Last month we introduced the concept of knowing God and making him known. This is the chief end of man, the reason for our very existence. This is the answer to the question, "Why are we here?" We've seen that this knowledge results in a true knowledge of ourselves and that this knowledge is received by a revelation of Jesus Christ. What I'd like to do this month is to examine how the gospels fill this out a little more.
What is surprising in the gospels is that the knowledge of God is unique to Jesus himself. This seems to be something only he possesses. Remember that Jesus said, "No one knows the Father except the Son" (Matt. 11:27). This is surprising mainly because of Jesus' audience. One would not expect anyone to say that the knowledge of God was the prerogative of one particular individual in an exclusive social and religious context in which all of life was based on the very words of God. How can Jesus say that only the Son knows the Father? And yet, we find him repeating this theme over and over again.
Take, for instance, the conversation revolving around his origin. The Jews recognized that Jesus spoke some very profound things. They were astonished at this because they knew where Jesus came from and that he hadn't spent any time learning from the rabbis. What they knew, though, was only from an earthly perspective. Their knowledge of Jesus was incomplete. When Jesus said that he came down from heaven, they responded by saying, "No you didn't. We know your mom and dad." They seemed to think that the Messiah, when he showed up, would just appear out of nowhere. Poof! There he is! The thought of the incarnation was simply inconceivable to them. So Jesus concedes their earthly knowledge: "You know me, and you know where I come from" (Jn. 7:28). Then he counters that with his heavenly origin. "He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him and come from him, and he sent me" (Jn. 7:29).
A similar conversation is picked up in the next chapter. The Jews want an additional witness to support the claims Jesus is making, as stated in the Law. The second witness that Jesus calls upon is the Father: "The Father who sent me bears witness about me" (Jn. 8:18). They respond by asking for his Father and Jesus answers by saying, "You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also" (v. 19). This "who's your daddy" talk creates an argument between Jesus and the Jews about their parental ancestry. The Jews wanted to claim Abraham as their father, but Jesus insists that they "are of [their] father the devil" since all they want to do is lie, kill, and destroy (v. 44). This leads them to accuse Jesus of having a demon. Clearly, Jesus and the Jews are not on the same page. This disagreement culminates in Jesus confronting their claim to know God. They say, "He is our God" (v. 54). But he says that they, "have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word." (v. 55). Their ignorance of God is demonstrated by their refusal to see him in the person of Jesus. The knowledge of God remains a prerogative of Jesus alone.
These are shocking claims and it is no wonder why the Jews wanted to kill him. But how does it challenge us? It shows us that there are two ways of seeing things, the earthly and the heavenly (cf. Jn. 3:12). There are two sets of eyes, one that is natural and another that is supernatural. The knowledge of God cannot be arrived at through any ordinary, natural means of knowing. This true, saving knowledge can only be received through a revelation of Jesus. Reject him and you reject the Father. What kind of eyes do you have? Seeing, do you see?
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