Rooting Our Identity in christ: Understood

Not only are we known. We are understood.

In our last devotional, we talked about how well God knows us and we took a look at some verses from Psalm 139. Let’s take another look at Psalm 139:1-2 today:

“O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.”

God’s knowledge of us is not just knowing who we are, but also truly understanding us. Understanding our thoughts as this verse says, and understanding our struggles and day to day lives.

Just as we long to be known, we also long to be understood. No one wants to feel misunderstood. Sometimes we blow it and don’t act or say things in quite the right way, and that can lead to being misunderstood. Sometimes people who have been hurt by others have their own struggles and presume that we have bad intent like other people have had in their lives have. Other times we may never know the reason that someone misunderstands our words, actions, or even who we are as a person. No matter what the reason is, being misunderstood doesn’t feel good.

In fact, we long for people to understand us, and for close friends, family, and loved ones to really get us. I think this is why gifts can be so meaningful sometimes. No matter the size or monetary value, the best gifts are those that show that someone gets us. They understand.

We can know that even when it feels like those closest to us just don’t get us, Jesus truly understands us. He was God’s great gift to us, showing us that He understands. He understood better than even we did that what we needed most was to be forgiven and have a restored relationship with Him. We see that in John 3:16, one of the most famous verses in the Bible:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant and was trying to decide what to do, an angel spoke to him in a dream saying:

“‘She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’”
(Matthew 1:21-23)

Immanuel, God with us. He hear this phrase at Christmas, but do we really understand what it means? God sent Jesus to the world to be “God with us”. He was fully God, but also fully man. He lived in this world just as we do, except He did it perfectly and gave Himself up as a sacrifice for us. Because He came to live with us, He experienced the same things we do. He was hurt. He was betrayed. He got angry. He rejoiced. He grieved. He loved. He got frustrated and indignant. He had compassion. He enjoyed life and suffered in life just as we do. Hebrews 4:14-16 puts it this way:

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Jesus can “sympathize” with our weaknesses. He knows what it’s like. He doesn’t just know us. He truly understands us. What we are feeling, He felt. He knows what it’s like and we can draw near to Him in confidence that with Him we are truly and deeply understood.