Knowing Jesus

In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus said, “Whoever knows Me here on earth, I will know him in heaven. And whoever proclaims faith in Me here on earth, I will proclaim faith in him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me here, I will disown before My Father in heaven.”

Knowing Jesus is more than understanding the facts about Him and His death. It is more than knowing that Mary conceived Him. It is more than believing that He died on the cross and after three days, rose again. Knowing Jesus entails more than simply memorizing information about Him—it means having an intimate relationship with Him. Jesus want for us to know Him.

But whoever disowns Jesus, He will also disown before God who is in heaven. In the MSG version, it says, “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you (v. 32-33)?”

It is still up to us. It’s still our decision. We have control over what we do, but not over the consequences. We are aware of the ramifications.