Jump Start # 115

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 is writing about faith. The verse before talks about the “proof of your faith,” the verse after talks about the “outcome of your faith.” Peter is not giving a symposium on faith, but is talking about THEIR faith.

  In our verse today, Peter twice mentions seeing Jesus. He talks about the past (though you have not seen Him) and the present (though you do not see Him now). Even though Peter’s audience had NEVER seen Jesus, they came to believe in Him and love Him and rejoice because of Him. Although it is not mentioned here, we can’t help but see a contrast between Peter and his audience. Peter HAD seen Jesus. He walked on water with Jesus. He was one of the three invited to witness the transfiguration of Jesus. He saw the healings, he heard the lessons. Not only is there a contrast in Peter seeing and the audience not seeing, but we also remember, at the end of John, Jesus asking Peter if he loved Him. Three times Jesus asked Peter that. Here, the audience had no first hand experience with Jesus. They never saw what He actually looked like. They never actually heard His voice. They never witnessed what Peter did, yet they came to believe, love and rejoice in the Lord.

  How did they do that? The same way you and I do, by faith. Jesus had said, “blessed are those who have not seen yet believed.” We wonder and we ask, “would we loved more if we had seen?” “Would we have stronger faith if we had been there?” In some ways we might think yes. But with that yes comes a faith that is based upon our senses, what we have seen and heard. Peter’s audience had a faith based upon trust and confidence in the word. Like us, we see through faith. The miracles, the lessons, the stories become alive as we read them. It is as if we were there. Our faith is not based upon our eyes and our ears, but upon our heart and the confidence and trustworthiness of the word of God.

  I like those simple words Peter uses here: believe, love and rejoice. We believe in Jesus. We love Jesus. We rejoice because of Jesus. And as a result, our lives have changed and we are the better. Faith, love and rejoicing, these three words define the heart and attitude of the Christian today. Worship ought to be faith, love and rejoicing.

  One day things will be different. It’s hard to imagine. One day, we shall see Him. One day we shall be with Him. One day we will be in His presence. What a glorious day that will be! Keep believing. Keep loving. Keep rejoicing.

Roger

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