21 At that time Jesus was filled with joy by the Holy Spirit and said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth! I thank you because you have shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned. Yes, Father, this was how you were pleased to have it happen.
22 “My Father has given me all things. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23 Then Jesus turned to the disciples and said to them privately, “How fortunate you are to see the things you see! 24 I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, but they could not, and to hear what you hear, but they did not.”
Read Luke 10:21-24 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
Tucked away in a prayer Jesus shared within the earshot of His disciples is a very powerful and profound statement. While we are quick to focus on the second side of the idea Jesus shared, the first side is really just as powerful – perhaps even a little more.
In verse 22, Luke records Jesus saying, “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
We tend to focus our understanding of this verse on how Jesus is the only way we can truly know the Father, and while this is completely true, this truth comes as the second half of the big statement. When setting up this statement, Jesus shares how the only One who truly knows Him is God the Father. The disciples had spent lots of time with Him, and of those on earth, they probably knew Him the best, but their knowledge was nothing like the knowledge God the Father in heaven had.
This huge idea extends to everyone alive today and to everyone who has ever lived – and that includes you and me. While your friends, family, and other significant people in your life know you, their knowledge of you is nothing compared to God the Father’s knowledge of you. God even knows you better than you know yourself. This means that He knows your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams, your mistakes, your anger, your passion, and really every other thing you have ever thought, said, done, and/or forgotten.
And even with all this knowledge, God still loves you. We know this because Jesus came to this earth to give His life for people like you and me. While humanity was actively sinning, Jesus came to show us that God still loves us.
God knows us better than we know ourselves and He has chosen to love each of us regardless of our mistakes. The only question that remains is whether we will accept His love and love Him back, or if we choose to reject the gift He has freely offered to us.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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