SCRIPTURE: Mark 14:66-72
Peter makes the strongest vow he can make to claim he does not know Jesus.
He said something like this: ‘I swear by God’s Name that I do not know him; may God curse me forever if I am lying.’
Now Peter is scared, and in his fear he is desperately trying to save his butt.
But from Jesus’ point of view, this must have been painful (though He knew it was coming).
“But what about someone who says in front of others that he doesn’t know me? I will say in front of my Father who is in heaven that I don’t know him.” (Matthew 10:33)
At first glance, this verse seems to apply to Peter, making him a candidate for eternity without God.
What Peter did was serious, but his sobbing grief shows his heart; in Matthew 10:33 Jesus is talking about those who choose to reject Jesus to the end, without remorse.
Read John 21:15-19 to see how Jesus affirms Peter three times (matching Peter’s three denials).
Is there something that is eating away at you, making you weep; is there a burden of guilt weighing you down?
Peter is proof that there is always room for mercy while there is room for repentance…
Even YOU can be forgiven, no matter what you did, if you want to, if you are truly sorry.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
God, every person is Your child, You want everyone to repent and come back to You. Though not everyone does, thank You for reminding me that anyone who wants to, can (and can even become a great leader for You!).
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
So often I wake up, and pray, and sing this song:
“all I wanna do is love you, all I wanna do is worship you, all I wanna do is lay here Lord, right at your feet. As I lift my hands toward heaven, let your fire fall down on me, rekindle the fire within me Lord, once again”. And then I get out of bed and snap at my kid for getting ready to slowly, grumble when the elevator is full, complain about how exhausted I am etc etc. And then the guilt floods in. Lord, I am thankful for your forgiveness for the little things and the big things. Thank you for accepting me as a work in progress.
Observation/Application
This passage reminded me of the Back to the Bible program – the 12 Voices of Easter.
Roosters meant the end of the night and the start of a new day. Peter, the voice of denial. Christ warned him. Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail.
Peter tried to defend Christ in the garden and Jesus told him to put up the sword.
John and Peter followed at a safe distance in the dark and came into the high priest’s house – a place strange to him. The people there would recognize his act and so Peter stayed in the shadows to save his own neck?
All came to pass as Jesus predicted – the rock became the voice of denial. Peter failed him. Three times over he failed Him. Can love do this? The leader among the 12 denied him in the night.
And I, I too have denied Him, in deeds and words and . . . trying to beat the kids down for lunch so they wouldn’t see me praying for my lunch, going along with the crowd getting lost in the emotion of the movement, not speaking words when others misuse His name and the list goes on . . .
And yet, through Christ I am redeemed, forgiven just as Peter was. Feed my sheep.
Prayer
Help me this day to live for Jesus in all I do and say so that my voice may be a voice of affirmation.
1. Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me bring you love;
Where there is injury, your healing pow’r,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
2. Make me a channel of your peace:
Where there’s despair in life let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, – only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
3. O Spirit, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consolded as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul – .
4. Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving to all that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.