Read John 18:15-27
I Would Never Deny Jesus. Or Would I?
Jesus was arrested and was taken to trial. Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. The other disciple knew the high priest and was able to get himself and Peter into the high priest’s courtyard.
The servant girl on duty asked Peter if he wasn’t one of Jesus’s disciples. He replied, “I am not!” While keeping warm at the fire, Peter was confronted two more times as being one of Jesus’s followers. Two more times Peter denied it, and then he heard the rooster crow just as Jesus said it would after being denied three times by Peter.
Peter wanted so badly to be at the courtyard when Jesus was on trial. He loved Jesus and wanted to be there. But when confronted three times on whether he was a disciple of Jesus, fear gripped him and he denied being a disciple of Jesus three times. He was reminded of his offense when the rooster crowded just as Jesus said it would.
The fear of being arrested and being treated poorly played the part of Peter’s denials. What does it take to get us to deny Jesus? Is it fear of being killed? Being rejected from our peer group? Being made fun of? Jesus said, whoever is ashamed of me on Earth before people, I will be ashamed of that person in heaven before God. But whoever confesses me before people, even in the so-called worse conditions, Jesus said he would also confess this person before God in heaven.
So what fears are holding you back from being 100% holy committed to Jesus no matter how drastic the conditions are? God, help me take a stand for you no matter what the circumstances are. And if I fail, forgive me for my sin and renew my heart for another second chance. In Jesus name, Amen!
