What does it mean to know Jesus?

It is one thing to know the value of His work, and another to know Himself. And what is that? Is it to know His various relations as Son of God, as Son of Man, as the Christ, as the High Priest, the Advocate, the King? Yes, all that indeed—and a lovely and sacred theme of meditation is each of these relations. But I rather mean a heart acquaintance, a deep, personal intimacy with the Lord; that you should get to know Him as your own; that you should realize the blessedness of the link that binds you personally to Him who fills all these relations. Thus Paul could say near the end of his path, “I know whom I have believed.” That was no superficial or second-hand knowledge, one picked up from reports or writings, but the result of years of companionship, in summer or winter, in good report or in ill—such a companionship as enabled him to speak of “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8).

“And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” If there is no real spirit of obedience, there is no true knowledge of God. An actual knowledge of God brings with it both the desire and the. power to obey His commandments; and when this is present it provides proof that we know Him. How necessary a guard against self‑deception!

Not so, however, with one who knows God as He is revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. Such a one has gotten life eternal. "This," says Christ, "is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." (John 17:3) It is not life eternal to know theology or divinity. A man may sit down to the study of these, as he would to study law or medicine, astronomy or geology, and all the while know nothing of God, and therefore be without divine life, and perish in the end.

Now it is not every believer that knows Christ. All believers — those, that is, that have peace with God — know Christ as their Saviour. They know Him in this character or relationship; but it is another thing to know Him in Himself; to have such a knowledge of Him as to be intimately acquainted with His mind, character, and ways. Those who thus know Him find their daily delight in feasting on His beauties and perfections. They value Him for what He is, if possible more than for what He has done; albeit these two thins can never be separated. The apostle John indeed teaches, that to know Him that is from the beginning is the last and highest attainment the believer makes. This knowledge is the characteristic of the fathers in the family of God. (1 John 2.)

The purpose of the Spirit of God is that we should be ever growing. There is no thought in the word of God of our standing still. We should ever make progress, and the character of that progress is marked by the practical knowledge of Christ. So the apostle, in the epistle to the Philippians, although he knew much of Christ, says, "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I was apprehended of Christ Jesus." He realized that to know Christ was the sum of knowledge. "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings." For that he would press on; and as Christ Himself was in glory at God's right hand, Paul would never cease being a racer and a learner until he got into the very presence of Him who is the fulness of God's revelation. Scripture never speaks of the knowledge of Christ as merely knowing about Him, but it is knowing Him; as the same apostle said, later on, "I know whom I have believed." He was acquainted with Him in such a way that it was a knowledge of heart and life, not merely theoretical.

Scripture speaks of external knowledge which a person may acquire by hearsay or sight, and also of conscious knowledge — that personal acquaintance by which we can know a person's mind. It is of this latter knowledge Paul speaks, when he says, "That I may know Him," and it is this knowledge we so often lack. We know and rejoice in the glorious things He has done, but do we know the heart of the One who has done so much for us, in such fashion that we can say, "I know how He feels about me"?

That all who take upon themselves the service of Christ must own Him as Lord need scarcely be said, for otherwise he would have no right to call himself a Christian. But not all that call Him Lord love either Him or His service. There are many reasons why people enter that service. It is taken up by some as a respectable way of earning a living; by others for the purpose of gaining ascendancy over the souls of men; not so many take it up out of pure devotedness to the interests of Christ. But those who take the place of His servants have the responsibility devolving upon the position, and may have a talent given to them to be used in their service for Him. “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:22-23). The fact of their being servants of His and gifted with power to serve Him does not prove them to be in vital relationship with Him. These certainly were not, for He says: “I never knew you.” That He is omniscient and knows all men is just what the Word says (John 2:24-25), But here it is knowledge involving intimacy in the Divine life and nature. Jesus says, “I know My sheep, and am known of Mine, as the Father knows Me and I know the Father (John 10:15). This is the intimacy that subsists between Him and all His own, and outside of this is every other human being. The wicked servants are not in this fellowship.

This reciprocal knowledge of the Good Shepherd and His sheep is here most strikingly compared — "even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father." Without pretending to say whether this refers to the measure or the manner of our knowledge, or to theorise in any way with regard to that which seems a fitter subject for meditation than for exposition, one remark may be permitted by the way. We may surely gather from this analogy that the knowledge of Christ's sheep in this respect is neither uncertain nor obscure; for it is the knowledge of a Person, not about Him. Knowledge concerning the Lord is undoubtedly progressive; but knowing Him is that which marks the veriest lamb of the flock, as not being of the world which knows Him not. One of the robbers at Calvary recognised his Lord in the One crucified at his side; and said, "Lord [Jesus], remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom." Herein was he distinguished from his fellow malefactor, both in this world and the next. Verily, it is not so much what we know as Whom we know.

The fact is this, every one who really knows God is the privileged possessor of eternal life. So our Lord Jesus Christ declares, in the most distinct manner, in John 17. "This is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." This is most precious to every soul that, through grace, has gotten this knowledge. To know God is to have life — life eternal.

It is also said that the sheep know the Shepherd. They not only know His voice; but they also know Himself. "I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine, even as the Father knows Me, and I the Father" (John 10:14-15). This is the highest blessing of which the sheep are capable; for it implies entering into His own thoughts, ways, and desires, yea, the knowledge of Himself. It is thus that we are brought into communion with Him. We may know His voice, and be following Him, and yet be without much acquaintance with His character. To know Him, is what John gives as descriptive of the fathers in God's family. "I have written to you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning" (1 John 2:13). This, therefore, is the highest and most blessed attainment which the believer can make. And the Lord desires that it should be made — and in an infinite measure — "as the Father knows Me, and I the Father." He knows us, and He desires that we should know Him. May He Himself lead us into an ever-increasing acquaintance with Himself, so keep Himself before our souls that we may grow daily in the knowledge of Him — of what He is, as well as what He is to us, and for us — through the power of the Holy Ghost!