Many of us spend our lives trying to be known—on social media, in our communities, or in our professional circles. But there's a deeper, more profound type of knowing that Jesus offers. Today, we'll explore what it means to be truly known by God and how this transforms our witness.
John 1:47-49 "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!' Nathanael said to Him, 'How do You know me?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' Nathanael answered Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.'"
Have you ever been caught off guard by someone who seemed to know you better than they should? That's exactly what happened to Nathanael. When Jesus calls him "an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit," Nathanael responds with profound skepticism: "How do You know me?"
What follows is one of the most captivating moments in this first chapter. Jesus says, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Whatever happened under that fig tree was something so intimate, so personal, and so exclusive between God and Nathanael that Jesus saying "I saw you" was enough to transform Nathanael from a skeptic to a believer in an instant.
I don't know what happened under that fig tree, and neither did anyone else—and that's precisely the point. God knew. Jesus was telling Nathanael, "I know what only God can know."
Maybe Nathanael was praying, "God, if You're real, if You're really real, please prove Yourself to me." Or perhaps he was wrestling with some private struggle or contemplating some personal question. Whatever it was, Jesus says, "I knew you before that moment, I knew you in that moment, and I know you now."
There are many definitions of what it means to be a follower of Christ, but at the top of the list, you could say a Christian is someone who is known by God. Why do I say "known by God" instead of "knowing God"? Jesus will tell unbelievers in Matthew 7:23, "I never knew you," but to the faithful follower, He says, "My omniscience reaches even the depths of your human heart. I know you."
This is transformative. When we realize that the God of the universe—the One who spoke galaxies into existence—intimately knows us, it changes everything. We're no longer performing for acceptance. We're no longer hiding our true selves. We're known, fully known, and still loved.
And look at Nathanael's response: "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!" This is a radical confession of faith. From skepticism to worship in an instant. Why? Because being truly known by God is compelling evidence of His divinity and lordship.
You may be a puzzle to others. You may even be a puzzle to yourself sometimes. But the God who knit you together in your mother's womb says, "I know you." Not just the carefully curated version of yourself that you present to the world, but the real you—with all your doubts, fears, struggles, and failings.
And here's the beautiful paradox: it's only when we embrace being fully known by God that we're truly freed to make Him known to others. When we stop hiding and performing, when we live in the reality of His intimate knowledge of us, our witness becomes authentic rather than artificial.
Jesus promises Nathanael, "You will see greater things than these." The same is true for us. When we root our identity in being known by God, He promises to reveal more of Himself to us than we could ever imagine.
What aspects of yourself do you try to hide from others? Do you try to hide these same things from God?
How might your relationships change if you lived fully in the reality of being known by God?
When was the last time you felt God's intimate knowledge of you? How did it affect your faith?
Stay dialed in,
Jonny Ardavanis