Text: Mark 14:26-31, Luke 22:54-62, John 18:10, John 21:17
When I think of Peter in the Bible, I often picture him as a best friend of Jesus – someone Jesus dearly loved in spite of his flaws, as only BFF’s can do. He could be a bit of a hothead, that Peter, like the time when the high priests came to take Jesus away for trial and “… Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave” (John 18:10, NLT). Jesus stepped in and rebuked Peter, reminding him that this was God’s will for Him as the Son. But they were friends; and Peter would do anything for his friend.
When Jesus began the process of saying goodbye to the men He loved so dearly, Jesus foretold that they would each leave Him at some point in the coming days. “All of you will desert me,” He said (Mark 14:27).
Passionate Peter emphatically rejects the thought. He can’t imagine he would ever do such a thing to his friend, but Jesus responds to him definitively, “I tell you the truth, Peter — this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me” (Mark 14:30, NLT).
How heavy the burden on Jesus’ heart must have been to know what He was about to suffer, what He was about to feel and see, but also to know in those moments His dear brothers would leave Him – deny even knowing anything about Him. It’s one thing to hear the crowd shout “hosanna!” only to be swayed to cries of “crucify him!” days later; and for Judas, the Betrayer, to hand him over with a kiss. It’s another to watch those who are closest to Him to walk away as He prepares to die in their stead.
Yet, Jesus loved them all – enough to die for them, eyes wide open.
When Peter denied Him the third time, the Bible says, “At that moment The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind” (Luke 22:61, NLT). And Peter wept. He didn’t run back and say, “Wait, I am a disciple of Jesus!” He turned away and cried.
We can only guess that a part of Peter finally understood how weak he really was in his faith, but the years after would grow and sanctify him into a man who was deeply committed to the Lord. He was one of the first to whom Jesus appeared after the resurrection, Jesus asking Peter to “feed [His] sheep” (John 21:17). And the first chapters of the book of Acts describe Peter’s leadership role among the disciples. His sermon at Pentecost in Acts 2 lead more than 3000 people to the Lord (Acts 2:37-47)!
The same Peter who denied Christ three times is the one God used to help establish the early Church.
As you seek the Lord in the coming days in preparation for Easter Sunday, remember God’s great love for Peter. He was a disciple – a great friend to Christ – and yet he fell short. Very short. And Christ loved him still – and called him to do great work for His Kingdom!
Isn’t God good to show us over and over again, even amidst the trial of His Son, that He loves us? When we are weak, He is strong. And He wants to use us in the great outworking of His plan for His glory!
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52 thoughts on "denial"
It always amazes me when he uses the most "Unlikely" to carryout his purpose. Looking back on my own salvation experience, and sharing Christ with others, we often feel that we need to "clean up" before we come to Christ, before we are good enough to speak on his behalf, before we can serve him . . . God tells us over and over again through the story of Peter, of David, and many others, that His Will can be done through the "Unlikely" or "Underserving", because He is who He is. God cleans us up, we are unable to ever clean up enough to be worthy of His love or His Mercy. I praise God that He can love a sinner like me, and use me despite all my shortcomings.
He delights in having His will done by the unlikely and undeserving, because it all the more points to His majesty and power. If God only called the qualified, how powerful would He really be? He uses the weak and the broken because He's just that good.
Amen, Shelia. Feeling the need to "clean up" and "get my act together" before letting myself come before God or letting Him use me is the utmost mistake. Truth is, I'm a huge, emotional, fickle, sinful, gross and at times, unstable mess who rarely has their act together (whatever that means). Are those things wrong to be? Yes, they usually come about when I'm not focused on or abiding in Christ. Can God fix and heal those things? Yes. Always. In His perfect timing. Can He use me when I'm even in that state? Yes. He can do whatever He pleases. This is something I need to let absorb more. Lord, help me to let you use me whenever and however, no matter the circumstance. I'm weak and completely gross; cleanse me of all unrighteousness and bring me close to You, so that I never lose sight of Your great love for me, for us.
I typically think of the physical pain Jesus was in but not what it would feel like if all your closest friends-the exact ones you were dying for- deserted you on front of your very eyes. There are so many layers here.
I love that you mentioned his eyes were wide open. He knows what kind of wretch I am. He still wanted to die for me.
Yes…the thought of your closest friends utterly bailing on you during one of the hardest moments in your life…that can hurt your heart a lot.
You're right. We're utterly wretched, and yet Christ STILL wanted to save us. What extravagant mercy!!
Such a feeling of abandonment, of loneliness, of desperation, watching all of your friends act as if they don't even know you. The Lord is THE best friend… that He would forgive and love us, even when we acted so cold, so bitterly and violent, towards Him, utterly casting Him out. He loves us more than the hate we throw at Him, always. He has more grace than we do sin. Father, thank you… Praise Your Holy Name forever, Jesus. That you first loved us, and that you have never, ever stopped, and that you do EVERYTHING out of love for us. I'm in awe. Beautiful.
