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Peter's Denial
Peter's Denial
Peter was a man of faith. When Jesus called him to full-time discipleship, he left ALL and followed Jesus (Mk. 1:17-18). He was then chosen by Jesus to be an Apostle and was given power over demons and to heal the sick. He then did cast out demons and healed (Mark 3:13-15; 6:7-13). When Jesus appeared unto them, walking on the sea, Peter had enough faith to get out of the boat and begin walking on water (Matt. 14:29). When asked by Jesus "who do YOU say that I am"; Peter made the good confession: You are the Christ, the Son of God (Mk. 8:29). He was privileged to see Jesus transfigured before his eyes. He saw Him speaking with Moses and Elijah and heard the voice of God (Mk. 9:1-7).
During the last supper, Jesus reveals (again) that He will be killed and that all the disciples would flee. Peter responds: "Even though all may fall away, yet I will not” (Mk. 14:29). Jesus then foretells that Peter would, in fact, deny Him three times before the morning comes. "But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (Mk. 14:31).
Peter was a man of faith AND experience. Yet, when Jesus was arrested in the garden, Peter did flee and leave Jesus. In the courtyard near where Jesus was being interrogated, he denied the accusation of the servant girl that he had been with Jesus the Nazarene. Then when the servant-girl began to say to the bystanders that he was "one of them", he again denied it. Finally, when they noted that his speech gave him away as being a Galilean (and thus one of Jesus' companions), he denied it with an oath, putting himself under a curse if he was lying. When the rooster crowed, he recalled Jesus foretelling this and wept bitterly (Mk. 14:66-72).
He was again united with the other apostles. They spent the long weekend together as Jesus was in the tomb. When Mary testified that she had seen the Lord on the glorious resurrection morning, Peter believed it not (Mk. 16:11). When the two disciples testified that they too had seen and talked with Jesus, he didn't believe them either (Mk. 16:13).
Jesus then appeared unto these unbelieving disciples of faith (I know, that looks like an oxymoron, but it is the situation), and He upbraided them for their unbelief (Mk. 16:14). However, He then commissions them to go and preach the good news of this resurrection to the world – and they DO.
Several quick observations can be made about Peter and his faith. First, faith is NOT 'static' – but living. It can have its high points (Thou art the Christ) and its low points (He denied it with an oath). It can cause one to get out of the boat and it can leave one to flee for safety. Your faith needs to be fed, strengthened, and exercised.
Second, at times one can be in circumstances that cause one to act AGAINST their faith. Here is where the faith comes to the rescue. Peter RETURNED to the Lord. He wept bitterly – a godly sorrow over his failure of faith. He did NOT then give up and commit suicide (i.e., Judas), but returned and was 'converted'. He acted in faith and obeyed Jesus, preaching the gospel for the rest of his life.
We, like Peter, may have moments where we fail our faith. With the Lord there is mercy and forgiveness. Let us also be like Peter and turn again unto the Lord. Faithfulness ends up being measured over time and not just in one moment of failure. How we respond to such times of weakness is the measure of our faith. Peter was a man of faith. Are you?
Hugh DeLong
