Knowledge Isn’t Enough
“And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” - Matthew 2:4-6
As we continue to look at the people in Matthew and Luke who missed out on an opportunity to know Jesus, we turn our attention to a group of people who missed their opportunity to get closer to Jesus. These were the priests and scribes in Matthew 2:4-6.
This passage says, “And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”
These were men who prided themselves on their religious knowledge. They knew all the prophecies and the scriptures that foretold the Messiah’s coming. They knew that the Messiah was God’s representative sent to liberate their people, and yet when He came, they didn’t leave their own homes to go see Him.
They could have hitched a ride with the wise men, but they didn’t because, for them, all that mattered was religious knowledge. Knowing where to find the answers to people’s religious questions in the Bible is what they thought made one religious.
It wasn’t relational. It was historical to them. And because of that, they missed out on the actual chance to meet Jesus themselves.
My friend, knowledge isn’t enough. It isn’t enough to know about Jesus, to know the Bible and what it says. It’s not just the knowledge that makes you know Jesus. It takes a real, personal relationship with Him.
Without that personal relationship, like the priests and scribes, you will miss out on Jesus. Knowing Jesus comes from a relationship, not from acquiring knowledge!
As we continue to look at the people in Matthew and Luke who missed out on an opportunity to know Jesus, we turn our attention to a group of people who missed their opportunity to get closer to Jesus. These were the priests and scribes in Matthew 2:4-6.
This passage says, “And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”
These were men who prided themselves on their religious knowledge. They knew all the prophecies and the scriptures that foretold the Messiah’s coming. They knew that the Messiah was God’s representative sent to liberate their people, and yet when He came, they didn’t leave their own homes to go see Him.
They could have hitched a ride with the wise men, but they didn’t because, for them, all that mattered was religious knowledge. Knowing where to find the answers to people’s religious questions in the Bible is what they thought made one religious.
It wasn’t relational. It was historical to them. And because of that, they missed out on the actual chance to meet Jesus themselves.
My friend, knowledge isn’t enough. It isn’t enough to know about Jesus, to know the Bible and what it says. It’s not just the knowledge that makes you know Jesus. It takes a real, personal relationship with Him.
Without that personal relationship, like the priests and scribes, you will miss out on Jesus. Knowing Jesus comes from a relationship, not from acquiring knowledge!
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