September 5, 2023
Known Or Knowing About?
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.’ Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father’”? John 14:7-9 (NASB)
One of the most shocking things early in my law enforcement career was working with a fellow deputy. He was considered by all, a respectable guy. He knew his job well and excelled. He also had the respect of his peers and staff. He had a great career ahead. Suddenly, his career came to an abrupt halt. He was arrested. He was charged with child sex abuse. His career ended in such a shocking way. He eventually went to prison. Many said they would have never guessed he would ever do something like this. This is the way child sex crimes occur. The offenders are typically considered pillars of the community. Therefore, it is so hard to believe when it happens.
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” After all the time Phillip and disciples spent with Jesus, you would think they would have realized who Jesus was by now. The days, the nights, the travels, the conversations. How could it be the disciples missed who Jesus was all this time? To understand this more, we need to look at two words Jesus uses in His response. The word “know” is, ginōskō; meaning to come to know, recognize, perceive.”[1] Gangel says, “Why did the disciples need all this talk about trusting Jesus? Why do we need it? Because like them, we do not know Jesus well enough; so, we struggle to understand the Father. Repeatedly Jesus emphasized the link between the heavenly Father and the Son, but right up to the end the disciples did not get it—and we struggle with the concept as well.”[2] By definition the word know or “come to know” is important. We need to understand trust comes when someone comes to know another more deeply. While the disciples may have known about (knowledge) of Jesus, when He carried on conversations with them, their minds still wandered, speculating about the things He said. They may have even looked to the clouds trying to grasp the meanings of His words but missing the One who created them in their midst. In these words, Jesus said, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father.” Jesus uses another word in this verse, “seen.” “Seen” expresses certainty of faith, not a wandering in the mind, or questioning the words of the person. This happens to us still. We wander.
When I look back, I think people did not know this deputy very well. They might have seen his accomplishments and thought he was a great guy, but there was something else lurking. No one truly knew this guy. With Jesus, the disciples did not fully know Him during this time. Jesus made repeated attempts to make sure the disciples understood He and the Father were One. It still happens today. Many do not really know Jesus. They might have a knowledge of who they thought He was but do not know Him. Is your knowledge based upon what you have studied about Jesus? Or is it a relationship of complete trust in Him? There is a great difference!
[1] Thomas, R. L. (1998). In New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries : updated edition. Foundation Publications, Inc.
[2] Gangel, K. O. (2000). John (Vol. 4, p. 265). Broadman & Holman Publishers.