I really like Peter!! Probably because I can relate to him in so many ways! He always meant well and yet he fell short. His heart seemed to be in the right place, until he panicked.
Matthew 26:30-75
Jesus and the disciples had just finished the Last Supper and they sang a hymn. (Never saw that before! They all sang! Neat!) Then "they went out to the Mount of Olives".
Jesus told them "you will all fall away on account of Me" . Peter denied it! "Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will". Jesus knew better. He knew what Peter was going to do. "This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times." Peter so boldly states, "Even if I have to die with You, I will never disown You.
Oh yes, indeed, Peter meant well. He was among the three disciples that Jesus took with Him while in Gethsemane to pray. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me." Jesus needed them to be alert with Him. When He returned, He found Peter and the other two asleep. Poor Peter, he couldn't hold his eyes opened! He had stated earlier that "even if all fall away on account of You, I never will." Yet he couldn't keep his eyes opened. Jesus needed him and he fell asleep. (Ouch!!) A second time rolls around and once again Jesus finds Peter asleep. The third time Jesus returns He awakens the three again. This time He tells them "the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Here comes My betrayer!" Now that ought to wake you up pretty quickly!
Jesus was betrayed with a kiss and was arrested. "Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled." When He was taken to where Caiaphas and the teachers of the law and elders assembled, Peter followed at a distance. He "sat down with the guards to see the outcome." After Jesus announced "from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven", that stirred up a big stink! Caiaphas tore his clothes and protested that Jesus spoke blasphemy! It did not sit well with the group that were there. Jesus was spit on, slapped and struck with their fists. Peter witnesses all of this. The very one who said, "I will never disown You", watches the cruelty.
A servant girl recognizes Peter and says, "You were with Jesus of Galilee." "I don't know what you are talking about", he responds. He managed to get out of that one. He didn't have to own up to knowing Jesus and even hanging out with Him. Once outside the gateway, another servant sees him and says, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." This time Peter doesn't just deny knowing Jesus, he does it with an oath. But the third denial, "he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, 'I don't know the man!" And then a rooster crowed. Jesus had told him that this would happen. Peter didn't believe Him. He never thought it possible that he would deny his Savior. "And he went outside and wept bitterly." Peter panicked.
I have felt just like Peter. "I will never deny You, Lord." And then it happens. I do. Ever so subtle at first. For me it came in the disguise of wanting to fit in and not being made fun of. (By the way, it can even happen among 'professing' believers.)I knew exactly what God required of me and I acted like I didn't have a clue. For me, that was a form of denying Him. But God (I love those 2 words!), gave me another opportunity to take a stand. Peter got a second chance to stand up and say, "Yes, I know Him!", but he blew it. So did I. When we are caught in a lie (like Peter's not knowing Jesus) we tend to get a little bit stronger with our denial's. Once again, God graciously gives Peter yet another chance. His denial got even stronger. "He began to call down curses and he swore." Ashamedly, I have done that, too. And yes, I have found myself weeping bitterly.
I never intended to deny God what He was asking me to do. I totally intended to stand up and say, "Yes, I know Him and He has asked me to take a stand!" Sometimes where God leads us can be lonely. To avoid that we tend to deny Him. We never think that it could even be possible, but it is. We panic. We find ourselves filled with such regret and guilt. The pain of knowing what we have just done, denied our Savior, is so overwhelming. I panicked.
Then along comes Mark 16:6-7> "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him just as He told you.' "
Don't you just love "and Peter"? Good news, wonderful news was about to be told and it was very important that Peter knew! His name being added was specific! Intentional!! Why? After all, Peter did deny Jesus three times. Why would his name be so specific? That's easy. Jesus knew Peter's heart. He knew Peter was going to deny Him three times. He knew that each of his denial's would be stronger than the first. The very disciple who said, "I will never deny you", did. One thing is for sure, Peter didn't do it again. Three times was too much and he wouldn't make that mistake again! He even dies for Jesus later on.
Peter ended up keeping his word. It just took four tries. The first three were disastrous! The last time he truly was willing to die for Him. It gives me such hope. In my denials of the Lord and what He has asked me to do, there is still hope that I, too, will get it right! That I, too, will take that stand! That I, too, will not panic!
Heavenly Father, I just want to thank You for knowing me so well. You know my heart. Thank You Lord for giving me those chances to stand up and say, "Yes, I know Him." Even though I have failed so miserably in the beginning, and still throughout at times, thank You for not giving up on me. Lord, when I am tempted to deny You, give me the courage to stand tall. It is in the precious Name of Jesus that I pray, Amen.
