You Do Not Know Me

As we approach the finish line in our study of the Gospel of John, we've been taking a rewind of sorts, following Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, to examine the substance of His earthly ministry and the events that led to His arrest, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, was one of three major festivals for which Jewish pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem, drawing large crowds to the Temple. In John 7 and 8, we see Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles, engaging in some particularly contentious encounters with these pilgrims and the Jewish leaders. Before departing for the festival, He also gets into it with his brothers, who do not believe in Him.

As I was divining this event, His words, and the reactions of those who heard them, I was struck by this question. If a man appeared in our world today, attended a large religious gathering and began preaching, spoke with knowledge and authority on spiritual matters, even though we knew he came from a modest family, lacked formal education in theology, and was from a part of the country not known for producing great men and women, how would we respond to him? If he said he not only knew God, but that God was his father, and that his existence was unconstrained by time and history, such that he preceded the founders of the religion from thousands of years ago, who knew him and rejoiced at his coming, how would we react?

Of course, we have the benefit of the Gospel; we know who Jesus is, and we know His people didn't receive Him despite being equal with God Himself. It was foretold that “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem” (Isaiah 53:3). So, we have a distinct advantage over the people of Jesus' time, right?

If that is true and we know Jesus, and as He said to his disciples, "If you had known me, you would have known my Father also" (John 14:7), is it evident to the world that we know Him? Frankly, that's the question at the heart of our 2025 theme, “Love Your Neighbor,” and I can't wait to explore it with you this Sunday!

Blessings,

Ron