He Was Human Just Like Us, After All
As we continue the journey to Easter, this week we’ll look at the interruption in Peter’s faith.
In John 1:35-42 Peter’s journey with Christ started with his brother Andrew introducing them. Introduction is where relationships start. Like Andrew, we need to introduce others to Christ.
The next step on the journey was Jesus inviting Peter to follow Him. We see this invitation both in Matthew 4:18-20 and Luke 5:1-11. In both Scriptures, Jesus extends an invitation for Peter to follow Him. He extends this invitation to us also.
Last week Jesus was instructing Peter and the other disciples how rough the journey was going to be. (Mark 8:31-9:1) Peter didn’t want to hear this and pushed back. This caused Jesus to reprimand Peter. We need to be open to Jesus’ instructions and not let our own ideas disrupt our journey.
This week we talked about Peter’s interruption.
As Jesus and His disciples shared their last meal together, (Matthew 26:17-30) He told them of the things that they could expect on their journey. He told them that one of them would betray Him. We know now that this person was Judas.
After the meal they were on their way to the Mt. of Olives, and Jesus told them how things were going to go on this journey. He told them that all of them would desert Him.
Once again Peter spoke up and said, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
As Paul Harvey would say…we know “the rest of the story”. We know that Peter does in fact deny Jesus three times.
While they were on the Mount of Olives, Jesus is approached by a crowd of priests, elders, and temple guards led by Judas, and he betrays Jesus with a kiss. (Luke 22:47-52) As Jesus is being arrested and taken away, His followers all run away.
They take Jesus to the home of the high priest to interrogate Him while Peter followed at a distance.
The guards then lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it. Peter joined them. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. She said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”
Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”
After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”
“No, man, I’m not!” Peter replied.
About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”
Once again Peter said,
“Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter.
Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
This denial of Jesus was certainly an INTERRUPTION in Peter’s journey.
Can you imagine how Peter would have felt in that instant when Jesus looked at him and knew what he had done?
Like us, Peter and Judas both had interruptions in their journeys. They both handled these interruptions completely differently.
Judas gave up and killed himself.
Peter asked for forgiveness and was forgiven.
Interruption is a normal part of our life journey. Like Peter and Judas, how we deal with these interruptions is up to us.
Remember that no matter what our interruption is, we can ask for forgiveness and move forward on our journey.