John 17:25
O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
Don't you think it would have been so great to talk with your ancestors? What about George Washington, Alexander Graham Bell or Thomas Edison? We can know them by articles written about them. We can understand some of their thought processes in inventions. We can feel as if we know them because of others that have written of their presidency. But he truth is we will only know of them and not actually know them.
The scriptures teach us today that the world hasn't known God. Although we have so many things written of Him in the Word of God and many other books, the world does not know Him. They can only know of Him. Jesus declares that He knows the Father. He has been with the Father and is the Son of the Father. But look further!
He then says... These also (the ones that know Him) know that the Father has sent me. Wow! Look at what He is trying to show us today. He says, "If you know me, you know the Father and if you know the Father, you should know me".
John 14:6-10
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 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; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Even though Phillip knew Jesus, he was missing out on actually knowing Him. Just like Phillip, the world and many church goers today know of Jesus but are missing out on actually knowing Him. May I ask you a question this morning? How well do you know Jesus?
1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
