Denied
Then Jesus said to them, “All of you willabandon me tonight. Scripture says, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheepin the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am brought back to life, I will goto Galilee ahead of you.”
Peter said to him, “Even if everyone elseabandons you, I never will.”
Jesus replied to Peter, “I can guaranteethis truth: Before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that youdon’t know me.”
Peter told him, “Even if I have to diewith you, I’ll never say that I don’t know you!” All the other disciples saidthe same thing. (Matthew 26, verses 31 – 35)
Shortlyafter this, Jesus went to the Garden to pray. When He had finished and hadrejoined His disciples, a crowd arrived, led by Judas Iscariot. Jesus wasarrested and dragged off.
AndHis closest followers? Then all thedisciples abandoned him and ran away. (verse 56)
EvenPeter? Peter followed at a distance until he came to the chief priest’scourtyard. He went inside and sat with the guards to see how this would turnout. (verse 58)
WhilePeter silently watched, the crowd demanded death penalty for Jesus. And then hemust have walked out.
Peter was sitting in the courtyard. Afemale servant came to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean.”
But Peter denied it in front of them allby saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As he went to the entrance, another femaleservant saw him. She told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus fromNazareth.”
Again Peter denied it and swore with anoath, “I don’t know the man!”
After a little while the men standingthere approached Peter and said, “It’s obvious you’re also one of them. Youraccent gives you away!”
Then Peter began to curse and swear withan oath, “I don’t know the man!” Just then a rooster crowed. Peter rememberedwhat Jesus had said: “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that youdon’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly. (Matthew 26, verses69-75)
Jesusis being led away to be handed over to the governor, Pontius Pilate, to bebeaten, tortured, ultimately crucified. I picture Jesus turning His head for amoment to find Peter in the crowd. Their eyes lock for a second.
Bitterly.Desperately. Intensely. With great anguish. I can’t imagine the pain Peterexperienced at that instant. Just as his Teacher, Leader, and Friend predicted,Peter denied that he even knew Him.
Wouldyou deny that you know Jesus? Have you already denied Him? And if Jesus wasright in front of you now, how would that make you feel?
(Today’s picture is one which my daughter tookwhen she was in Kenya for six months in 2010.)
