Borrowed Revelation: Do You Know Jesus for Yourself?

Do you ever insert yourself into Scripture?

I do.

Sometimes when I am reading the Bible, I imagine what it would have been like to actually be there.

What would I have done standing at the edge of the Red Sea as the waters parted?

What would I have thought watching this young shepherd named David walk toward Goliath with nothing but a sling and a few stones?

Imagine standing there when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still.

Or being on the mountain when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John.

What would it have felt like to be in that boat watching Peter step over the side and actually walk on water?

I think many Christians do this when we read Scripture.

We place ourselves inside the story.

We imagine the sights. The sounds. The fear. The wonder. The miracles.

But recently I began thinking:

What if we inserted ourselves into Scripture in a different way?

Instead of only imagining ourselves witnessing the miracles, what if we allowed Jesus to ask us the questions He asked His disciples?

That becomes much more personal.

What Are People Saying About Me?

There is one conversation between Jesus and His disciples that I believe every Christian should eventually have with Him personally.

In Matthew 16, Jesus asks:

“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”— Matthew 16:13

The disciples had answers.

Some people thought He was John the Baptist.

Others said Elijah.

Others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

They knew what everyone was saying about Jesus.

And so do we.

If Jesus asked us that first question today, we could probably give Him plenty of answers.

“My pastor says…”

“My church teaches…”

“My parents raised me to believe…”

“My denomination believes…”

“My favorite Bible teacher says…”

“My friend told me…”

“I heard someone say on a podcast…”

We can accumulate an enormous amount of information about Jesus from other people.

And some of that information may be absolutely true.

But Jesus did not stop with that question.

He went deeper.

“But Who Do YOU Say That I Am?”

Jesus turned to His disciples and asked:

“But who do you say that I am?”— Matthew 16:15

I love that but.

It changes the entire conversation.

Yes, that is what everyone else says.

But what about you?

Who do you say that I am?

Now the disciples could no longer hide within the crowd.

Jesus was asking for something personal.

Not: “What have you heard about Me?”

Not: “What does your religious community believe about Me?”

Not even: “What have I done that impressed you?”

But: Who am I to you?

Peter answered:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus responded that Peter was blessed because this understanding had not merely come from “flesh and blood”; the Father had revealed it to him.

That distinction is powerful.

Peter had moved beyond information.

He had revelation.

Borrowed Knowledge Can Only Take You So Far

Many of us begin our Christian journey with borrowed knowledge.

And that is not necessarily wrong.

Someone has to introduce us to Jesus.

Perhaps your parents taught you about Him.

Perhaps you grew up in church.

Perhaps a friend shared the gospel with you.

Perhaps a pastor taught you Scripture.

Someone else's revelation may initially point you toward God.

But eventually, borrowed revelation must become personal revelation.

There comes a point where:

“My mother knows God”

has to become:

“I know Him.”

“My pastor says God is faithful”

has to become:

“I have discovered His faithfulness.”

“I have heard that God is good”

has to become:

“I know His goodness.”

“I was taught that God loves me”

has to become:

“I am convinced that I am loved.”

There is a difference between knowing correct information about a person and actually knowing the person.

And Christianity was never intended to remain secondhand.

Peter Had Seen What Everyone Else Had Seen

What makes Peter's answer even more interesting is that the other disciples had access to many of the same experiences.

They had heard Jesus teach.

They had witnessed extraordinary things.

They had seen miracles. They had watched Him heal.

They also healed the sick.

Yet Jesus still asked the question.

Because seeing what God does is not automatically the same as knowing who God is.

You can experience provision and still not know Him as Provider.

You can receive mercy and still struggle to believe He is merciful.

You can witness God's power and still not understand His heart.

Miracles can reveal God, but we still have to recognize the One being revealed.

This is why our relationship with God cannot be built only around experiences.

Experiences change.

Circumstances change.

Feelings change.

But revelation of His character gives the soul somewhere to stand.

Who Is Jesus When the Miracle Doesn't Happen?

This is where the question becomes even more important.

It is relatively easy to say God is good when life feels good.

But who do you say He is when the prayer has not been answered?

Who is He when you are disappointed?

Who is He when your body is sick?

Who is He when the door remains closed?

Who is He when someone you love is hurting?

