"The Denial"

“The Denial”

 

Peter:  “Lord,” he told Him, “I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!”

Jesus:  “I tell you, Peter,” He said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know Me!”      Luke 22:33-34

After Jesus was arrested in the Garden, they took Him to the high priest’s house.  And Peter was following at a distance.

When a servant saw him sitting in the firelight, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with Him too.”  But he denied it:  “Woman, I don’t know Him!”  After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too!”  “Man, I am not!” Peter said.  About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with Him since he’s also a Galilean.”  But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”   Immediately, while he was still speaking a rooster crowed.  Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”  And he went outside and wept bitterly.         Luke 22:56-62

 

How could one of Jesus’ most trusted, and beloved disciples deny His Master?  DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SATAN!  Jesus had warned Peter that Satan wanted to, “sift him like wheat.  But Peter, with his IMPETUOUS personality, DENIED that he would let that happen, when he avowed to Jesus that “he would go with Him both to prison and to death!”

 

Now, that was an HONORABLE thought, but that was ALL it was.  Then Jesus told Peter, that he would DENY Him, not once but THREE times, before the rooster crowed.  And that was EXACTLY what happened. 

 

When Peter was confronted with the accusations of being connected to Jesus, he did just as Jesus said he would.  It’s easy for us to sit back and point a finger at Peter and shame him for his actions, but what about those of us who claim to be Christians, yet when confronted with the affiliation we get EMBARRASSED or SHY AWAY from the connection.  We want to be a Christian, but we don’t want anyone to KNOW it, because we might be ridiculed, shunned, or the brunt of sacrilegious jokes.  Small price to pay in comparison to what Jesus did for us.  

 

So like Peter, we DENY our relationship with Him, until it benefits us, and yet, we expect Him to ACKNOWLEDGE our relationship.  I believe that when Jesus’ eyes met Peter’s eyes, they pierced to the very HEART of Peter, and Peter KNEW what he had done and with REMORSE and REPENTANCE, he wept bitterly, uncontrollably from the inner most part of his being.  So should those who try to DENY their relationship with Christ, but want to reap the rewards of that relationship.  CHECK YOUR SALVATION, is it a TRUE, HEARTFELT relationship? 

 

If NOT, or if you have NEVER given your HEART and LIFE to God, then you DENY Him DAILY, because of your SINFUL, UNREPENTFUL NATURE, and you are on your way to a place called HELL, a place that is void of ANYTHING good, and full of EVERYTHING that is painful, full of agony, torment, torture and despair.  However, God is giving you the opportunity to turn your destination around and head towards Heaven, you can do that by:  CONFESSING your sins to Him and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and STOP DENYING HIM!! EMBRACE your relationship with Him and receive the HOPE of HEAVEN.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!