Know Jesus

But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

(Mark 4:38-39)

Commenting on these verses J.C. Ryle wrote (back in 1897):

“It would be well if professing Christians in modern days studied the four Gospels more than they do…It is well to be acquainted with all the doctrines and principles of Christianity. It is better to be acquainted with Christ Himself. It is well to be familiar with faith, and grace, and justification, and sanctification…But it is far better to be familiar with Jesus Himself…and to behold his beauty…I want unconverted men to know Jesus, that they may have eternal life through Him. I want believers to know Jesus better, that they may become more happy, more holy, and more meet for the inheritance of the saints in light. He will be the holiest man who learns to say with St. Paul. ‘To me to live is Christ’ (Phil. 1:21)” [J.C. Ryle. Holiness. 234, 256]

After 115 years these words have not lost their relevance. It is because a life pursuing after a deeper knowledge of Jesus, Himself, resulting in greater happiness and holiness, never goes out of style for his children. I am reading a lot lately on a lot of good subjects: church planting, racial reconciliation, Christ-centered preaching. I am working through Center Church, Tim Keller’s book on how to do gospel-driven, culturally-aware, appropriately innovative yet traditionally sensitive church. I am reading Islamic philosophy for my MA thesis in Islamics in order to better share the gospel with my Muslim neighbors and help others to do so too. “It’s all good,” but none of it is “best.” What is best is to know Jesus still more, to love him yet even more. This is the primary endeavor of all our ministry, namely, that unconverted men come to know Jesus, that they may have eternal life through Him and believers come to know Jesus better, “that they may become more happy, more holy, and more meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.” If this is not first and foremost then there is no sense to being in ministry at all. May I encourage you to take a moment today to ask Jesus to help you know Him better.

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)