Jesus: the All-Knowing Lord! John 21:18-19

Text:  “His disciples said unto Him, Lo now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.  Now we are sure that Thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask Thee: by this we believe that Thou camest forth from God.”

John 16:29-30.

          “And He (Jesus) saith unto them (the Pharisees), Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts (entire essence); for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

Luke 16:15.

Good morning, Divinely known Christian!  Belonging to the Lord God Almighty, the great Jehovah, the Creator Lord God - you and I are Divinely known.  Our every iota of being,; our every inner thought and deepest motive; the most secret and private desires and feelings of our humanity are all completely known by the Lord God Who has redeemed our very souls.  We are Divinely known.

“Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.”  (Acts 15:18)

The Lord God Almighty is not a mere three-dimensional being such as we, my Christian friend.  The Lord God is absolutely Omnipotent in power; Omnipresent, (all-present at all times); and Omniscient in knowledge.  He is the all-powerful; ever-present; and all-knowing Lord God.  Hallelujah!

“Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time?  Who hath told it from that time?  Have not I the Lord?  And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there in none beside Me.  Look unto Me (the Lord God Jehovah), and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth (elect souls out of every nation); for I am God, and there is none else.  (Isaiah 45:21-22)

What facts and truths about Christ do we glean, therefore, from our two short verses of Scripture from today’s Bible reading? 

Peter’s Past:  The Lord Jesus told his disciple Peter: "When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walked whither thou wouldest…" (V.18)  Peter’s entire past life was known unto Christ - because He is our all-knowing God.

Peter’s Present:   Peter’s present time life was more obviously known by Christ, for Peter had walked in Christ’s Holy Presence and ministered with Him for over the three and a half years of Christ’s ministry in human form. 

Christ told Peter he would betray him, and Peter did.  Christ forgave Peter’s denials of Him, and Peter was sanctified afresh for service to Jesus in that present time.  Christ the Lord knew with infinite and Divine knowledge, all about Peter’s present life at that time.

Peter’s Future:  The risen Lord Jesus Christ further informed Peter of things yet to take place in his future life:  "…But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.” (V.18)

Peter would be taken prisoner for his faith, for his trust in Christ Jesus; and for his service to Christ in preaching the Gospel truth.   He would, according to church tradition, be crucified upside down on an X-shaped cross!  It is believed that he was executed in this manner because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ, his Lord, had died.

Jesus, the Lord God Who knows the past, the present, and the future of us all - plainly foretold what type of death Peter would suffer for His sake: "This spake He, signifying by what death he (Peter) should glorify God."  (V.19)

Let us now seek to apply this lesson to our own personal Christian lives:

Do we, born again Christian believers, ever worry about the gravity of our past sins?  Christ knows all about them and has cleansed us from them by shedding, on that Cross, His own precious Blood to redeem us from all sin.  (1 John 1:6-7)

Are we concerned, or fearful about our present circumstances, health; position in life; service to Christ?  Jesus knows our every fear and encourages us to "Fear not, for I am with thee…"  (Isaiah 41:10)

Do future events cause us anxieties? Leave them in the Lord’s caring hand - He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, EVER!  (Hebrews 13:5-6)  Hallelujah!

Thought:  The Lord Jesus knows everything - let us trust in His will.