In Jesus Holy Name January 14, 2024
Epiphany II John 1:47-48 Redeemer
“Does Jesus Really Know Me?”
January 6th is the Sunday of the Epiphany. The term epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." Just as the Christ child, was "revealed" to the Magi as Lord and King so in today’s Gospel lesson Philip is the one who makes Jesus “known” to his friend Nathaniel. The voice of Jesus is clear. “Nathanial, Come follow me.”
We know that God makes himself known in the world today as the writer of Psalm19:1 declared “the heavens declare God's glory”. But that truth only tells someone there is an intelligent designer who established the universe with order.
The truth which we are to make know to our friends as did Philip, is that the Creator of the Universe wants everyone to know how their broken commandments can be forgiven and experience peace in their soul.
Over the Christmas break I had the privilege of officiating at 2 weddings. The first was with two long time friends, both in their 80’s, whom I have known for over 40 years. I baptized and confirmed each of their children and officiated at several of their children’s weddings. Both had lost spouses over years. And although their bodies were showing some significant signs of wear and tear, their minds were still running on all eight cylinders.
It was a great party and a blessing, as their children, grandchildren and extended family came together to heap praises upon these gentle, loving souls. Their lives, and previous marriages, had shown to their children how it was possible to honor their marriage vows, to love in sickness and health, for richer and poorer, in good times and bad, in happy times and sad.
The 2nd wedding was also a great celebration as God used the love of
music to bring two lives together to create a new family.
For a moment: Try to imagine what advice this older, but newly married couple, both in their 80’s could offer to the young couple just starting their marriage. What advice and wisdom could first wedding couple now in their 80’s share. I know their sense of humor and I can just imagine what the new bride, 82, in her 2nd marriage, would say with a twinkle in her eye to the youngsters.
In your mind imagine the scene. She would approach the microphone, stopping for a moment and looking down at all the eager faces. She would smile sweetly and with a twinkle in her eye say, "As a new bride, myself, I don't feel qualified in giving you, youngsters, advice on how to succeed in marriage. But if you'll come back in a few years, I'll let you know how this husband of mine is working out ………..and if I think the marriage has any possibility of surviving."
With that, she turns and begins to walk off the stage. The audience is silent for a moment, and then, realizing she was having fun with them, they erupted in applause. Advice is simple. Marriage takes time to “really know someone deeply. Her point is well taken.
Try as hard as we can, there's never enough time for any of us to really know somebody else, no matter how long we have been married.
Oh, we can work at it. And we do figure some things out. After 54 years of marriage, I know that when Colleen says she says something is "Just fine!"—and she says it with that tone—it's not fine. I even know that when she says, "We need to talk," she really means she needs to talk, and I need to listen. And I will be a dead man if my eyes glance over to the TV to see the instant replay of a 103-yard kick-off return.
After all these years of love and marriage, I still cannot read her mind, nor can she read mine, and, I suppose that's a good thing. You see, all of us, every one of us, have things in our lives we don't want anyone to know about. Amazingly, if we're being honest, most of us prefer it that way. That's because most of us have thoughts, actions, feelings of which we are deeply ashamed. We never want them exposed to the light of day.
Yes, we try to keep these past things in the past, but we're never sure when someone might stumble across them. One day, in jest, Mark Twain said, "I once sent a dozen of my friends a telegram saying, 'Flee at once. All is discovered.'" He reports, "They all left town immediately." I'm not surprised.
Look at how many honorable, highly respected men and women decline to
have their names put up for public office because they know they will never survive the private investigation and the public scrutiny. They know there are things in their past which would be so shocking, so surprising, so sad and sinful that, if these things came to light, the public would turn their backs on them and they would, without further discussion, reject them. So that the secret sins may stay secret, most people are glad that others can read their mind. (notes from a sermon by Rev Ken Klaus 2023)
It might be a good thing if it weren't for two difficulties. The first: even though we try to keep our sins hidden, they still are there inside us. They are inoperable cancers of the mind, soul, and spirit, which, if left unchecked will destroy us by sucking the life out of our soul. Even people without faith know this to be true.
And the second difficulty? The second difficulty is this: even though I have been saying, "Nobody truly knows you," that statement is wrong. It is wrong because God, the Triune God, knows everything about you. After humankind fell into sin, Adam and Eve did their best to keep their transgression hidden from their Creator.
Their hideout simply wasn’t good enough. God came looking for them and, with questions to which He already had the answers, had them confess their disobedient act which had corrupted His perfect creation. With the same complete knowledge, the Lord called Cain to account for the murder of His brother. Again and again, the Bible narrative bears out this truth: God knows us.
King David tried desperately to hide his illicit affair with Bathsheba. He was the King, but God knew. God sent a prophet with a story about a rich and wealthy man who stole the only lamb of a neighbor. David was incensed. Then God said: “You are the man.” God knows us. Which brings us to the story of Nathaniel.
Two-thousand years ago, when Jesus was calling His disciples, He picked a fellow named Philip. As often happens when people meet Jesus, Philip immediately went and shared the good news with a friend by the name of Nathanael. At Philip's urging Nathanael decided to check out the new Messiah. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming down the path, He commented, I saw you under the fig tree. Jesus knew Nathanael before Nathanael knew Jesus.
Nathanael, overhearing Jesus' comment, was taken aback. He asked, "How is it You know me? I can't recall that we've ever met before." Jesus reply is an interesting one. He answers: "Before Philip talked to you; when you were sitting under that fig tree, I saw you." I can't tell you what secret information Jesus shared in His conversation with Nathanael, but I do know it was enough for Nathanael to be instantly brought to faith, to be instantly convinced Jesus knew him, really knew all of him. It was a feeling, a faith, which stayed with him the rest of his life.
God knows us. In Psalm 139 (read v 1-4,13-16)
He knows the good and He knows the bad, including those sins you have tried so hard to cover. Not only does He know those sins, being a just God He is compelled to punish those sins, both in time and in eternity. We are destined for hell, total and complete alienation unless He “calls” our name.
And this is the spot where things change. They change because God has good news for you. A few weeks ago, we celebrated Christmas. Do you remember what the angels said to the shepherds? They said, "I've got Good News of great joy ... for you a Savior has been born." That sentence changes your world, and it can change your eternal destiny. (ibid Rev. Ken Klaus)
(Read Ephesians 1:4-8)
God has, in the Person of His Son, thrown you a lifeline—a rescue from a hopeless life and the fear of death. That rescue becomes reality when the Holy Spirit places faith in your heart. At that moment, your sins are forgiven. No longer can the world and Satan successfully accuse you; no longer can the grave lay claim to you. You are redeemed, you are rescued; you are restored and recycled. That is the good news of great joy.
God knows you. He knows the evil that was there and which now is erased by Jesus' shed blood; He knows the broken commandments you have committed and has forgiven them because Jesus nailed them to the cross. (Colossians 2:14)
Jesus knows you, just as He knew Nathanael while sitting under the fig tree. The knowledge that God knows you and sees your life through Jesus brings hope by securing your destiny for tomorrow and your constant source of security for eternity. Faith is all that, unless you say, "No, thank You, God. I'd rather do things on my own."
