Fathers Know Him

Maranatha Tabernacle Church of God

Sunday June 20th 2010

Fathers Know Him

John the Apostle, also known as John the Divine and John the Son of Zebedee, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the writer of first, second and third John as well as the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John and the Book of Revelation. John came from a family of fishermen. He was part of the inner circle or core group of three disciples, who witnessed certain key events in Jesus' ministry. He was called "the disciple whom Jesus loved. John was very loyal to Jesus. He alone among the Twelve is believed to have stood by Jesus at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. John was a significant leader in the early church, but he drops out of the biblical record after Paul mentions him as a "pillar" of the Jerusalem church in Galatians 2. Tradition holds that he went to Ephesus with the Mary, Jesus’ mother, and founded several churches in Asia Minor. While there he was persecuted for his faith and condemned to die by being boiled in oil. They put him in a large caldron filled with oil and put a fire under it and his evil torturers watched as they waited to hear him scream out and die slowly in deep agony, but he just would not boil. So they then took him out of the pot and banished him to a prison colony on the island of Patmos and in AD 95 while on that island Jesus appeared to him and he wrote the book of Revelation. John is said to have died later and was buried in Ephesus. His life was a powerful and holy life. He was so close to Jesus that he developed a deep love for the Lord and sought to know Jesus more. In our text for today found in 1John 2:14 he said “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.…” The Greek word for known in this text means to keep on knowing. In other words it is not saying that the fathers once knew the Lord (the One who is from the beginning), nor is it saying that fathers then fully know the Lord, instead it is saying that they should keep on knowing about the Lord.

Hear Paul the Apostle as he cries out with deep desire in Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

There are many meanings associated with the Greek words for know for example acquaintance

"to be taking in knowledge ,

recognize,

understand

realize

become aware.

what is "known" is of value or importance

"knowing" suggests approval and bears the meaning "to be approved"; appreciation

connection or union, as between man and woman

to have seen

perceive

to know from observation,

perceive the significance,

fully perceive,

notice attentively,

discern,

recognize

to have special appreciation;

"to discover, ascertain, determine,"

be privy to,"

CERTIFY,

DECLARE

"a knowledge" which perfectly unites the subject with the object

It is a fact that anyone who gets to know Jesus will want to know Him more, because of what He has done for them. Ask the leper of Mark 1 and he would say “I was unclean but Jesus made me clean. I need to know Him more.”

Ask the paralyzed man of Mark 2 and he would say, “Jesus told me to take up my bed and walk. I need to know Him more.”

Ask Blind Bartimaeus and he would say, “I once was blind but now I see. I need to know Him more.”

Ask the Centurion of Matthew 8 and he would tell you, “Jesus spoke the word and my servant was healed. I need to know Him more.”

Ask the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5 and she would say, “there is more medicine in the hem of His garment than in all the pharmacies of the world. I need to know Him more.”

Ask the woman at the well in John chapter 4 and she would say “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? I need to know Him more.”

I could tell you what I know about Him, I could preach all day of His goodness to me but you have to know Him for yourself!

John said I write to you fathers that you because you have not stopped but you continue knowing more about Him, that you may know Him.

You see I want to know Him more because He is GOD!

Some people accuse us of taking a man and making Him a God, but God became a man. I have trouble with people who want to call Jesus a great teacher, a prophet, or a great moral historical figure to be emulated. He is God. Hear what He said to the Samaritan woman when she said Messiah is coming, He said “you are talking to Him.” Jesus Christ is God.