When We Think We Know Jesus

Author: Rev. Daniel Johnson
July 16, 2026

One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life isn't ignorance. It's familiarity.

In John 7, the people of Jerusalem were convinced they already understood Jesus. They knew where He had grown up. They knew His family. They knew His hometown. So when Jesus stood before them, they evaluated Him through the lens of what they thought they already knew. For a brief moment, they began asking the right question: "Could this really be the Christ?" But almost as quickly, they retreated to their assumptions: "But we know where this man comes from..." (John 7:27). Their confidence wasn't rooted in Scripture. It was rooted in tradition, expectation, and familiarity. Instead of allowing Jesus to reshape their understanding, they expected Him to fit neatly into the categories they had already created.

Isn't that a temptation for all of us? The longer we walk with Christ, the easier it becomes to assume we've already learned what there is to know. We can become so familiar with the stories of Scripture that we stop being amazed by them. We can become so accustomed to hearing the name of Jesus that we no longer pause to behold His glory. We may never say, "I already know Jesus," but our lack of expectation, wonder, and humility often says it for us.

Jesus refuses to remain confined to our assumptions. When the crowd debated His earthly origin, Jesus redirected them to a far greater reality. The issue wasn't ultimately where He had grown up. The issue was who had sent Him. Again and again throughout John's Gospel, Jesus identifies Himself as the One sent by the Father. He is not merely another teacher or religious leader. He is the eternal Son who has come to reveal the Father to a world that does not know Him. If we misunderstand His origin, we will inevitably misunderstand His identity. But if we recognize that He has come from the Father, everything changes.

That raises a searching question for each of us. The question is no longer, "How much do I know about Jesus?" The question becomes, "Do I truly know Him?" There is a world of difference between knowing facts about Christ and walking daily with Christ. We can study Him without worshiping Him. We can discuss Him without trusting Him. We can defend sound doctrine while neglecting genuine communion. John's Gospel continually invites us beyond information into relationship.

Peter understood this. After many disciples turned away because Jesus' teaching was difficult, Jesus asked the Twelve if they wanted to leave as well. Peter answered, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68–69). Notice the order. Peter didn't say, "We have come to know, and therefore we believed." He said, "We have believed and have come to know.” Understanding was the fruit of faith. As Peter walked with Christ, his confidence deepened. His knowledge of Jesus wasn't merely intellectual—it was relational.

That is still the journey of every disciple. Whether you've walked with Christ for thirty years or thirty days, there is always more of His beauty to behold, more of His grace to experience, more of His Word to treasure, and more of His likeness to pursue. We never graduate from knowing Christ. The deeper we walk with Him, the more we discover the inexhaustible riches of His glory.

So this week, don't settle for simply knowing about Jesus. Come to Him. Walk with Him. Abide in Him. Open His Word with a humble heart that expects to be corrected, challenged, and amazed. Ask Him to reveal more of Himself to you.

As you do, you'll discover what every believer throughout history has found to be true: the more we know Christ, the more we realize there is infinitely more of Him to know.

"We have believed and have come to know..." May that be our testimony as well.

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