Read:
Peter Denies Jesus
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
Reflect:
I’ve blown it. Fortunately, up until this point, my mess-ups haven’t been front page news. “Pastor Loses Temper, Patience, and His Mind” could have been the headline on more than one occasion, but I’ve been spared from the embarrassment. Peter wasn’t. His dastardly deed, the denial of Jesus, was saved for the world to read about for…well, forever. “I don’t know him.” “Name doesn’t ring a bell.” “I’m pretty sure I have no idea who you’re talking about.” Peter suffered from a bad bout of spiritual amnesia. Sadly, so do I.
Every time I doubt God’s word or question his way (or just decide to go my own way) I play the part of Peter. I deny God. I deny that He is trust worthy. I deny His power. I deny that he alone can satisfy. Practically, I say, “Jesus? No, I don’t know him.”
Mercifully, God doesn’t leave us in our sin. God doesn’t have a three stakes and you’re out policy. The Good News, as we’ll come to find out, is that Deity died for the deniers. He died for you and for me.
Respond:
Often when we experience the weight of sin, we’re grieved. “And he went out and wept bitterly.” If you’re feeling the weight of your sin, go to God. He is waiting. The beauty of Peter’s story was his denial of Jesus was not the final chapter. Sin did not have the final say. Not in Peter’s story and not in yours.
Love you, church
Pastor James