This article is about our personal relationship with Jesus Christ: personal knowledge and this relationship with Jesus, and doctrine and our relationship with Jesus.

Source: Clarion, 2000. 2 pages.

A Personal Relationship with Jesus

Christians derive their name from Jesus Christ. That name does not necessarily say all that much, however, for people can be called Dutch without knowing much about the Netherlands. The real issue is whether Christians are giving an important place to Jesus Christ in their lives. Is He important for them, or is He neglected? A special expression is often used to indicate the need for interacting with Him: “having a personal relationship with Jesus.” And church people may be confronted with the question: “Do you have a personal relationship with Him?” 1

Implicit in this question is a rejection of having a formal relationship with Jesus. And in the background an aversion against the doctrine of Jesus may be detected. Should we not communicate with Him rather than debate about Him? Believing is not knowing some facts about someone but it is a living communication and interaction with a person. If it is to mean anything, a personal relationship with Jesus should be the centre of the Christian life.

The question as such whether we should have a personal relationship with Jesus is not hard to answer. Imagine having an impersonal relationship with Him! We have an impersonal relationship with the things we own. We may like the house we live in, and make it suit our taste. We may be proud of the car we drive, and may even talk to it when it has safely delivered us to our destination. We know, however, that these are dead things, and we merely imagined them to be personal. No one has a personal relationship with some piece of property he owns.

Animals are different, particularly pets. Not only are they alive, they have a character of their own. Animals have a certain individuality. They respond to us in different ways, according to their character. We become attached to them, yet we do not have a personal relationship with them. They do interact with us, but on their own level, not on a personal level.

Jesus, on the other hand, is a human person, and with Him we can have a personal relationship. It would not be right if we treated Him like a thing, even a treasured possession. We can interact with Him on a personal level. It is obvious that we should have a personal and not a formal relationship with Jesus.

And here the discussion often ends. That is regrettable for it leaves us with questions that are not answered. It makes quite a difference what kind of person He is. We interact with many people in various ways. The way we live with our parents is different from the way we behave when we are among our friends. When we have the elders visit us we act differently from when we speak with acquaintances at a reception. We do need to maintain a personal relationship with Jesus, but the real issue is: what kind of relationship is it?

Who is Jesus?🔗

The Bible, particularly the New Testament, provides us with abundant information. We will have to limit ourselves to a quick glance through the shortest gospel, that of Mark, which gives us the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God (see Mark 1:1).

His first recorded words can be found in Mark 1 when he called fishermen to become his special followers and witnesses. Verse 21 goes on to tell us what He wanted them to witness: Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. When someone possessed by an evil spirit attempts to prevent Him Jesus orders the spirit to go out from the man. The people respond with amazement: “What is this? A new teaching – and with authority” (v. 27).

That is how He first became known: as a teacher. He went around to preach in nearby villages (1:38, 39). He preached in houses (2:2), in the open air (2:13) and in synagogues (3:1). He taught in different ways, by explaining things in a straightforward way and by speaking in parables (4:1). He is addressed as “teacher” (5:35). This function even came up at his trial, when they made fun of Him as a prophet. They blindfolded Him, hit Him and then asked whether He could tell who had struck Him (14:65). Jesus showed himself first of all as the great teacher and prophet who made known God’s will.

Another aspect of his work comes out when He said: “Even the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45). This refers to his sacrifice on the cross. He had the power to come down from the cross, but He did not want to do so and died on the cross. In all this, He sacrificed himself for the sins of his people, as it is particularly explained in the epistle to the Hebrews.

Jesus showed a third aspect of his work when he entered Jerusalem riding on a colt. The people correctly understood this a royal presentation: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David” (11:10). This aspect, too, came up at his trial, when He was asked the question: “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus in his answer acknowledged his royal position: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (14:62). The ridicule of the written notice on the cross confirms this: “The King of the Jews” (15:26).

Jesus is the prophet who made God’s revelation known, the priest who sacrificed himself, and the king who ascended into heaven, is seated on his throne and reigns at God’s right hand. Actually, this is the Christian teaching of the threefold position of Jesus Christ, as developed in the doctrine of the church (see the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 12). The doctrine shows us who He is. All this means that we cannot have a biblically correct, personal relationship with Jesus if we neglect the doctrine.

Our Relationship to Him🔗

What this means is that we need the doctrine to have a proper personal relationship with Jesus. Personal relationship and doctrine are not opposites; rather, they go together and need one another. Our personal relationship to Jesus is characterized by who He is. He is first of all the greatest prophet. More than anyone else in the Old and New Testament, He explained to us God’s work and his will. That casts us in the role of listeners, or rather, students. The people had to listen to the prophets sent by God. However, in the case of Jesus, He spoke as the one who had perfect personal knowledge of God’s thoughts. A personal relationship with Jesus requires from us a humble, listening attitude. We submit unconditionally to what He told us.

Our personal relationship to Him is further determined by the fact that He is the priest who sacrificed Himself on the cross. We have sinned against God; we are guilty; we deserve punishment. He took our guilt upon Himself, and underwent the punishment for us. We owe our very lives to Him who bought us with his blood. He owns us and we are his possession, with body and soul.

And our personal relationship to Jesus is determined by the fact that He is in heaven, where God has installed Him as King. We have to obey Him. This means for us that we must live in total submission to Him who is the King of heaven and earth. We must obey and eagerly do his will here on earth.

We have to bow deeply before Jesus Christ for we are so far below Him. All the more it is surprising that He, our Prophet, Priest and King has established a personal relationship with us, who are lowly, weak and sinful people.

Endnotes🔗

  1. ^ J. Bolt made some interesting remarks on this expression, in his ‘Editorial’ in Calvin Theological Journal 34, 1 (April 1999) 7f.

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