Understanding Power

Can you imagine your name in that list, being sent out by Jesus to cast out unclean spirits and heal every disease? It’s a striking thought. The disciples were ordinary men with limited training, still early in their journey with Jesus, carrying questions and misunderstandings—yet Jesus sent them.

It’s likely they often didn’t understand what was happening or how it worked. In The Chosen, the disciples voice questions many believers still ask: Why did Jesus give the power but not the understanding? Why speak truths that aren’t fully grasped yet? Their tension feels familiar.

Often, people long to understand first and act second. It feels safer that way. But Jesus reverses the order. He sends first and teaches as we go. Obedience becomes the classroom. Experience begins shaping belief, revealing Jesus’ heart, and opening deeper understanding. Questions that arise from obedience are often the questions that lead to true growth.

That is the beauty of 1 John 1. John doesn’t begin with doctrine but with experience: what he has heard, seen, observed, and touched. Faith here is rooted not in theory but in encounter with the Word of life Himself. Jesus invites His followers into this same pattern today: to step out, to practice obedience, to learn Him not only with the mind but through lived experience.

His call is not merely to know about Him but to know Him—through listening, watching, walking, serving, and trusting. Understanding grows on the road of obedience, not apart from it.

Reflection Questions

• Do you tend to seek complete understanding before acting? Why?
• Can Jesus ever be fully understood? What does that mean for trust and obedience??
• Does overthinking ever hinder obedience? What helps loosen that grip?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for inviting me to experience life with You. I don't want to just know about You, I want to know You personally. Reveal more of who You are as I walk in obedience with You. Amen.