You Know Me

Do you know me? These are words you might ask a stranger or you might ask the most intimate of friends. In fact, at times the question is appropriate to ask oneself. The question seeks not to inquire if one has facts, anecdotes, history highlights or a detailed biography. Rather, the question poses whether one has relationship, intimacy, personal perception and an intuitive feel for another. “Do you know me?” is a question that affirms that one’s understanding of you includes not just driver’s license information but anticipates your likes and dislikes, your strengths and your weakness, your fears, your dreams and your passions. To really know someone is a tall order and takes husband and wives a life-time to accomplish!

Jesus with tongue in cheek tells the festival crowd whose street banter had discounted him as a possible candidate for Messiah (i.e. no one with that Galilean twang and dress had the right address) that “Yes, you know me and you know where I am from (John 7:28).” But in fact, they didn’t know him because they really didn’t know God who had sent him! This is a strange thing to tell people who are attending the Feast of Booths that celebrates God’s blessings and affirms His providence and protection so vividly demonstrated in the wilderness wanderings. However, they like their forefathers were just shallow enough to look at bread from heaven and say, “What?” (i.e. translation of the Hebrew word, “manna”). Shallow enough to not see the Messiah for the messianic traditions. Shallow enough to stay thirsty when in the presence of the water of life! If they had just known… i.e. known Him.

The question every believer should grapple with is, “Do you know Jesus (2 Corinthians 13:5)?” Not know of or can you ace a test on the gospels but are you “in” Christ and Christ “in” you. Is Jesus more than religious nomenclature and Sunday best costume that we put on and off at the “appointed time.” Is Jesus companion and cherished friend that draws us into his sphere of influence commanding respect as Lord and embracing us with his unique grace? Yes, the question is do you know Jesus? -DAN