I was driving my daughter and her sons to Carmel Adventist Primary School. Amy is the chaplain and her three sons are students there. I was driving because I was borrowing their car to go to other ministerial appointments that morning. As part of their morning family routine they pray as they drive. Two of the boys and Amy had prayed and then I started praying to Jesus—giving Him honour and asking that all of us be true to Him that day. From the back seat during the prayer came a very direct question. The youngest grandson was not used to another person joining their family prayer. He asked, “Do you even know Jesus?” I immediately responded “Yes—that is why I am talking to Him. He’s my Friend.” Then I asked, “Do you know Jesus?” To which he confidently answered, “Yes I do.”
This interchange warmed my heart. First, because my family pray as they go about their everyday life. Second, because my grandson asked me the question and third because of his answer. Later that day, we shared the conversation with our extended family. My wife’s response was, “It’s a shame he had to ask the question and didn’t know the answer—just shows you don’t spend enough time with them.” She was expressing the challenge we face of living on opposite sides of the country. I pondered whether in the way I live and treat my grandsons they see the joy, kindness, justice and mercy of Jesus. My pastor son suggested the bigger question is, “Does Jesus know me?”
Jesus understood that people claimed to know Him but didn’t really. People could prophesy, cast out demons, and minister with power in Jesus’ name but His response is stark: “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23). In His Revelation Jesus said that whole churches had Jesus on the outside, knocking to get in (Revelation 3:20). It is sobering to think that there are Jesus-less people and Jesus-less churches! And that the people and churches don’t even know their state.
We know that Jesus is real to us because of the inner witness of the Holy Spirit—He tells us we are a child of God (Romans 8:13-15; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13,14). Jesus gives this assurance to each Christian. However, others will only know that we know Jesus if we reflect His character that the Spirit gives (Galatians 5:22,23; 2 Peter 1:3-8).
My grandson’s question is worth thinking about!
