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.   Colossians 1:15-20

Which means more to you, knowing someone, or knowing about someone?  Most of us would agree that actually knowing someone brings relationship and togetherness,  while just knowing about them brings nothing but the knowledge of them.  Which means more to you, knowing Jesus, or knowing about Jesus?  I do not dispute the need for us to know about Jesus. That's why the Bible is filled with the stories of his birth, his teachings, and his ultimate death on the cross. Knowing about his resurrection and his promise to come again are also points of knowledge we should have.

But there is a difference between knowing all those things about Jesus, and really knowing Jesus. When Paul wrote the above words, his descriptive language was telling us about the workings of God's plan for us since before time began.  I have used the statement before, and it fits here again, "Before there was ever a sin committed, there was already a savior." 

 Read the verses again and see if there is something you did not know about Jesus. All of us could use more knowledge of him.   My point today is to let you learn how important it is for you to actually know him, closely, intimately, personally know him.  The Bible tells us he is the Son of God, our elder brother, the head of the church, the one who died for us, and countless other descriptions.  In fact, you can read the remaining verses of Colossians 1 and learn a whole lot more about him. 

Actually knowing him cannot happen until we welcome him to come live in us. In the form of His Spirit we should welcome him into our hearts, into our conversations, into our decisions, into every aspect of living.  For too long, many have accepted the knowledge about Jesus without accepting Jesus and that robs us of the real purpose and blessing of knowing his love and forgiveness. 

Let me tell you one more thing that is a benefit of being in such a relationship with Jesus that you will really know him. A little later in the verses that follow those printed above, in the latter part of verse 22, Paul says, "He has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him."  

While we can see the difference in knowing about him, and knowing him, perhaps the better way to make us understand is to read about him, learn his attributes and workings, then ask yourself,  "Have I experienced that with Jesus?"  The world will try to keep us from experiencing Jesus in this way, but for me, I want to know him. I want to experience him. I want to be close to the one who brings me into the very presence of God. 

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