I was reading through 2 Peter this morning and I came across a verse that stopped me in my tracks: “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” As I read that, I really began to stop and think about what life as a disciple of Christ was like. The disciples didn’t have the written Word of God that we so often take for granted; they had something even better, the incarnate Son of God as a guide to walk alongside.

How incredible must that have been? As a student of private Christian school and someone who grew up going to church every Sunday, I tend to take for granted the miraculous works of Jesus (as do many of my friends). We’ve heard all the stories in Sunday School, seen them displayed on a felt board, acted out all the plays, and pretty much desensitized ourselves to the wonder of God. The disciples, on the other hand, got to see these things first hand in real time. This wasn’t some ordinary lesson for them; they watched the water turn to wine, the lame walk, the bread and fish multiplied, the possessed walk free, the dead rise. Peter WALKED ON WATER, for goodness sake. The disciples didn’t need the inspired Word of God to establish their faith because they literally had God in front of them. That just blows my mind!

Now, there are some who would debate my reasoning here and suggest that the majority of the disciples came to violent and cruel ends due to their connections with Christ. Some would consider that a drawback, and understandably so; nobody likes being criticized or punished for their personal beliefs, especially on a life threatening level. However, take a second and consider this: What must it be like to have faith so pure? I’d like to think that in the midst of ridicule and torture I’d proclaim the name of Christ more fervently than ever, but I honestly can’t say I wouldn’t at least consider denying Him for a moment of relief; it’s only human. How amazing it must have been to have such assured and unshakable faith that even the threat of disgustingly cruel death made no impact on them. What sweet satisfaction their souls must have felt as they said goodbye to this world and embraced the glory awaiting them eternally.

This may be a bit difficult to apply to our lives, and rightfully so; after centuries of time between Christ walking the Earth and our lifetimes, it’s difficult not to at least be a little skeptical or complacent about our Christianity. Reading something from a document is so far removed from watching it before your own eyes. Here’s something I try to hold onto: people were willing to stake their lives on this stuff. The disciples knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus Christ was Lord, and they chose to give themselves in the pursuit of Him. If people have been willing to lose themselves in exchange for Christ for this long, why shouldn’t I? It’s one thing to be wrong about Christ being Lord and be embarrassed that you claimed Him as God; it’s another to be wrong about it and miss out on eternity.