Jesus predicts Peter’s denial
After the supper, Jesus and His disciples had sung a hymn then went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to them that all of them would be made to stumble because of Him that night for it was written, “I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad”. Then He added that after He had been raised, He would go before them to Galilee. Peter immediately replied, “Thou all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended”. Jesus said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice”. Peter replied, “Thou I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee”. Likewise also all the disciples said (Matt.26: 30-35). That particular night was a time of stumbling for all disciples because of the word of prophecy, which had to be fulfilled at any cost. It was not because the disciples had not loved Jesus and were cowards. Though all the disciples except Judas were mentally prepared to be with the Lord during His suffering, and not to forsake Him, yet they had to pass through the fiery test. The disciples forsook everything to become His disciples. They lived with Him. All this shows their unfeigned love toward Jesus. During the suppertime, they knew that the time of His suffering was imminent. However, they had to forsake their beloved Master because it was God Who would smite the Shepherd, and not the Romans.
The disciples attached significance only to the truth of His betrayal and crucifixion, and not to the subsequent statement of Jesus that He would be raised and would go before them to Galilee. At times, we also do not know the entire truth from His word but only believe in some particular doctrines and relegate to the background the other side of the Word.
On hearing about the truth of stumbling based on the word of prophecy, Peter overreacted. He now compared himself with “all men” and said that though all of them stumbled, he would never be offended. He could have said that he would not stumble. When we face a time of fiery test in our life, we compare ourselves with others just to boast that we can do better than “all men”. This shows our self-reliance.
Even when Jesus pointed out that Peter would deny Him twice before the rooster crew, he still stuck to his gun and even added, “Thou I should die with thee…”. It was not only Peter, but also the other disciples said likewise. Peter was not an exception.
Let us note carefully, “But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled” (Matt.25: 56). Pointing our finger of accusation at Peter and the other disciples, we may preach from the pulpit that all the disciples of Jesus forsook Him, without considering the word of prophecy. We cannot find fault with the disciples of Jesus today. His disciples became emotional and told Jesus that they would not forsake Him. They hardly attached significance to the prophecies. Though Peter denied Jesus thrice as predicted by Jesus, the same Peter died as a martyr for the sake of His Name.
Let us today examine our lives and find out how many times we gave false assurances to our Lord that we would follow Him but subsequently denied Him through our lives.
Dearly beloved in Christ Jesus, let us examine our lives today to find how many times and what occasions we have betrayed our Lord through our holy kisses and to find how many times and what occasions we have used our muscle power against our enemies. Let us repent and turn to Him with a broken heart!
- Job Anbalagan