Luke 22:54-62

Luke 22:54-62 Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Out of fear, Peter disowned Jesus. Peter, definitely afraid that he too would be arrested, denied he was a follower of Christ in the very presence of his Lord. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. When he realized he had fulfilled the Lord's words, Peter went away weeping bitterly. He knew he had denied the one who loved him the most. Peter's betrayal of Jesus was unforgivable, but easily understood. To the fleshly mind, saving his life was more important than loyalty to Jesus. How many of us find ourselves caught in that bind. We say and do things that we know Jesus would not approve. When we do so, we turn away from him quickly so we will not see his disappointed gaze upon us. Our prayer life, our Bible reading, our songs of praise all cease; we literally remove our lives from his presence. As we grab the reins of our lives out of the hands of Jesus, we are once again like a wild horse without any restraints, going where we want, thinking what we want, eating what we want, and doing what we want. In this state of separation, we ignore God's will and choose our own.

Yet God had plans for Peter the betrayer. He called him to be a fisher of men and did not rescind that call. After Pentecost, Peter would lead several thousand people into God's net as he preached them into the kingdom of God. Full of the Spirit, he was a very successful fishermen. Jesus also commissioned him to feed the sheep of Israel, the Jewish believers. In Acts we find Peter fulfilling that commission. Yes, the betrayer found himself a valuable instrument in the hands of God after the infilling of the Holy Spirit. During his time with Jesus, Peter believed he had committed to Christ completely. He told Jesus that he had left all to follow him and that if all others betrayed him, he would not. But he did not fulfill either of those statements. He had not left all: his life was still more dear to him than following Jesus Christ, THE LAMB, to the end. He fled that courtyard, but not because he was coward, for he was the one willing to draw a sword when Jesus was arrested. He was willing to fight for the mission, the insurrection against Rome. He left that courtyard because he was not willing to lose his life for a hopeless cause, for a sacrificial lamb. For this reason, he was not willing to endure to the end.

Are we willing to endure to the end, living lives of Bible reading, praying, meditating, and singing songs of praise when it seems as if things are not working out as we planned? Or are we going to walk out of the presence of Jesus, denying his lordship of our lives? Never leave the presence of Jesus. In his presence is fulness of joy, the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen, comfort, and guide us. In the courtyard we will find the courage to face our enemies. Jesus said, But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7) Christ's presence within us gives us the strength and the faith to endure to the end. Yes, Jesus died as a Lamb; we too give our lives for the cause of Christ. We can only do that in the Spirit; otherwise, we will walk away weeping bitterly. Without resurrection power, we will stop serving God in the hard times. Reject the shame and sorrow of such a decision and allow the Spirit of God to lead you victoriously on the paths of righteousness.