Jesus said, “You know me, and know where I come from?” (Jn
7:28) Amongst the Jews there were two traditions regarding the birth of the
Messiah: that he would grow up in obscurity and be manifested to the world as
an adult, or, that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem according to the
prophecy in Micah (5:2). In fact the Messiah fulfilled both these expectations –
His heavenly origin in the Holy Trinity is unknown to His hearers, and He was
born in Bethlehem!
Who is Jesus? It is important for us to know the answer and
from where He comes from. Unlike the founders of the world’s various religions
(Mohammed, Buddha etc) Jesus offers us the unheard of gift of sharing in God’s
very life. So, if Jesus does not come from God, of what value is the promise?
So we need to discover who Jesus is because it is through
knowing Him that we come to salvation. And this is not just about learning by
rote the church’s formulae of who Christ is (although that is a good start) but
also internalising them and making them our own. We need to know the person of
Jesus Christ in our hearts and minds.
This is why it can sometimes be better not to talk too much
with someone who is beginning to come to faith. They need to find internally
who Jesus is before they can develop and grow. We need to respect that inner
journey. We need to pray for it to develop certainly, but too many words can be
off-putting. What can be much more important is whether they see the truth of
Jesus Christ in His followers!
So for each of us we need to ask deep within ourselves: who
is Jesus for me? Does He come from the heavenly Father? Does He have the life
of God to share with me? Do I respond to Him believing these things? What is
holding me back from shaping my life based on this fundamental truth?
Fr Ian
