You Need to Get to Know Jesus
Key Scripture:
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
— John 1:18 KJV
Last week, we began this devotional journey with a simple challenge:
Don't leave Jesus behind.
Before we start talking about the kind of men God wants us to become, we have to begin with the One who makes that transformation possible.
Because becoming the man God designed you to be doesn't begin with trying harder.
It begins with knowing Jesus.
Do You Know Jesus, or Do You Know About Jesus?
There is a difference.
You can know the stories.
You can know the verses.
You can know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, walked on water, healed the sick, died on the cross, and rose again.
You can sit in church for years and accumulate an incredible amount of information about Him.
But knowing facts about Jesus is not the same as knowing Jesus.
Pastor puts it this way:
“A living relationship requires time, attention, and pursuit.”
Think about any meaningful relationship in your life.
You don't develop closeness with your spouse by simply knowing facts about them.
You don't build a friendship by reading someone's biography.
Relationships grow through time together. Conversation. Listening. Trust. Shared experiences.
Our relationship with Christ requires intentional pursuit too.
If You Want to Know God, Look to Jesus
Jesus isn't merely a great teacher or someone whose example we should try to follow.
He is the revelation of God Himself.
When Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father, Jesus answered:
“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…”
— John 14:9 KJV
If you want to know what God is like, look to Jesus.
Look at His compassion.
His holiness.
His mercy.
His obedience.
His love.
His response to sin.
His treatment of the broken.
His commitment to truth.
The more we know Christ, the more clearly we understand the heart of God.
That's why knowing Jesus cannot simply be one part of our Christian life.
Knowing Him is the foundation of it.
Abide, Don't Just Visit
Jesus said:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
— John 15:4 KJV
Notice the word Jesus uses:
Abide.
Not visit occasionally.
Not check in on Sunday.
Not turn to Him only when life falls apart.
Abide.
Stay.
Remain.
Live in continual fellowship with Him.
A branch doesn't occasionally connect itself to the vine when it needs something. Its life comes from remaining connected.
The same is true spiritually.
We cannot become the men God designed us to be apart from Christ.
Don't Just Read the Bible. Look for Jesus.
Pastor gives a particularly practical challenge in this week's devotional.
When you open your Bible, don't approach it merely looking for information.
Ask:
“Where is Jesus in this passage?”
That changes the way we approach Scripture.
We're no longer reading simply to finish a chapter.
We're not checking a box.
We're not collecting Bible facts.
We're opening God's Word because we want to know Christ more deeply.
The entire Bible points us toward Him.
And as we encounter Christ in His Word, we shouldn't simply ask, “What did I learn?”
We should also ask:
“What needs to change because of what He showed me?”
Jesus Doesn't Simply Inform Us. He Transforms Us.
That may be the most important distinction of this week's devotional.
Pastor writes:
“Jesus does not simply inform us. He transforms us.”
Knowing Jesus should change something.
The closer we get to Him, the more His character begins shaping ours.
Our priorities change.
Our desires change.
Our response to sin changes.
The way we treat our families changes.
The way we handle difficulty changes.
The way we spend our time changes.
And little by little, through daily obedience, Christ leads us toward the life God created us to live.
Not all at once.
One step of obedience at a time.
Ask Yourself
Pastor gives us three questions worth sitting with this week:
Do I know facts about Jesus, or am I growing in fellowship with Him?
When I read Scripture, am I looking for information or for Christ?
What would change in my life if knowing Jesus became my highest priority?
Don't rush past those questions.
Especially the last one.
What would change?
Your schedule?
Your habits?
Your priorities?
Your relationships?
Your prayer life?
Maybe the next step in becoming the man God designed you to be isn't adding another discipline or trying harder.
Maybe it's simply deciding:
I want to know Jesus more.
This Week: Pray. Read. Respond.
Pastor gives us three simple actions to put this into practice:
Pray. Ask Jesus to reveal more of Himself to you as you open His Word.
Read. Remember that the entire Bible points to Christ. Ask, “Where is Jesus in this passage?”
Respond. When He shows you something, obey—even if it seems like a small step.
Because knowing Jesus isn't merely an intellectual exercise.
It's a relationship.
And relationships grow when we intentionally pursue them.
Reflection
You could spend your entire life learning about Jesus and still miss the invitation to truly walk with Him.
Don't settle for information.
Pursue relationship.
Open His Word because you want to hear from Him.
Pray because you want to speak with Him.
Obey because you trust Him.
Stay close because you love Him.
Last week, the challenge was:
Don't leave Jesus behind.
This week, take the next step:
Get to know Him.
As Pastor closes this week's devotional:
“Knowing Jesus is not a one-time decision. It is a daily pursuit.”
Be more than informed.
Be transformed.
Get to know Jesus.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us through Your Son. Forgive us for the times we have been satisfied with knowing facts about Jesus instead of truly pursuing a closer relationship with Him. Give us a hunger for Your Word and a desire to spend time in Your presence. As we read Scripture, help us see Christ more clearly. As You reveal truth to us, give us the courage to obey. May knowing Jesus become more than something we talk about. May it become the daily pursuit of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.