Daily Bread Luke 22
Daily Bread Luke 22
Peter Disowns Jesus
54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."
57But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
58A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
59About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."
60Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Observation:
You wonder what Peter was thinking being caught in the middle of the people who instigated Jesus arrest. Maybe he is trying to figure out what their plan with Jesus will be. Maybe he is so distraught, he is thinking of joining them. Whatever the case, when they question him he denies knowing Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times.
He looked suspicious and also his Galilean accent betrayed that he was not a part of their group. One can only imagine his dismay when the rooster crowed three times, and he remembers Jesus’ prediction of this threefold denial. To make matters worse Jesus was close enough to make eye contact with Peter. Peter then remembers what Jesus’ had said would happen and he goes outside and weeps.
Application:
It is easy to wonder how Peter could deny his friend that we know he loved. We know Peter was impulsive and quick to be the first to volunteer, but in this situation he was also quick to deny his friendship with Jesus. When it came down to it, Peter wanted to save his own skin. Fortunately as we read the rest of the New Testament, Jesus reinstated Peter after His resurrection. Peter went on to be one of the greatest leaders in the church our world has ever known.
Before we give Peter too hard of a time, we might want to think of times when we were less than stellar in our willingness to defend our Lord. Although we probably haven’t been in the same situation as Peter, there are subtle ways we all might be tempted to sell out our faith and relationship with Jesus.
The Christian group DC Talk sings, “The greatest cause of atheism is when we acknowledge with our lips but deny him by our lifestyle. This is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.”
I recently heard of a man who believed in God but never became a Christian, because of the poor witness his two brothers portrayed. They acknowledged Jesus with their lips, but denied it with their lifestyle and this man found it unbelievable.
May we be like Paul and say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.” And may we lead lives that would never bring shame to the name of Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus give us a boldness to defend Your name with both our lips and lives. If we have been ashamed to be associated with you or have denied your name, give us another chance to feed your sheep and be found faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Peter Disowns Jesus
54Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him."
57But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
58A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
59About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean."
60Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Observation:
You wonder what Peter was thinking being caught in the middle of the people who instigated Jesus arrest. Maybe he is trying to figure out what their plan with Jesus will be. Maybe he is so distraught, he is thinking of joining them. Whatever the case, when they question him he denies knowing Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times.
He looked suspicious and also his Galilean accent betrayed that he was not a part of their group. One can only imagine his dismay when the rooster crowed three times, and he remembers Jesus’ prediction of this threefold denial. To make matters worse Jesus was close enough to make eye contact with Peter. Peter then remembers what Jesus’ had said would happen and he goes outside and weeps.
Application:
It is easy to wonder how Peter could deny his friend that we know he loved. We know Peter was impulsive and quick to be the first to volunteer, but in this situation he was also quick to deny his friendship with Jesus. When it came down to it, Peter wanted to save his own skin. Fortunately as we read the rest of the New Testament, Jesus reinstated Peter after His resurrection. Peter went on to be one of the greatest leaders in the church our world has ever known.
Before we give Peter too hard of a time, we might want to think of times when we were less than stellar in our willingness to defend our Lord. Although we probably haven’t been in the same situation as Peter, there are subtle ways we all might be tempted to sell out our faith and relationship with Jesus.
The Christian group DC Talk sings, “The greatest cause of atheism is when we acknowledge with our lips but deny him by our lifestyle. This is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.”
I recently heard of a man who believed in God but never became a Christian, because of the poor witness his two brothers portrayed. They acknowledged Jesus with their lips, but denied it with their lifestyle and this man found it unbelievable.
May we be like Paul and say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.” And may we lead lives that would never bring shame to the name of Jesus.
Prayer: Jesus give us a boldness to defend Your name with both our lips and lives. If we have been ashamed to be associated with you or have denied your name, give us another chance to feed your sheep and be found faithful. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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