PT-2 "Intro to Matthew 26:69-75"

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/2/2024 9:12 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                         Focus:  PT-2 “Intro to Matthew 26:69-75”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                              Reference:  Matthew 26:69-75

 

            Message of the verses:  “69 All this time Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a maidservant came up to him and said, "Weren’t you too with Jesus, the man from Galilee?" 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, "I don’t know what you’re talking about." 71 Then when he had gone out into the porch, another maid caught sight of him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." 72 And again he denied it with an oath — "I don’t know the man!" 73 A few minutes later those who were standing about came up to Peter and said to him, "You certainly are one of them, it’s obvious from your accent." 74 At that he began to curse and swear — "I tell you I don’t know the man!" Immediately the cock crew, 75 and the words of Jesus came back into Peter’s mind — "Before the cock crows you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

 

            I mentioned at the end of my last SD that I would quote a paragraph from John MacArthur’s commentary which I have had trouble with and I am sure that all believers from time to time have too.  “Every Christian at times comes before the Lord overwhelmed and broken by the awareness of his sinfulness.  A person who never has such an experience either is very cold spiritually or is not a Christian at all.  Nothing is more shattering to a believer than suddenly realizing he has denied the Lord by what he has said or not said, done or not done.  And yet nothing is more exhilarating to him than knowing God’s gracious forgiveness of the unfaithfulness after it is confessed.”

 

            Now let us think more about Peter and why it was that he had denied the Lord at this particular time.  This denial was not merely a spontaneous response to unexpected danger or embarrassment, and the reason is because Peter had already laid the groundwork for defection.  Or if we use another metaphor, Peter had taken many steps toward denying Christ before he even entered the courtyard of Caiaphas. 

 

            Now we will begin to look at these steps, and the first step was his boasting when he said in Matthew 26:33 “even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away” (Matt. 26:33).  When Peter spoke those words he not only revealed unfounded confidence in himself but he directly contradicted what his Lord predicted that all the disciples would fall away that very night as seen in verse 31.  This was based on his feelings of self-confidence and devotion to Jesus that Peter considered himself incapable of disloyalty.  He could not imagine anything that would cause him to waver, and not even the Lord’s explicit prediction could convince him otherwise. Peter was certain he had come to the place of spiritual maturity with his priorities which were straight, his convictions that were steadfast, and his faithfulness invulnerable.  So it was therefore inconceivable to him that he could be capable of defecting from the Lord.

 

            Next we will look at his second of five steps that caused him to deny the Lord, and that was insubordination, manifested in his defiantly persisting to reject Jesus’ assessment of him.  It was even when the Lord had singled him out and predicted that he not only would flee like the others but would deny Him three times before the next morning dawned, Peter blatantly contradicted Him and continued to defend his own faithfulness.  Peter said the following in verse 35 “Even if it means dying with you I will never disown you," said Peter. And all the disciples made the same protest.”  Now we will look at Mark 14:31 to add more to this subject:  “But Peter kept saying insistently, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing also.”

 

            Here is the problem as MacArthur describes it:  “Peter did not take seriously the voice of the living God he confessed with his mouth, and he rejected and resented His reproof.  Like many believers since, he proudly refused to submit himself to God’s Word and Spirit.”

 

            As I think about the reasons that Peter fell as he denied the Lord perhaps the chief reason would be pride.  Pride is a sin that everyone from time to time has committed.  This usually happens after a great victory while serving the Lord, and then one thinks that they are invincible and immediately falls because of pride.

 

            I hope to look at the last three reasons why Peter fell and denied the Lord three times in the next SD which will then finish the introduction to these verses.

 

7/2/2024 9:46 AM