"Jesus Predicts that Peter will Deny Him"

 

Matthew 26:33-35: Peter answered and said to Him, Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble. Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. Peter said to Him, Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You! And so said all the disciples.

Peter, not realizing the weakness of his flesh, protested that although all the others should stumble (same word as in 24:10 and translated there "offended") Peter would not stumble. Jesus declared that before the rooster would crow, Peter would deny Christ. Mark adds that the rooster would crow twice (Mark 13:35; 14:66-72) The point is that here we are almost midnight, and Jesus is saying that Peter's denial is literally a handful of hours away. Roosters in those days would start crowing at 3 AM..

Peter is so cinfident that this will not take place, he even vows that he would die for Jesus. The other disciples then displayed the same self-confidence and agreed (not to be outdone) that they also would stay with Jesus to the end. These are fleshly, not spiritual, promises. The flesh is prone to declare its own goodness (Proverbs 20:6).

We need to take warning here, because the day may come when it will be illegal to declare that you are with Christ. Elder Danny Seng sent me "The Greatest Speech" given as testimony before Congress this past year by the father of the Bible club president who was gunned down at Columbine for her faith--literally the first Christian executed in a U.S. public school for her faith. The shooter, a fellow student, asked her to deny Christ or die. I can still see the white casket that all her friends wrote notes on.

I attended R. D. White Elementary School in Glendale from 1961-1964. God was kicked out from the school while I was attending. Supreme Court rulings banned prayer (1962) and Bible reading (1963). I do remember we were permitted to pray for our country on November 22, 1963. A teacher who would stand for their faith would be removed from teaching, because the court wanted children to be kept safe from God and those who would promote such a subversive concept. This morning, 50 years later, R. D. White was emptied out quickly as there was a bomb threat. Six helicopters hovered over the school for three hours, and I could hear them that entire time. My thought was that the state has guaranteed those children safety from God, but that is about all they can guarantee. Because once God departs, man has free reign to do as he pleases. I wonder if any of the teachers, or heaven forbid any of the children offered a prayer during those tense moments.

Peter on his own thought that he did not really have to worry about denying Jesus. He did not need prayer for that, yet when it looked like continuing life might require denying Christ, Peter was first in line to curse the Savior. Jesus later forgave Peter, and may He one day forgive a repentant United States.