The essence of eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ.— J. I. Packer
The Son of God became the Son of Man so that the sons of men might become the sons of God.— Augustine of Hippo
To know Jesus is to come into the very center of everything God has revealed.
Scripture does not present Him merely as a teacher, a prophet, or a moral example. It reveals Him through a profound dual identity that holds together the fullness of God’s purpose: He is the Son of God and the Son of Man. These are not casual titles. They unveil His nature, define His mission, and shape the destiny of all who belong to Him.
John writes with a clear aim, that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, we may have life in His name. The word translated believe is the Greek pisteuo, which goes beyond agreement. It speaks of trust, reliance, and a settled confidence that rests in Him. To believe in the Son is to entrust our lives to Him as the source and sustainer of life.
The title Son of God reveals His divine origin and nature. John uses the term monogenes, often translated ‘only begotten,’ which carries the sense of one of a kind, uniquely revealed. Jesus is not one among many. He is the unique and perfect revelation of God. In Him, the invisible God is made visible. To see the Son is to encounter the Father.
Yet Jesus most often refers to Himself as the Son of Man.
This title reaches back to the vision in Daniel, where one like the Son of Man is given dominion, glory, and an everlasting kingdom. It carries both humility and authority. It affirms true humanity, yet also declares divine appointment. When Jesus uses this title, He is revealing Himself as the One who stands in the place of humanity, representing us before God, while also bringing God’s reign into the world.
In Him, heaven and earth meet. As the Son of God, He comes from the Father. As the Son of Man, He comes for humanity. His identity is not divided. It is perfectly unified, and it is through this unity that His mission unfolds.
Jesus speaks of this in John 3, where He says that the Son of Man has descended from heaven and must be lifted up. The One who comes down is the One who is lifted up. The cross is not an interruption of His mission. It is its fulfillment. In His lifting up, both in sacrifice and in exaltation, we see who He is and why He came.
And His mission is clear: to reveal the Father.
Jesus lives in complete dependence on the Father. He does what He sees the Father doing. He speaks what He hears the Father saying. His life is a visible expression of the invisible God. Every act of compassion, every word of truth, every moment of restoration reveals the heart of the Father.
This is most clearly seen in the giving of the Son. God’s love is not abstract. It is demonstrated. The sending of Jesus reveals the depth of divine love, a love that gives, seeks, and restores. This is agape, a self-giving, sacrificial love that moves toward us for our good.
Yet His mission goes further. It is not only to reveal God, but to restore humanity.
Scripture tells us that God’s purpose is to bring many sons to glory, conforming them to the image of His Son. The word often translated sons is huios, which speaks of mature children, those who share in inheritance and likeness. This is not only about belonging to God’s family. It is about being formed into His image.
Jesus is not only the Son. He is the pattern. In Him, a new humanity begins. What was fractured in Adam is restored in Christ. He becomes the head of a new creation. Humanity is not only forgiven. It is recreated, renewed, and brought into alignment with God’s original intent.
And this new life is expressed through love. Everything in the ministry of Jesus flows from love. His message reveals the kingdom, but it is a kingdom defined by love. His miracles restore what is broken. His teachings realign the heart. His suffering reveals the depth of His obedience and compassion.
At the center stands the cross. Here, the Son of God gives Himself. Here, the Son of Man represents humanity. The cross is where love is fully revealed and restoration is fully opened.
But why does this all matter? Because we are made in the image of God. And that image is now fully revealed in Christ.
To know Jesus is to discover who we are called to become. We are called to be conformed to His image, to receive and live out our identity as children of God in Him. The same Spirit who reveals Christ also forms Christ within us.
We are not only called to admire Him. We are called to resemble Him.
And just as He revealed the Father, we are called to reveal the Father through lives shaped by His love. This is not a love of words alone, but a life of action, sacrifice, and faithfulness.
To know Him, then, is not a one-time moment. It is an ongoing encounter.
In Scripture, to know carries the sense of relationship, experience, and participation. It is to walk with Him, to remain in Him, and to be shaped by Him. As we continue in this knowing, His life becomes active within us. His love reshapes us. His identity begins to define us.
And so the journey of faith is not simply about learning more information. It is about knowing Him more deeply. Because in knowing Him, we come into life.
Lord Jesus, reveal Yourself to me more deeply. Help me to know You not only in understanding, but in experience. Form Your life within me, shape my heart by Your love, and teach me to reflect the Father as You have revealed Him. Amen.