“Everybody Ought To Know Who Jesus Is”—This song is sung in church. Some recognize Jesus and his preeminence. But not everyone knows him. Are you among those who believe in Jesus and his preeminence?
The Scripture gives us many reasons to believe in Jesus Christ and his surpassing greatness. Jesus said, the miraculous works he did that no one else did–including healing all manner of diseases, casting out demons, raising people from the dead, dying and being resurrected, and many other extraordinary deeds–are sufficient reasons for believing in him and his surpassing greatness. But he said many people of this generation has failed to recognize him and his greatness (John 15:24).
Yet, Jesus said there were people of the Old Testament time who were less great in performance than Jesus who received more recognition than the Lord. He exclaimed, Jonah was recognized as great for being a prophet, and King Solomon was recognized as great for his wisdom; but the Lord said he was greater. For this reason, the Lord declared the people of Jonah’s and Solomon’s generations will factor into God’s judgment of people of New Testament time who failed to recognize the surpassing greatness of the Lord (Luke 11:30-31).
Why many have not recognized Jesus and his preeminence
- There are those, like some of the Pharisees and Pilate, who love positions of honor, power and recognition more than they love the Lord (Matthew 23:6; Mark 15:1-15; John 12: 43).
- In Matthew 8:21, we are given an example of a man who cared more for his family than following Jesus.
- Then there are others, like a rich young man who met Jesus, who love money and material possessions more than they love Jesus (Matthew 19:16-22).
- Jesus said there are those who love darkness rather than love him and the light he gives because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).
- Chapter 1 of Romans, says because of their love for evil rather than love for the Lord, God has given some over to “a reprobate mind.”
- And because many have rejected the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, God has sent them “strong delusion,” that they believe a lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11).
Some people have recognized Jesus Christ and his preeminence
- Three wise men travelled from the East to “worship” Jesus as the “King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-2).
- A non-Jewish Samaritan woman recognizes Jesus as God’s promised “Messiah, which is called Christ,” when he told her everything she had done (John 4:4-29).
- A man born with an incurable blindness, who was healed by Jesus, told those who did not recognize the Lord, “if this man were not of God, he could do nothing” (John 9:33).
- A woman whom Jesus forgave many sins worshipped him: She washed his feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, kissed them and anointed them with precious perfume.
- After Thomas, the disciple who doubted the resurrection of Jesus, felt the wounds in Jesus’ hand and side caused by his crucifixion, Thomas called Jesus “my Lord and my God.” Jesus said, “blessed are those who have not seen [me] and yet have believed” (John 20:27-29). Thomas was one of the last disciples to see Jesus as he ascended into heaven in a cloud (Acts 1:1-10).
- Since the day of Pentecost, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, countless people all over the world have heard the gospel, and have confessed that they recognize Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- On the day of Pentecost alone, about 3000 people who had not seen Jesus after his resurrection, believed he was both “Lord and Christ,” when the disciples preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to them (Acts, chapter 2).
- Since the day of Pentecost, when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit, countless people all over the world have heard the gospel, and have confessed that they recognize Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- If you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are among those who recognize his preeminence.
Now or Later everyone will recognize Jesus and his preeminence
- God the Father has declared: “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow… and every tongue should confess Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God” (Romans 14:10; Philippines 2:10).
- At the judgment, those who paid homage to Solomon and Jonah will factor into the judgment of those who did not recognize the only begotten Son of God. (Matt 12:42; Luke 11:29-34).
- Those who believed in Jesus will be rewarded and participate in judging unbelievers (1 Corinthians 6:2
God does not desire that any should perish
- God is patient toward all, “not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance” by recognizing Jesus (2 Peter 3:9NASB).
- God continues to send his workers and messengers out into all the world with a loud clarion of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ (mark16:15; Acts 1:8).
- He instructs his messengers to be patient and gentle in their efforts to reach those who oppose the truth of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 2:25).
- He tells them that they should pray and hope that God will cause unbelievers to repent and be delivered from the power of the devil (2 Timothy 2:25-2
- God’s desire is that all will come to recognize his Son and be saved from judgment:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Everybody ought to know who Jesus is, now.
