Nougat 11

How familiar are you with this phrase: ’if you know you know’? Usually it’s just the abbreviation IYKYK, which also expects that we know the abbreviation. The thing is, the phrase alludes to inside knowledge and suggests that there’s no need to say anything else. In today’s Holy Nougat we might hear IYKYK implied. What a blessing to be in the know.

“But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭63‬-‭64‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the know

Isaiah the prophet knew, and gave us the insight: ‘like a sheep to the slaughter, a lamb before its shearer is dumb, he opened not his mouth …’ (Isaiah 53:7). In an ironic twist, the Good Shepherd becomes the sheep, the Lamb of God on Whom the world’s sin rests. And this Sheep/Good Shepherd was not guilty of eating or starving His sheep (Ezekiel 34).

As One Who held the key to eternal life, Jesus knew Who He was. And with that clear knowledge, Jesus opted for silence, there was nothing left for Him to say, in His silence Jesus spoke volumes. Can you also hear the unspoken message to the high priest, ‘You’re the keeper of the Torah and You question my identity! If you know you know!’

Without missing a beat, the truth bubbled up from the high priest’s soul – ‘I know but I don’t want to believe, tell me’. And that was Jesus’ cue to affirm the high priest’s confession. Yes, affirm. Look at what Jesus said: ’You have said it. And *in the future you will see the Son of Man* seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ That’s only for persons who are in Heaven, isn’t it?

If it is, then the high priest seems to have won himself a one-way ticket to Heaven. A little surprising isn’t it?! Yet the formula for salvation says, ‘if we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord … we shall be saved’. (I know that it also asks that we believe in Jesus’ resurrection, but I’m sure you will agree that that wasn’t yet relevant). You saw it in black and white – the high priest confessed. He was in the know.

I’m not wholly sure about the high priest’s final status on those grounds, for he still chose to take the low road. But as a Jewish high priest, he was of Aaron’s lineage, and a covenant is a covenant. What we do know is that the high priest confessed Jesus as Lord.

So what do we know, and what do our lives confess about Jesus? If we’re in the know, let’s live it so others may be in the know.

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May all we seek be found in Christ