What I Know

05.06.12

Matthew 23.35 35 “…so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. NASB

Jesus knew them. It wasn’t just that He knew Jewish history – He did – He also knew people on the level of the measure of their life: “…from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah…” Abel, He called righteous. Jesus knew not only the number of their days, but He also knew the sum of their days – what their life was going to amount to. It wasn’t just that He was taught as a child that Abel was righteous, as the Son of God He knew Abel was righteous. Jesus knew the sum of Abel’s life and it added up to being recognized by God as righteous. Abel, from antiquity was justified by his faith. And before Abraham was, He was, cf. John 8.58.

Jesus knows us. The Son of God, as God, has always been omniscient (with knowledge), He knows. That may make some of us uncomfortable since we’re so good at trying to cover up our past and present so they won’t show up in our future. David tried to do that when he committed adultery and murder (See 2 Samuel 11,12). But what is remarkable about the Son of God and His knowledge is what He does with His knowledge.  And what He does with His knowledge is based upon what we do with ours. Isn’t that amazing!? God never condemns the innocent. God never punishes the one who comes clean to Him in faith as did Abel, Zechariah and the multitude of saints – named and unnamed – in Scripture and in the world. It is all what we do with our knowledge that makes the difference.

I, for one, am not innocent; I’ve got stuff. Now, not as a defense but as truth, so do you. We all have stuff; stuff happens. I recently thought that a perspective of hell might be something like this: having to watch video reruns of my life on a big-screen… with all of my loved ones, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and enemies there to watch my reruns as well. How would I answer for all of the evil that I have done, and plotted to do? How could I look them in the eye and give an account for what I’ve said and done to them. Truly, the thought was almost unbearable. And then I remembered, they’ve all got stuff as well.

And above and beyond all of that: Jesus knows. He knows who I am, what I’ve done, and to somewhat my shame, what I’m going to do. But what matters is what I do with what I know and what I do when I’ve done it. Paul said, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6.1-2 NASB) It isn’t a license to sin that I know that I can come for forgiveness; it’s worship to the All-Knowing One that when I do (willfully or otherwise) I can come clean. The consequences are the consequences, but the All-Knowing One knows faith when He sees it.

Today, I know that Jesus knows what I know. I know He knows what I’m going to say and do before I say it and do it. But I also know that right or wrong, good or bad, the All-Knowing Son of God calls me by name and knows, as He did with Abel the Righteous and Zechariah, son of Berechiah, the sum total of my life and what it’s all going to amount to. He knows, He loves, He forgives, and He saves the ones who know that He knows. I’m eternally grateful for that.