Matthew 26:69-75 [NIV] | 69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. 71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” 73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” 74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Like Peter, we may find ourselves in a difficult position as we proclaim God’s Word. In the heat of touchy situations such as abortion, same sex marriage, we may face persecution for our beliefs. When Peter was confronted with his connection to Jesus, he made a natural and impulsive response—he lied. Peter gave the answer that Jesus had predicted: He denied knowing Jesus. When we are challenged to speak the truth in love, we too may backdown.
There were three stages to Peter’s denial that can lead to denying Christ in our lives. First, Peter acted confused and tried to divert attention from himself by changing the subject. Second, using an oath, he denied that he knew Jesus. Third, he began to curse and swear. Believers who deny Christ often begin doing so subtly by pretending not to know Jesus. When opportunities to discuss Christian beliefs come up, they walk away or pretend they do not know the answers. Like Peter, we may hide in the face of being challenged in our beliefs.
Peter went out and wept bitterly, not only because he realized that he had denied his Lord, the Messiah, but also because he had turned away from a very dear friend, a person who loved and taught him for three years. Jesus is our friend. Jesus says, “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32). Like Peter, we too can be restored and made right with God. As we walk each day in faith, God calls us to be bold witnessed of His love, even when it is hard.
It has never ceased to amaze me that we Christians have developed a kind of selective vision which allows us to be deeply and sincerely involved in worship and church activities and yet almost totally pagan in the day-in, day-out guts of our business lives … and never realize it.
-Keith Miller
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, lead us to be a bold witnesses of Your Son, Jesus. Help us to be strong in the face of persecution when others oppose us in our beliefs in You. Guide us to speak the truth in love to those who do not live according to Your will. Amen.
Action Plan:
I will seek to speak the truth in love when confronted about my faith and desire to live a life of Christ.
Pastor Rod Lindemann
I Can’t | Jesus Can | Jesus Can Through Me
