Peter

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

PETER

Matt 26:69-75

69 Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. 70 But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. 71 Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72 He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!" 73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away." 74 Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

NIV

Why are we being told about Peter denying Jesus three times before the rooster crows? What does this have to do with the gospel, the message about Jesus being the Savior of the world? What this possibly could be is showing us the life of Peter or having an insight into a rather normal experience in a walk with Jesus. It is certain this shows us the divinity of Jesus in that he foretold Peter what would happen. If that is all it does then it is just one of many examples of Jesus being God, just as Thomas came to that revelation calling Jesus his Lord and his God. But Peter is also a very interesting character. He is impetuous, speaking at times before engaging his mind. However, in this case, Peter had made a vow, a promise as it were, that although all others would fall away, he would not. How bold of him to think that highly of himself that he would contradict what Jesus said. This is when Jesus told Peter that he would, in fact, deny him three times. We have already seen this exchange and now it has happened. If anything, it may have helped Peter to become a better man, a more committed man, and we certainly know that after Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended back to heaven, Peter, on the day of Pentecost stood boldly speaking to thousands of people about Jesus. Peter changed, and maybe it was through this experience that helped him make that change in his life. It does give a pause to consider how many experiences we have had with Jesus, including times when we might have stood a little far off, not completely denying him, but also not being completely committed to him. Then there were times we have been boldly proclaiming the Lord’s truth. Peter’s life was like a roller coaster, and he gives us a real honest to goodness flesh and blood person to identify with. Sure, we should identify with Jesus, but although he was in the flesh, he was also God and perfect. As long as we are in this flesh we will not attain the perfection of Jesus, but we can and have lived a somewhat roller-coaster life as we have been following Jesus. Those times we fail, just as we see Peter, we wept over our failures, we hate to fail, we wish the Lord would just make us perfect, able to withstand all temptations, every single one, and live a completely pure and holy life, but as it was with Peter, we too are simply a people who have put our trust in Jesus and live to the best we can.