I do not know this Jesus!

I do not know Him! How could peter ever utter those words about Jesus? Peter knew Jesus for more than 3 years. They were really close friends. Peter was in the inner circle, watching and following Jesus very closely. His life was interwoven with the life of Jesus, that it would be impossible to explain the life of peter without Jesus. Peter knew Jesus very well. Well, atleast he thought he knew Jesus very well.

One of the early meetings with Jesus happened when peter was mending his nets. Jesus used Peter’s boat as the pulpit. Peter thought Jesus was a great teacher. Immediately after the teaching was over, Jesus miracoulsy helped peter to fill his empty nets and boat with a enormous catch of fishes. It was when Peter realized that Jesus was more than a teacher who was searching for pulpits to preach. Jesus was searching for people. He understood that Jesus had the power to perform miracles.

From there on Peter had the privilege of closely observing the power of God through Jesus. Jesus changed water in to wine, Fed thousands with 5 loaves, calmed the storm, raised the dead, tackled the cunning Pharisees, cleansed the temple with authority, transfigured on the mountain top, walked on water, cast the demons out. There was no stopping the power of God. Jesus had authority and the power and Peter knew this Jesus.

He also had the revelations of God to confess Jesus as the son of God.

Peter knew the powerful, miracle working, authoritative, compassionate, life giving Jesus.

But last few days in the life of Jesus were different. He had not seen Jesus so disturbed like this before. He had not seen a Jesus who sweats blood as he prayed. And for sure he didn’t see and expect a Jesus who surrendered himself to his enemies without any fight back to be killed by them.

Peter might have expected a miracle to happen and Jesus would walk away free. Jesus had already done it before. When people wanted to push Jesus of cliff, he walked away right through the angry mob.Pharisees and teachers of the Law were in constant hunt to kill Jesus. But somehow Jesus would escape them.

But this time was different. As peter followed this Jesus into the courtyard, he was shocked to see Jesus laying aside his powers and become bound by chains as a criminal. People were insulting him and were planning to kill him in a few hours.

It was in this background, as one of the girl identified Peter with Jesus, peter said I do not know HIM. In one way, Peter was right. He had not known this meek and completely surrendered Jesus. He did not know a Jesus who would not use his powers to fight injustice that was happening for him. He did not know a Jesus who would die naked on the cross. He for sure did not know this Jesus.

As peter began to see the sufferings of Jesus, he might have first said to himself, that he did not know Jesus.

 Have you ever felt this way? Have ever felt that Jesus you knew from a few experience some times is different from the one you are now experiencing? Sometimes Jesus does things that you never expect and you might be very discouraged as peter and say i do not know this Jesus. But let us learn from peter’s experience. Instead of saying and being shocked at the way Jesus does things in your life, remember that we have a Jesus who surrendered, suffered, and was sentenced to die.

Peter did not know Jesus but Jesus was never shocked when peter denied him as Jesus knew peter well. He knows you well.

Instead of saying i do not know this Jesus, let us say i want to know Jesus.