Have

“and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”  John 6:69

Have – The word is “have” because that’s how we express it in English.  But it’s really not a separate word at all.  It is really just the translation of the perfect tense for the two verbs “believe” and “know”.  So why is this important?   It matters because the perfect tense is a tense that expresses a final, completed action in the past that has continuing effects in the present.   Peter’s proclamation is a powerful statement that he and the others are completely and irrevocably convinced that Jesus is God’s elect.  It’s as though he said, “No matter what the others may think or do, we twelve have made up our minds.  We have come to believe and continue to believe that you are God’s chosen One.  We have come to know this is true and we continue to know it to be true.  We will not turn back.  We cannot turn back.”

What a declaration of faith!  We are convinced, says Peter.  All of us, to the man.  We know You speak for God.  And yet, just a brief time later every one of these men ran for cover.  Jesus knew that they expressed the truth.  They were not pretending.  They believed.  But they had not yet walked in the valley of the shadow.  Faith is made real in the crucible.  Jesus knows this.  His obedience proves the point.  If we are to follow, we will find that God leads us into the valley so that our proclamation can penetrate. 

Do you know Jesus is the Holy One of God?  Are you fully convinced?  Raise your eyes and see the valley ahead.  Faith requires melting in the furnace before it flows through every part of your being.  You lucky soul.  Jesus expects you to answer with Peter.  He wills for you to answer with Peter.  And he stands at the pathway into the valley saying, “I will never leave you.”  Jump for joy.  God is going to melt you into the shape of glory.  It’s His perfect tense plan.  Completed in the past, impacting the present.