Do You Know God?
A Sermon on John 8:19
Originally preached July 10, 1960
Scripture
19Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.
Sermon Description
There is no higher goal in life than to know God. But how can sinful humans ever hope of having a true relationship with the Creator of all things? In this sermon on John 8:19 titled “Do You Know God?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says the answer is found in Jesus alone. Fallen sinners can only come to God through His Son. Only by believing in Him as their Savior and Lord can they be freed from sin and adopted into the family of God as heirs. Knowledge of God is exclusive, for it comes only through knowing Jesus Christ and becoming His disciple. The Bible is clear that God has only made salvation possible through Jesus Christ. He is the only one who has suffered and died for sinners, and He is the only one who has been resurrected for the salvation of sinners. This sermon proclaims the timeless truth that all are in need of a Savior and that God has provided a Savior in His Son. This message is a call to all to believe and repent of their sins. It is a call to come to Jesus so that they might know God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The most important thing in life is to know God. Not just know about Him but truly know Him through fellowship and relationship.
- God is our maker and creator. We were made in His image and for His glory. We can only understand ourselves and the world through knowing God.
- We seek happiness, peace and purpose. These can only be found through knowing God, the source of every good gift.
- Our lives and times are in God's hands. We cannot escape Him or avoid Him. We must stand before Him in judgment. This is reason to seek to know Him.
- The Pharisees opposed Jesus because of His exclusive claims. He claimed to be the only way to God which offended them.
- Jesus' claims are true because of who He is - the Son of God. No other religious figure can compare.
- Jesus' claims are true because of what He alone has done - revealed God, reconciled us to God and given us new life.
- Jesus reveals God fully. The prophets only gave partial revelation. Jesus is the fullness of God in bodily form.
- Jesus alone could reconcile us to God by taking our sins upon Himself. No animal sacrifice could ever be enough. Only Jesus, the sinless sacrifice could atone for sin.
- Jesus alone gives new life through the new birth. No one else can impart eternal life or the divine nature.
- Jesus is a sympathetic high priest who intercedes for us. He endured all we endure and more, so He understands fully.
- Jesus will present us faultless before God, able to stand in His presence. No one else can do this.
- We must come to Jesus alone for salvation and knowing God. No one else will suffice. He alone is the all-sufficient Savior.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Mean by Knowing God Personally?
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "knowing God" versus just knowing about God?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, knowing God is fundamentally different from merely knowing about God. In the sermon, he explains that the word "know" as used in the Bible "carries the sense of a certain intimacy. It conveys the whole notion of fellowship, of a trafficking taking place. A personal living, communicative knowledge." He contrasts this with the superficial knowledge of those who say "I've always believed in God" but have no personal relationship with Him. True knowledge of God involves real fellowship, communion, and communication with God—God being "real to you" rather than just a concept.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe Jesus is the only way to know God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus made an exclusive claim about being the only path to knowing God when He said, "If ye had known me, ye should have known my father also." Lloyd-Jones presents several reasons for this exclusivity:
- Because of who Jesus is - the Son of God, not merely a human teacher
- The incarnation and crucifixion would have been unnecessary if other paths to God existed
- Only Jesus provides perfect knowledge of God as "the brightness of his glory"
- Only Jesus can remove our sin and reconcile us to God
- Only Jesus can impart new spiritual life that enables communion with God
- Only Jesus serves as our eternal High Priest who "ever liveth to make intercession"
Why were the Pharisees offended by Jesus according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Pharisees were deeply offended by the "uniqueness, the exclusiveness of his claim." Despite being highly religious leaders and moral people, Jesus told them "you don't know my father" and claimed that they couldn't know God except through Him. This was "the rock of offense" because Jesus was "virtually saying that all their religion was useless. They're fasting twice in the week and giving attempts of the goods to the poor. They might as well not have done it. It availed them nothing." The Pharisees understood the implication of Jesus' teaching—that salvation was entirely in Him with no alternatives—and this is what ultimately "infuriated them" and led them to crucify Him.
What are the main reasons Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives for seeking to know God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents several compelling reasons why people should seek to know God:
- Because of who God is - the glorious, infinite, omnipotent Creator
- Because God is our maker and creator - we can only understand ourselves and human nature by understanding God
- Because God is the source of all blessings - peace, rest, joy, and happiness
- Because our life and times are in His hands - true security is found only in Him
- Because God is the eternal judge - we will all stand before Him after death
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address objections to Christianity's exclusive claims?
Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that many find Christianity's exclusivity offensive, with people asking "Why are you so exclusive? Why not say other religions have their insights too?" He responds to this objection primarily by focusing on:
- The uniqueness of Christ as the Son of God compared to mere human teachers
- The logic that God would not have allowed His Son to endure the incarnation, suffering, and crucifixion if there were other ways to salvation
- The unique ability of Christ to meet humanity's deepest needs which no other religious figure can address:
- Perfect knowledge of God
- Reconciliation with God through removal of sin
- New spiritual life
- Ongoing intercession as our High Priest
His argument is that Christianity's exclusivity isn't arbitrary but follows necessarily from who Jesus is and what He alone can do for humanity.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.