Walking with Jesus

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? - John 14:9a

Have you ever been around someone for a long time…and then one day you realize you still don’t really know them? That’s what’s happening in John 14:9. Philip has been with Jesus. He’s heard the sermons. He’s watched the miracles. He’s seen demons run, and crowds lean in. And still Jesus looks at him—patient, steady, kind—and says, “Have I been with you so long, and you still don’t know me?”

Jesus isn’t snapping at him. He’s inviting him (picture a smile on His face). It’s like Jesus is saying, “Philip, come closer…

·       Philip, don’t just know what I can do—know Me.

·       Philip, don’t only come for what I give. Come for who I am.

·       Philip, don’t just know My name—know My nature.

That’s the strange thing about faith: we can be close to church stuff and still keep Jesus at arm’s length. We can know the songs but not the Conductor, the stories but not the Storyteller, the rules and the routines but not the purpose. We can know the blessings… but not know the Blesser. We can talk about Jesus, serve for Jesus, even build a life around Jesus—and still not step into a relationship with Jesus.

And Jesus wants a relationship with YOU.

Not the kind where you wave from across the room. Not the kind where you only talk when you need something. Real relationship, where hearts match up. Where you start to recognize His voice. Where you trust Him enough to be honest. Where you stop pretending.

And when that closeness happens, something changes. You gain purpose and potential. You start to bear fruit—not forced fruit, not fake fruit, but fruit that is authentic to the will of God and the way God made you. You become a branch connected to a vine.

When this happens, you become the kind of person who can keep pouring because Jesus keeps filling. You keep spending because Jesus keeps giving. You keep serving because Jesus was, is, and always will be the Servant-King.

Why can you do this? Because you’re not empty anymore. When Jesus becomes the deepest relationship in your life, you don’t have to beg people to fill the holes in your soul. You don’t live starving for attention or desperate for sympathy. You still hurt. You still need people. But you’re not needy in the same way—because the deepest place in you has been met by your closest friend - Jesus.

And here’s the beautiful part: when you’re truly close to Jesus, you don’t leave people with a big impression of you. You leave them with an impression of Him. Here is a beautiful truth it took me a lifetime to learn. Living, loving, laughing, and leading like Jesus (our closest friend) fulfills a greater purpose: God having a relationship with every living soul.

So maybe the question today isn’t, “Do I know about Jesus?” Maybe the question is: Do I know Jesus? And if your heart whispers, “Not like I want to”—that’s not failure. That’s an invitation.

-Blessings,

Pastor Corey