Jump Start # 104 

1 Peter 1:8 “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,”

  Peter in his opening sentences of his letter reminds the brethren of the great value of their faith. This was important. Their faith was being tested, as if in a fire, by persecution. Genuine faith would last. What is right and what is true withstands the pressures from family, governments, or opposition.

  Twice in our verse Peter states “you have not see Him.” Peter could not say that. He HAD seen Jesus. He was one of the chosen. He was one of the three who saw Jesus transfigured. He was one of the three who saw Jesus raise Jairus’ dead daughter. He saw Lazarus come out of the grave. He saw the multitudes fed with a few loaves. He was the one who walked on water toward Jesus. He was in the garden and drew the sword when Jesus was arrested. He was in the court yard while Jesus was being tried. It was the resurrected Jesus who instructed Mary to go tell Peter. He came. He looked into the empty grave. He later saw the Lord. He witnessed Jesus ascending into Heaven. Peter saw it all. He knew what Jesus looked like. He heard His voice. He traveled with Him. He asked Jesus questions. The memories were long. Some were not pleasant. Jesus rebuked Peter and called him Satan after Peter said Jesus would never die. The Lord said Peter had little faith when he doubted and fear overcame him as he walked on the water. Then there was the look Jesus gave Peter after he denied the Lord three times. That caused Peter to weep bitterly.

  The brethren Peter were writing to did not have a history with Jesus like Peter did. It was not first hand. They never saw Jesus. They heard about Him from those who did see. Even though they did not see, they loved Jesus and they rejoiced greatly because of Jesus. Their knowledge of Jesus was faith based. They knew Jesus, understood Jesus and loved Jesus.

  We are like those people. We have not seen Jesus, yet we love Him and rejoice greatly because of Him. We have come to believe, as these people did, the testimony and message of those who did see Jesus. We walk by faith. It is not a blind faith, but a factual and trustworthy faith. In a court of law, one person in the room may have been a witness to the crime. The testimony of that person can be enough to convict someone of the wrong they did. The witness will be question and cross examined. Their evidence will undergo intense and thorough investigation and in the end if it stands, the defendant will be found guilty. The evidence of one witness. Our faith examines, investigates and studies the evidence God provided. Is the Bible reliable? Did God write it? Did the things about Jesus really happen? Are there other possibilities? Are the witnesses credible? Do their stories match? Is it true?

  Though you have not see Him, you believe. You believe as if you were there. You believe so sure that you are willing to be persecuted. You believe so much that you will not back done or turn away. Faith. There is a song similar to this passage that says we did not see…yet we believe!

  Is your faith absolute? Are you certain? Do you know, even though you weren’t there? God wants you to. He has provided not one, but many witnesses and strong evidence so you, like these people, can love Jesus even though you have never seen Him.

Roger