Is there a Peter living in You?

Luke 22:54-62

Is there a Peter living in each of us?  A Peter who a short time earlier said to Jesus; “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”  The same Peter who showed great courage when the chief priest, Judas, and elders came in the dark to arrest Jesus, it was Peter who the apostle John tells us in chapter 18:10, cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant, his name was Malchus.

But now Peter has changed from being with Jesus to following the crowd that has arrested Jesus at a distance.  I do not believe any of us have the emotional intensity to understand what was happening with Peter at this moment, he had risk his life for Jesus, and God had not allowed the solders to harm him, in fact Jesus is in total control and yet at this moment it does not seem that way, but later Peter will understand and see this night clearly.  Later Peter will look back and recall these words of Jesus recorded for us by Dr. Luke, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Satan’s attack came at the lowest moment of Peters life, all his hopes and dreams had been carried off to an illegal court where the one he believed to be the Messiah was being abused by the chief priest and the guards.  And I’m sure the enemy of our soul, the one Johns gospel calls the thief, and the book of Genesis calls that old serpent, or the devil was planting things into Peter’s mind that sounded like his own thoughts, things like, surely Jesus is not the Christ for God would not allow that to happen to His Son, His only Son.

And as Peter was warning himself by the fire a servant girl seeing him sitting there said; “This man also was with him.”  Now we should not forget Peter is under fire and he doubts and fear is coming over him and this is his reply, “Woman, I do not know him.”  Do you recall the question I ask earlier, “Is there a Peter living in each of us?” Have you ever had the urge to share your faith and the enemy said if you do you may lose this deal, this contact, or relationship, and you kept quiet?  Maybe you have a little Peter living in you!   It was not long before someone else said, “You also are one of them.”  This time Peter answers, “Man, I am not.”  Almost an hour had passed when another said, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean.”  But Peter said, Man, I do not know what you are talking about.”  And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.  And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. 

When the old Peter the one before Pentecost comes out in you and the Spirit of God confronts you, do you go out and weep bitterly?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice