Since I preached on John 17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” I concentrated on the knowing eternal in that verse.

But I was struck anew as we read the readings for the 7^th Sunday of Easter how many times know was emphasized in the texts.   It happens quite often that new insights arise as the texts are being read during worship.  Sometimes I think I should discard my sermon and go in a different direction.  Perhaps there are pastors who could do that on the spur of the moment, but that simply would not work for me, that’s not my gift.

Jesus goes onto pray to his Father, in v. 6, “I have made manifest (made known) your name.”  V. 7, “Now they know…” v. 8, (They) have come to know the truth that I come from you.”

In the Introit, Psalm 100:2, “Know that the Lord is God!” From the Psalm for the day, Psalm 25, we read in v. 4, “Make me to know your ways O Lord.”

These uses of “know” point to a deep relationship with God in which the believer experiences the presence of God and deepens one’s own faith.

In the First lesson from Acts 1, it’s the Lord who knows the larger group of disciples.  The disciples need to pick a replacement for Judas.  “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two (Barsabbas or Matthias) you have chosen…”

All of this “Knowing” leads to the declaration from Psalm 11, “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.