You Think You Know Someone

All who heard him were amazed. “Isn’t this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem?” they asked. “And didn’t he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?”
Acts 9:21 NLT

Saul of Tarshish. You had to have known him. He studied under Gamaliel. He had all the respected heritage and lineage. He was known! And he pursued and persecuted followers of Christ! He had them chained and dragged back to Jerusalem to throw them into prison for perpetrating the Way. That's what he called following Christ (who also called Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life). How many times they asked, "Isn't he the one who is arresting followers?" Isn't this the same one? They knew of him, but they didn't want to know him. 

Saul thought he knew all about Jesus until he met Him on the Damascus Road. And then knowing Jesus in Truth turned Saul's life upside down and completely around. 

The hometown folk questioned Jesus, too, when He was among them. Scripture tells us they were amazed at His wisdom and His power to do miracles, and yet because they knew him, they scoffed, Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Matthew 13:55. And the rest of the verse tells us, they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him... because they thought they knew Him.

But they didn't recognize the Messiah, the Son of the living God, our Rock and Redeemer, Saviour and King, our Hope, our Peace and Light of the World, Lord of lords, the Great I Am. You think you know Someone... do you?

Prayer:

Father,
          Open our eyes to see You in all Your glory! Unveil our sight so that we may see past our finite view. We want to know You in Your fullness. We want to know You as You want to be known. We want to know You more. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.