Knowing Jesus
Teachers
Lesson Summary
The teacher opened the class by inviting listeners to consider the many kinds of reading people enjoy—romance, mechanics, magazines, and internet surfing—before declaring that the greatest knowledge one can possess is knowing Jesus. He contrasted “knowing about Jesus,” which includes hearing sermons, watching movies, and studying texts, with the deeper, relational knowing that comes from personal encounter and obedience. Using Matthew 7:21‑23, he illustrated that merely professing faith does not guarantee entry into the kingdom without doing the Father’s will, highlighting the danger of superficial belief. The lesson then turned to the apostle Paul as a case study of moving from knowledge to relationship. Paul’s encounter on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:19; Acts 22:16) demonstrated how a personal meeting with Christ leads to immediate obedience and baptism. The teacher linked this to Philippians 3:10‑11, urging believers to press on toward a fuller knowledge of Christ, not just academic understanding. The central message was that true discipleship requires a living, experiential knowledge of Jesus that transforms actions and prepares us for eternal life.
Key Scriptures
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'