Such a great reminder of mercy and grace!
Something so simple as a children's song…"we are weak, but he is strong" AND IT IS SO TRUE. Sometimes we quickly forget how all encompassing his love for us is! Beautiful message :)
Wow! As a child you don't really realize what you're singing. Yes Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light of Mine…it all means so much now.
Amen! The truths we receive as children often reveal their true worth until we're quite a bit older.
Yes they do….they really do….they truly make sense when we are older… praise God, they are the seeds sown in our hearts for such times as these….
No matter how weak we are – no matter how short we fall – He loves us. He can use us. When we are weak, He is strong. And strength is made perfect in weakness.
How unfathomable is this? I've been trying to wrap my head around the fact that I don't need to figure it all out lately… That what the Lord has shown me, He's shown me, and that I need to trust Him with EVERYTHING to keep me from falling, even when I stumble. The truth that He loves me without a doubt, and that love has NOTHING to do with how strong, faithful, or eager and willing I am to follow/obey Him is truly mind blowing, and I don't think I'll ever understand or get over it (as well I shouldn't!). Praise you, Jesus. Help me, help us, to embrace you and your mighty love even when we can't fully fathom or understand these wonderful things.
"The same Peter who denied Christ three times is the one God used to help establish the early Church." Such a comfort!
Lord, do not let me fall again and again into the same sins. But when I do, thank you for restoring me to fellowship with You and for using me to accomplish Your kingdom purposes despite myself. Be my strength, even before I get to the point of giving in to temptation to sin, and mature my faith, that I will be willing to die for Your name's sake, should that occasion ever arise. In Jesus' Name.
And I just found this: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:31-32) This is at the beginning of the passage in Luke where Jesus foretells Peter's denial. I'm not sure what this makes my heart feel this morning…. brokenness? overwhelming joy? conviction? absolute thankfulness!
I think it's alright to feel all the things! Peter was definitely tried and tested, and he failed a lot, as we just read. But! BUT! God STILL delighted in using Him and strengthening His faith. That should give us an awful lot of comfort!
AMEN…Rachel….AMEN..xxx
It's definitely a mixture of those emotions. Lord, make me very aware of satan's schemes to sift me like wheat and have me! It makes my eyes water when I think of how Jesus, God himself, earnestly prays to the father that Peter, his beloved friend,'s father would not fail. I love how he adds "strengthen your brothers" to it; that while these tests will definitely be difficult, Jesus has prayed over them, and the tests will be used to help Peter strengthen his brothers, as Acts tells us the church will definitely need! Jesus is on our side– he's not some distant stranger, but is rather our ally and intercessor to the father, earnestly and lovingly seeking that We'd not fall and directing us to use these trials and tribulations to strengthen our brothers and sisters. Praise God for SRT, that all of us do just that!
Amen!
Amen!
What a great message! I put myself again and again in Peters spot and how motivating and moving is it to see how he literally turned down his BEST FRIEND and after all is said and done He comes back and selects Peter as the few to be able to see him and carry out HIS will. Jesus puts His plan into Peters arms. Cause who wouldn’t take that chance after all the bad you’ve done to Him? Great example to everyone
"Jesus puts His plan into Peter's arms." He knows us! He knows how prone we are to wonder and yet He lets us be apart of the glorious things He's doing and done. Praise you, father, for not giving up on us when you knew us deep down to the core! That instead, you met our vulnerability with long-suffering Agape Love.
These words that you ended with
“When we are weak, He is strong. And He wants to use us in the great outworking of His plan for His glory!”
That is what I cling to. When I am weak. Whenever I feel I can’t go on, whenever I’m tired and struggling. He is strong. He is sufficient, he eill give me all I need. Better than that he will continue to use me. He still has a plan for me. When I feel useless he still will use me for his glory.
Thank you for Peters testimony as a real encouragement to us all.
Amen Claire. We look at ourselves and feel insufficient in every way, and that's because we are. But when we look at Christ, we see all we need– the strength to go on, what we need to do His will, the comfort and encouragement we need to again firmly root our identity in Him. This morning, I felt insufficient and less than a few people in my life. It only took a few moments to realize it was because I hadn't turned my face toward Jesus. Hoping that all of us turn our faces toward Him today. and PS, thank you for being such an encouragement and support! You are a huge blessing! Praise God, that he uses all of us so wonderfully for His glory despite ourselves! (not meaning that as a jab at you at all, its just a truth for all of us, haha). Be so blessed, sister. :)
Amen, I feel the same way. Thank you God for your greatness!