At this point in time in Peters life, Peter knew that Jesus was the son of the Living God and the Messiah. However, he didn't know Jesus in a deeper and more intimate personal level . He knew Jesus in the way that he had been taught at home and in church/synagogue . His relationship with Jesus was based on the knowledge that had been passed down to him through his parents and and his pastor/rabbi. His knowledge and depth of understanding of "The Messiah" was not yet personal and intimate - he believed that Jesus was the Messiah and accepted Him and loved him, but; his heart and mind was still at the infancy level. He had not yet moved into a personal and intimate depth with Jesus. His standpoint still consisted of a worldly view point and was based on the knowledge that had been taught to him at the synagogue and home. The Jews thought that "The Messiah" would come and deliver them from the control of the Romans and overthrow the government that oppressed them. They believed that Messiah would bring about a political deliverance. In reality at this point in time, Peter's personal relationship was still young and needed time to grow and learn who Jesus really was and what His mission was on this earth.
It is so sad that many of us are very much like Peter was at this point in his walk with Jesus. Unlike Peter- many of us never grow or learn who Jesus is at a personal level. Many of us remain infants and rely on pastors and teachers to teach us. So many folks only know Jesus from the perspective of their pastor and/ or their Sunday school teachers. Their relationship with Jesus is second hand - the knowledge that is being fed to them is from a corporate standpoint and not at a personal level. The knowledge that they are living with on a day to day basis - is from someones else point of view. Getting to know Jesus is the most important thing you can do in this life. Nothing else is more important- to know Jesus in a new and personal way. Remember when Paul and Silas were teaching in Berea, "now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."Acts 17:11 The only way for us to enter in a deeper relationship with God is to get to know Jesus and the only way for us to know Jesus at a personal and more deeper level is by reading and studying your bible and developing a strong prayer life. Doing these things is imperative to the development of a personal and intimate relationship with God. Because, when we read and study the word of God it opens the door so that God The Father can speak to us through His precious Holy Spirit and by doing so He will have the opportunity to reveal Himself to us in a more personal intimate way.
Jesus said, "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Mt.16:24NIV It is important to remember that the cross is a instrument used for death and symbolizes the necessity of being committed to following Jesus even to the point that it meant you would sacrifice your life for Him. When Jesus tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him- He is also telling us that we are to ' put to death" all those things that are of " the world and the flesh" that stand between us and Jesus. Galatians 2:20 explains it best; "I have been crucified with Christ and I longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
By denying our self and following Jesus we simply let go of the things that hinder us and our relationship with Him. Letting go of all the obstacles that stand in our way of having a deeper relationship with our Lord and Saviour. The secret to this is that we are to live life by the spirit, "So I say, live by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature."Gal.5:16-17 Jesus told the woman at the well in Samaria, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father is spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit and His worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." Jh. 4:223-24
When Christians begin to desire a deeper relationship with God there are several things that will start happening in their lives. The first, sign that you will want more of God is that you will begin reading your bible and search out the scriptures on your own. The second thing you will notice is that you want to pray more and are seeking out a place to pray alone. You will want your own prayer closet and try to find one. You wont be satisfied to listen to someone else, but will hunger for knowledge and will seek that knowledge yourself. If you are unable to read and have your quite time with the Lord - you will miss Him and find yourself longing to get alone with Him. These are all signs of growing in the Lord and going deeper with the Holy Spirit.
As you become closer and closer to Jesus and know Him more and more-you will hunger more and more-you will become a sponge and the Holy Spirit will reveal to you mysteries and things of God. I encourage you to begin this wonderful journey today. Begin to read and study your bible and have daily quite times with the Lord. There is no greater or deeper love than the Love of God. When He fills you with His love - you will be filled completely.
Peter became a pillar of the church and was so humbled by being a servant and child of God that according to Foxes book of martyrs that" Nero sought matter against Peter to put him to death" the people begged Peter to flee the city of Rome and when he got to city gates, he saw the Lord and worshipping Him fell at His fee. Peter said, "Lord whither dost Thou go?" The Lord said, 'I am come again to be crucified.' "by this Peter perceiving his suffering to be understood, returned back into the city; Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was" [Foxes Book of Martyrs, Pg. 12-13]
It is my prayer that all of us will be like Peter and strive to go further and deeper with God. I would encourage you to read your bible and pray as much as you can. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks ,the door will be opened." Mt 7:7-8 NIV
