Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial - Matthew 26:31-35
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Reflection:
As Jesus prepares the disciples for his departure, today he prepares them for the night ahead, which will be a very dark night for all of them. Jesus says, "You will all fall away on account of me!" Meaning because of what is going to happen to Jesus, the suffering he is about to undergo at the hands of men, is going to be so frightful that the disciples despite their pledges of allegiance will all walk away in fear. Upon seeing what is going to happen to Jesus, they will run for their lives. Such is the natural reaction of the normal person when their lives are at stake. And I imagine we would do no different.
Of course, Peter thinks he is the exception to the rule and announces that he would never forsake Jesus. Jesus says to Peter, truly I tell you not only will you disown me Peter, but you will do it tonight and you will do it three times. Peter, ever the impetuous one, declares that even if he has to die he will not disown him. Then, read something that we can easily miss, as usually all the attention is given to Peter when reading this passage. It says, "And all the disciples said the same." Perhaps stoked by Peter's courageous yet vain remark, they think they have what it takes to defend Jesus until their death. There is only one problem going on here, they are all saying this in the flesh. They are thinking in their human strength they can undergo this testing. As the scripture says, "Pride comes before the fall", which the disciples are all soon to learn.
But we see the grace of Jesus in the passage when he says, "Don't worry guys even though I know in your humanness you are all going to fail me tonight, I have a bigger plan. I am going ahead of you to give you the power to actually do what you are saying you want to do." (my paraphrase). And of course he is referring to Pentecost where He will send the Holy Spirit to empower them to do what they could never do in their own flesh. We will later see them actually defending Jesus in suffering for His name by this same Holy Spirit even to their own death.
And when we read this we would like to jump on the bandwagon and say, "Peter why would you say something so foolish!" And yet how many times have we made promises we couldn't keep? How many times have we said, "Jesus I will follow you anywhere, not really knowing what that would mean for us." But the same grace the disciples needed is available to us as well. Jesus has gone ahead of us and has given us all we need to be faithful to Him. He has given us His Holy Spirit to remind us of His promises in His Word, and the Holy Spirit will give us the word to say and the courage to keep following Him, even when the chips are on the line. That is why it is appropriate to pray to God through Jesus to send His Spirit to defend and deliver us from all evil, and to pray that God's kingdom might flow in and through us in good times and bad times. When we are suffering the Holy Spirit will help us to cling to the Good Shepherd who eventually leads us by thanks still waters. Amen.
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Reflection:
As Jesus prepares the disciples for his departure, today he prepares them for the night ahead, which will be a very dark night for all of them. Jesus says, "You will all fall away on account of me!" Meaning because of what is going to happen to Jesus, the suffering he is about to undergo at the hands of men, is going to be so frightful that the disciples despite their pledges of allegiance will all walk away in fear. Upon seeing what is going to happen to Jesus, they will run for their lives. Such is the natural reaction of the normal person when their lives are at stake. And I imagine we would do no different.
Of course, Peter thinks he is the exception to the rule and announces that he would never forsake Jesus. Jesus says to Peter, truly I tell you not only will you disown me Peter, but you will do it tonight and you will do it three times. Peter, ever the impetuous one, declares that even if he has to die he will not disown him. Then, read something that we can easily miss, as usually all the attention is given to Peter when reading this passage. It says, "And all the disciples said the same." Perhaps stoked by Peter's courageous yet vain remark, they think they have what it takes to defend Jesus until their death. There is only one problem going on here, they are all saying this in the flesh. They are thinking in their human strength they can undergo this testing. As the scripture says, "Pride comes before the fall", which the disciples are all soon to learn.
But we see the grace of Jesus in the passage when he says, "Don't worry guys even though I know in your humanness you are all going to fail me tonight, I have a bigger plan. I am going ahead of you to give you the power to actually do what you are saying you want to do." (my paraphrase). And of course he is referring to Pentecost where He will send the Holy Spirit to empower them to do what they could never do in their own flesh. We will later see them actually defending Jesus in suffering for His name by this same Holy Spirit even to their own death.
And when we read this we would like to jump on the bandwagon and say, "Peter why would you say something so foolish!" And yet how many times have we made promises we couldn't keep? How many times have we said, "Jesus I will follow you anywhere, not really knowing what that would mean for us." But the same grace the disciples needed is available to us as well. Jesus has gone ahead of us and has given us all we need to be faithful to Him. He has given us His Holy Spirit to remind us of His promises in His Word, and the Holy Spirit will give us the word to say and the courage to keep following Him, even when the chips are on the line. That is why it is appropriate to pray to God through Jesus to send His Spirit to defend and deliver us from all evil, and to pray that God's kingdom might flow in and through us in good times and bad times. When we are suffering the Holy Spirit will help us to cling to the Good Shepherd who eventually leads us by thanks still waters. Amen.
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