Who is He when you do not understand what He is doing?

Those seasons expose whether our knowledge of God is merely theoretical.

If I only know God as good because someone told me He is good, difficult circumstances may convince me otherwise.

But when His goodness has become revelation within me, circumstances may challenge my understanding without completely dismantling my confidence in His character.

I may not understand what He is doing.

But I know who He is.

There is tremendous stability in that.

The Blessing Is in the Knowing

Jesus called Peter blessed.

Not because Peter knew what everyone else thought.

The disciples had answered that question together.

The blessing came with personal revelation.

And I believe there is something here for us.

There is a blessing in knowing God for yourself.

When you know Him personally, you are no longer completely dependent on someone else's relationship with Him to sustain yours.

You can appreciate teachers without needing them to be your source.

You can receive from pastors without making their revelation a substitute for your own relationship.

You can listen to sermons, read books, attend conferences, and learn from mature believers.

But all of those things should ultimately lead you toward Him.

They should make you want to know Him for yourself.

Personal Revelation Changes How We Live

Knowing Jesus personally is not merely about having a deeper spiritual experience.

It changes how we live.

If I personally know Him as Father, I approach Him differently.

If I know Him as Provider, anxiety about provision loses its power.

If I know Him as merciful, I can repent instead of hiding.

If I know Him as trustworthy, I can obey even when I do not understand.

If I know I am loved, I do not have to spend my life desperately trying to earn love from everyone else.

This is why revelation produces transformation.

How you see God affects how you live.

Knowing Jesus and the Journey to Wholeness

And this is where I believe the question becomes foundational to our journey of wholeness.

Wholeness begins much deeper than behavior.

We can improve our food.

Improve our sleep.

Exercise regularly.

Manage stress.

Build healthier relationships.

And all of those things matter tremendously.

But true wholeness begins within.

Because beneath many of our behaviors are beliefs.

What do I believe about myself?

What do I believe about my body?

What do I believe about suffering?

What do I believe about worth?

What do I believe about rest?

What do I believe about God?

Our understanding of God becomes an anchor for the soul.

If I believe He is constantly angry with me, I may live in fear.

If I believe His love must be earned, I may live in constant performance.

If I believe He cannot be trusted, I may try desperately to control everything.

If I believe He is distant, I may look elsewhere to satisfy needs that were meant to be brought to Him.

But when I increasingly know Him as He truly is, something begins to settle inside me.

My spirit becomes rooted in Him.

My soul becomes safer in His love.

My thoughts begin to align with truth.

My behaviors can then begin to flow from a healthier place.

Wholeness is not simply knowing what to do. It is becoming whole from the inside out because we increasingly know the One who made us.

Your Revelation Will Continue to Grow

There is another important truth here.

Peter's answer was correct, but Peter had not learned everything there was to know about Jesus.

In fact, immediately after this conversation, Jesus began teaching the disciples about His coming suffering and death—and Peter struggled with it.

His revelation was real, but it was incomplete.

I find that encouraging.

Knowing God personally does not mean understanding everything about Him.

We will spend our entire lives discovering the depths of who He is.

There will be moments when He challenges our assumptions.

Seasons when our theology becomes deeper.

Experiences that reveal dimensions of His character we had previously known only intellectually.

The question “Who do you say that I am?” is therefore not one we answer only once.

We keep answering it throughout our lives.

And hopefully, every year, our answer becomes richer.

Now Put Yourself in the Story

So the next time you read Matthew 16, insert yourself into the story.

Imagine Jesus sitting across from you.

Forget, for a moment, what everyone else has told you.

Forget the polished Sunday-school answer.

And hear Him ask:

“Who do YOU say that I am?”

What have you personally discovered about Him?

Who has He revealed Himself to be in your life?

What do you know about His character—not merely because someone taught it to you, but because you have walked with Him?

And where are you still living primarily on someone else's revelation?

Do not be content merely knowing about Jesus.

Know Him.

Seek Him.

Walk with Him.

Allow Scripture to reveal Him.

Allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate His character.

Allow your life with Him to move truth from your head into your heart.

Because someone else's revelation may introduce you to Jesus.

But it cannot replace knowing Him for yourself.

The blessing is in the knowing.

And I believe the journey toward true wholeness begins there.

I love you,

Oyin.