Do You Know Who He Is?
Read the Text: Mark 1
Memorize the Text: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Consider the Text: Mark 1:21-34
As the Gospel of Mark opens, we find Jesus demonstrating his power and authority as he drove out an unclean spirit and healed Simon’s mother-in-law. Both of these events provided the opportunity for people to examine if they truly knew who Jesus was. The same is true today. We experience the grace, mercy, and work of the Lord around us every day. Our response to these engagements with the Lord provides a window into how we view Jesus. These two events in Mark provide five questions to consider concerning our knowledge of Jesus.
The fundamental question comes as: DO YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO BRINGS LIFE TO LIFELESS RELIGION? The Pharisees lived in a manner of religious faithfulness but refused to acknowledge Jesus. They were religious but not faithful. This mentality wore off on the public and set an atmosphere of cultural religion based on the old covenant. When this question is used as an analytical tool, we must evaluate if religion has become a ritual. Have we allowed the church to become a lifeless religion instead of letting Christ speak truth into our lives.
A second consideration closely aligns with the first question: DO YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO CONFRONTS OUR COMFORT? So much of our ritual and cultural Christianity exists due to the comfort zone we seek to live. Human nature desires to exist in this comfort zone and live in the routine and ordinary. When such a state is entered, we need to assess if we allow Christ to speak the truth that confronts our comfort and forces us to decide between trusting Jesus or living in ritual.
These questions open the avenue for continued assessment of our relationship with Jesus. Likewise, the third consideration challenges us when we ask: DO YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO HOLDS ALL AUTHORITY? The question of authority centers on evaluating who has the right to speak and influence life. When we analyze our relationship with Christ, we must ask if we understand and believe that he holds all authority over the natural and the supernatural. This means that we understand his power, knowledge, and work. When our perspective properly understands his authority, we enter the position of knowing that Christ demands obedience of us in response to his authority.
The following consideration comes from the understanding of how we respond to the work of Christ in our life. The question to consider is: DO YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO HEALS FOR US TO SERVE? The Lord works in bringing healing through salvation. This work opens the opportunity for us to serve him in response. The work of Christ occurs because of his deep compassion for us, and our response comes out of deep compassion for him. The phrase often used to demonstrate this response is, “He died for me; I’ll live for him.” Is this motto part of your life in Christ?
The final consideration comes as the most critical. The last question is: DO YOU KNOW WHO HE TRULY IS?There are two ways people can know Jesus. First, we could know Jesus like the demons. The demons knew about Jesus and knew who Jesus was but did not have a saving relationship with him. Second, we can know him as Savior. This means we have come to the place of receiving him as Lord and Savior and trusting in all that he has done to deal with the sin penalty we deserve.
The Gospel of Mark opens with a challenge to us today. We must consider how we deal with Jesus. We must evaluate if we truly know him or only know about him. Does your faith resemble that of the demons, or does your faith resemble that of a child? Do you know about Jesus, or do you intimately know Jesus? Do you know who he is?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
