January 2 Knowing Jesus

Luke 10:22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
 
HAVE you ever watched a secular network television program that examined Jesus’ life? Such programs always have words from “scholars”. Such people should have a good knowledge of Jesus’ historic life and his identity, right?
   No. that’s not right, according to Jesus’ teaching in this Scripture. See here the intimate, layered relationships from the Father to the Son, from the Son to the Father, and from the Son to his own disciples. Remember that Jesus had chosen 12 ordinary and unscholarly men to be his closest disciples. And we have just examined how the Lord anointed 72 “common” people into a special short-term mission. These particular 84 disciples are the first of countless men and women from all walks of life to whom God intimately and powerfully revealed himself since Jesus walked the earth.
   No one, not even a “scholar” has a true understanding of the Lord until “the Son chooses to reveal him” the Lord’s true knowledge. The culture of Jesus’ day – and perhaps it has become our culture – is to believe that only the “learned”, such as Pharisees and priests knew God. Jesus radically changed that understanding by effectively saying, “I choose who knows me and ministers the gospel.”
   Does this comfort you? It should. You may not be a scholar, a minister, a theologian, a Doctor of Divinity or claim any such formal title. But if the Lord has pointed you to his Word, if you have grown in your understanding of the Lord, and if you truly believe in the identity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then give thanks to God! He has chosen to open your mind to know him. This is eternal knowledge. You don’t get to Heaven saying, “I’m a scholar.”
   I quote these words from a source called the Pulpit Commentary. “Jesus, with infinite compassion, offers to the great army of sufferers that rest which he alone can give.” Oh yes, this is great comfort! “What a friend you have in Jesus, all your sins and griefs to bear.” He has revealed the Triune God to you. Give thanks. Life in faith. Worship the Lord God with an unending joy that you know so much of him.
 
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for revealing your identity to me. In your name I pray, amen.