Who is He?

Any time I talk to a fellow Christian, inevitably the term “knowing Jesus” comes up. I often wonder if people really know what that means. It seems as though the term is used so loosely that it makes me wonder. What does it mean? Is it possible to actually know Him? By Him, I mean Heavenly Father. I realize that other Christians believe they are one in the same but I don’t. So how do I get to know Him? He’s not physically here. I can’t have a conversation with Him as I do other human beings. I pray to Him, and I feel His Spirit but its’ not the same as having a normal conversation like I would with another human being.

In John 17:3 it says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” We obtain eternal life, by knowing Heavenly Father. Well we know that Heavenly Father is the only God with whom we pray to. We know that there are other members of this Godhead but Heavenly Father is our literal Father. We read in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” This tells me that in order to know the Father, we have to know the Son. How do I do this? I can learn ABOUT Him. I can study the stories of His ministry and all the miracles He performed. 

I can study about His visit to the Americas and the things He taught the people here. I can read how He prayed for them, and I can even feel touched by what it must have been like for them to hear Him utter those loving words in behalf of them. I can imagine. 

I can try to imagine what it was like in the Garden of Gethsemane and the unbelievable pain He must have gone through. 

I can imagine Him being whipped and beaten before being nailed to the cross. I think I can even hear Him utter the words, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

In John 14:15 Christ teaches us, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”.  If we read this in reverse we will see, keep my commandments, then ye will love me. I think this is the way that we come to know Christ and therefore know Heavenly Father. We can learn and memorize all the stories of Jesus but to really know and, in turn, love Him, we need to keep His commandments.

So, how do we know the Father? By knowing Christ. How do we know Christ? By keeping His commandments. One of His commandments is that we serve others. He taught us that by doing so, we are serving Him. 

There’s no greater way to learn to love someone than by serving them. It’s amazing how really simple the gospel is. I love it!