Peter was decisive in declaring that Jesus Christ was indeed the Son of God when Jesus asked the question above but we must keep in mind that the same man was quick to deny him after his crucifixion.   However God would forgive.  Jesus knew why peter denied him as because he feared for his own life.  So since Peter had denied him three times God simply erased them by having his son ask Peter three times, “Do you love me, Peter?”   Peter answered three times, “Yes Lord, you know I love you.”  And Jesus answered, “Then feed my sheep.”  Peter was good for his word and served the Master well.                

            Have you made the same promise?  We all have our own relationship with him.  This sometimes can cause us to drive ourselves apart because of these differences.  Our Lord did not wish for this but he knows human nature.  These differences have been so great that many times we have found ourselves fighting wars in the name of Christ.  We shout “For God and Country.”  But killing is forbidden in the ten commandments of God.

            Jesus knew all this.  However he warned us that there would be wars and rumors of wars until his second coming.  He also warned us that some would hate people for his namesake. 

            However let us not leave this on a semi-negative note.  He also told us that greatest joy we would ever know was the love of our Lord for us.

 ‘When you raise up the Son of Man, then you will know who I am - that I'm not making this up, but speaking only what the Father taught Me. The One who sent Me stays with Me. He doesn't abandon Me. He sees how much joy I take in pleasing Him’” (John 8:28-29, The Message).

            We must keep in mind that Jesus did not really come late in this story.  He was with God from the very beginning and was part of our very creation.  His coming was actually the fulfillment of the word.  Jesus was and is the ‘living word’ and has a special relationship with each of us.

            The Book of Acts describes how Christianity moved from being seen as a sect of Judaism into a world religion because the spirit of God moved in the lives of those who had witnessed Jesus, and who now carried His message of salvation into the entire world.

At Pentecost, Peter preaches, “Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:22-36).

            This tells me that although we didn’t always know him God picked a time in history to introduce him to us, thus bringing him out of the background and into our lives a personal friend and Savior.  Be not afraid to pray for he hears you.