…let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD…. (Jeremiah 9:23-24, ESV)
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3, ESV)
…I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (Philippians 3:7-8a, ESV)
It is deep in the bones of many golfers to know world-class players. A close friend recently took his nine-year-old son to the TOUR Championship.
During a practice round, Harris English invited his son to walk with him inside the ropes. My friend would not say, “We know Harris.” He would say, “We met and talked with Harris.”
It is common among Christians to sharply distinguish between “knowing” and “knowing about.” We often hear that it is possible to “know about Jesus” but not “know him.” This is quite true. For example, many of us know about Arnie, but most of us never knew him personally.
We often blur this line because we’re so familiar with these famous golfers’ TV appearances; it’s easy to think we know them.
Similarly, we live in a culture saturated with information about Jesus. But knowing about Jesus and knowing him personally, while related, are not the same.
But there is a flip side to all this. While it’s possible to know about Jesus without ever meeting him personally, it’s impossible to know him intimately without increasing our knowledge about him.
Sadly, at a popular level, loving God with our intellect (our minds) has been eclipsed by loving God emotionally (our hearts)—we tend to prioritize experience, downgrading the importance of “loving God with our minds.”
To go deeper in Christ, the disciple cannot merely chase emotional experiences while neglecting head knowledge. What God has joined together—head and heart knowledge—let no man tear apart (Luke 10:27).
Getting to know and know about Jesus is an intense endeavor—rarely, if ever, does he reveal himself in personal ways to the ‘casual inquirer.’ Not to mention, a deep dive into the multifaceted ways Scripture portrays him requires sustained passion and effort.
One of the main ways Scripture reveals Jesus is through the titles given to Him. For instance, it is widely recognized that Jesus fulfilled and also currently holds all three major offices found in the Old Testament: Prophet, Priest, and King.
Jesus is not just another prophet in a long line of godly messengers; He is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (1 Peter 1:10-12). While they prophesied in parts over many centuries, Jesus is God’s perfect and final word (Hebrews 1:1-4). Indeed, something greater than Jonah [prophet] is here (Matthew 12:41).
He is not just another priest in a long line of Aaronic priests; instead, he is the Great High Priest from a completely different order, the order of Melchizedek. Indeed, something greater than the temple [priest] is here (Matthew 12:6).
He is not just another king from the long line of Davidic kings; instead, he is the greater Son of David currently seated at the right hand of God. Indeed, something greater than Solomon [king] is here (MatThew 12:42).
Why should we consider all of this? Why would understanding these three offices and how Jesus operates in them matter? What might we overlook by not recognizing Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King?
Failing to understand these three offices and how Jesus functions within them, unfortunately, puts us at risk of creating a Jesus in our own image, and an imaginary Jesus cannot accomplish anything on our behalf.
These are provocative words, I know! Over the next six weeks, we will, with the Spirit’s help, explore why each of these offices is important and why they should matter to us.
Jesus has “stooped” into history to accurately explain God (John 1:18). Let’s get to know him as he truly reveals the invisible God, not as we have imagined him to be.
Prayer: Father! Create in us an insatiable hunger to know and know about you!