John 18:12-18

John 18:12-18 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in. “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.” It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

John 18:25-27 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

The story of Peter's failure to associate himself with Jesus when threatened by the crowd and his repeated refusal to acknowledge his close relationship with Christ offers a quintessential example of God's unending grace towards humankind. Peter's abysmal fall from grace encourages and helps all of the rest of us when we are weak. We can know God's mercy extends to us even when we face our worst moment of weakness and stand before him without any merit of our own or any right to ask him to accept us or to grant us favor ever again. When our own fears of what is happening around us cause us to cringe in a dark corner and the weaknesses of the flesh blind our eyes or overwhelm our faith and fidelity to Jesus, we can think of Peter denying his precious Lord, saying, "I am not one of his disciples." We can look at a bold man of faith brought to total weakness and the end of himself. We can see Peter with nothing left to hold onto and no power of his own to help him rise to the occasion to speak the words He should have said. When Jesus was with him and asked him who he thought Jesus was, he boldly and rightly replied, Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus called Peter a rock, and his confession of faith was building material for the church of the living God. Yet with Jesus facing imprisonment and death, and Peter standing outside the High Priest's courtyard unsure of what might happen, Peter had no sure answer, no hope, no voice. Nonetheless, we see God's unmerited grace covering Peter at his moment of weakness and poured out upon all who would answer God's call all the way to the cross and to the end of the age.

From the Old Testament to the New, we see a God who is slow to anger and quick to forgive, who is full of mercy and grace, who does not reward us according to what we deserve but according to his loving kindness, extending from everlasting to everlasting. We see this amazing grace manifested toward Abraham when out of fear for his life he gave his wife away, first to Pharaoh and then to Abimelech. Yet God remains faithful to Abraham and blesses him greatly, making him the father of many nations in spite of his fleshly failings, human faults, and inclinations to trust in his own solutions and devices. David was a man after God's own heart; yet many times he erred greatly and displeased God, making huge mistakes, judgment errors that caused great harm to people he loved. God brought him to task for these sins but also showed mercy upon him. Not fully understanding what was happening at the time of Christ's arrest, Peter must have felt great sorrow and shame when he failed so miserably in this time of testing. He might have been thinking of the Patriarchs or the Psalms, crying out, O LORD, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you. (Psalm 41:4) Earlier that night, Peter alone was willing to defend Jesus by using a sword. As a member of the intimate three Jesus kept close to him, Peter was privileged to see the transfiguration. He was present when God said, This is my beloved Son: hear him. (Mark 9:7) With James and John he witnessed Jesus raise Jairus' daughter from the dead. Jesus assigned these same three men the wonderful yet heady responsibility of praying for him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Although they failed Jesus by falling asleep, Peter was always one of Christ's most trusted and closest friends. With such a special relationship, Peter and everyone else surely assumed nothing could have made him deny Christ. But he did. Human beings often fall down when we rely upon ourselves. WE FAIL WHEN WE TRUST IN OUR OWN STRENGTH, BUT GOD HAD A PLAN FOR PETER AND FOR ALL WHO WOULD CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD.

Seeing Jesus led away, Peter momentarily lost his ability to stand tall. He doubted whether God was in control of the circumstances and feared the evil maelstrom of events might catch him if he confessed Jesus as Lord. Fear trumped his relationship with Jesus. Fear without a vibrant faith and confidence in God's presence and power does that. Problems and troubles on every side can blind us to what we know to be true if we take our eyes off Jesus or we think He has gone away. When we lose a job or relationships fail or disasters come upon us are we willing say, "Yes, I am one of his disciples." Or do we react as Peter and huddle close to the fire away from everyone else, trying to pretend God does not exist or that He has no place in our lives? Yet soon after that night, the same Peter who denied Christ went to the upper room on the Day of Pentecost to wait as Jesus said, for the gift my Father promised. He was not drawing back depressed over failing his Lord; he was waiting to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit came in power and authority, this same Peter preached with such divine unction and anointing about three thousand were added to their number that day. (See Acts chapters 1-2) In hard times believers do not draw back: we press in; we press on by faith. We declare the truth with the saints of all the ages: Our God lives! We say with Job: I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. (Job 19:25) We say with Paul: If God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:31 & 35)

Faced with troubles, as God's faithful servants: we read our Bibles, attend church, pray fervently for others (more than for ourselves), and help wherever God sends us. When floods of adversity strike, we remain steadfast because Peter's story reminds us God remains faithful and true. He redeemed us, saved us, lifted us from the miry clay according to his immeasurable and glorious grace. He does not turn from us, for He intends to fulfill in us his perfect unchangeable will: perfecting the work He has started in us. As dear children, we do not fear the courtyard, for He who is in us is greater than the one (or anything or anyone) who is in the world. We overcome through the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5:1-4) Rejoice dearly beloved and be exceedingly glad! You have a reason to shout praises to the Lord. You have a reason to live. Yes, this life is hard, and it often becomes harder. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. (Luke 21:28)