Luke 22:47-62
Saturday, 19 December 2020
“Peter went out and wept bitterly” -Luke 22:62
Peter was a leader among the disciples, a man of confidence and action and was the one that boasted that he would die with Christ. But Scripture gives an account of how Peter failed the Lord, not just once but three times. He denied that fact that he even knew Jesus. Like Peter, we have failed Jesus many a time in our lives. When we examine the life of Peter we can see certain traits of his character that had ultimately led him in denying Jesus. This is a warning for us to be cautious.
His Self-confidence: On one occasion Peter saw Jesus walking on water and immediately asked him if he could walk on water too. Jesus agreed and Peter made a few steps on water feeling confident about himself. It was then that he lost his focus on the Lord and he saw the wind that blew over the water. As soon as he looked away from the Lord, he began to sink. This is what happens to us in our lives today. We start our spiritual life looking at the Lord and soon we gain confidence in our self. We lose our focus on the Lord. Our eyes are no longer fixed on the Lord but on the things of this world and we begin to drift away slowly and surely from the Word of God.
His Pride: Peter proudly announced that he would stand by the Lord at all times no matter the circumstance and he boasted to the Lord that even if all His other disciples deserted Him, he would never fall away. Even when Jesus predicted that he would deny him, Peter said “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Let us examine our hearts to see if we are filled with spiritual pride. Spiritual pride causes us to disown Jesus although we may proclaim with our mouths that we are ready to do anything for the Lord. Pride blinds us from seeing the weaknesses in our flesh.
His Weakness: After the last supper, Jesus took three of his disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked them to pray and went away to pray by himself. Jesus returned to see Peter sleeping and warned him to stay awake and pray, because although his spirit might be willing, his flesh was weak. Peter underestimated the weakness in his flesh and caused him to deny Jesus. Let us acknowledge the weakness in our fleshly bodies and be filled with the power of His Spirit.
His Fear: Peter followed Jesus even after all the other disciples had fled but he was gripped with fear. He stood at a distance and watched Jesus being questioned, falsely accused and beaten. He became fearful for his own life. Peter quickly realized that he was not as bold and courageous as he thought he was, and in fear, he denied the One who had loved him.
Although he failed, Peter genuinely repented, He cried out aloud and wept bitterly because he realized how weak he was in his flesh. There was genuine sorrow over sin. The very fact that the Lord restored Peter, filled him with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and used him mightily thereafter shows us His amazing grace and love and fills us with the hope of a victorious life in Christ Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith!
Promise: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” -Zechariah 4:6
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