Let Us Know Jesus

Peter.  A great man of God.  One of Jesus' closest disciples.  A witness of the transfiguration of Jesus.  A guest at the last supper.  This man observed Jesus intimately.  He knew Him as only a handful knew Him.  He talked with Him and learned from Him.  He watched Him preform miracles and bring the dead to life.  He watched his beautiful Savior be beaten to shreds, mocked and cursed, and then hung on a tree in the most painful of deaths.

He knew this Jesus.

Do we?

Do you know Him well enough to take a beating for Him?  

Peter did.  According to historical records, Peter was crucified for the sake of His Savior. And when he was nailed to that cross, he asked to be crucified upside down, considering it too great an honor to die the way His precious Lord did.  How well he must have loved the Lord Jesus Christ to consider it too great an honor to die in the same position.

He knew this Jesus.

Do we?  I have been really challenged over this past week.  As I examined my own heart, I realized that I didn't really love Him enough to willingly take a beating for Him and to voluntarily be crucified upside down rather than the same way He was murdered.

Oh, how I long to know my Savior and King as Peter knew Him.

To walk with Him daily.  To bring every matter before Him.  To dwell upon the things that He has done for me.  To study His words.  To learn of His character.  To read His Scriptures.

This Jesus took a beating for you and me.  He gave everything He had for us on the cross.  He laid down His precious life and shed His pure blood for us.  For us!

What is this God like, Who would love us so much?  What makes His heart beat so longingly to know us and to be known by us?  This King gave up everything He had to draw us to Himself.

Let us cry out for more of Him.

May we never be satisfied with the little we really know of Him, but pursue Him ever more.  Until we are willing to joyously die for His sake, let us get to know Him more.  He will reveal Himself to us.  He will show Himself worthy of our entire lives.  We must only seek to know Him.

James 4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Jeremiah 33:3 "‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’"