Daily Devotions
John
John 18:12-27 "AN EARLIER CONVERSATION"
Day 281 – John 18
AN EARLIER CONVERSATION
As we read about Peter’s denial of Jesus, we must not end up being too harsh in our judgment. Would we have done any better, given similar circumstances?
Peter’s denial of Jesus cannot be compared to the betrayal of Judas. Let us take time to recall a conversation Peter had with Jesus.
“Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, where are
You going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I
am going you cannot follow Me now, but
you shall follow Me afterward.’Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow
You now? I will lay down my life for your sake.’
Jesus answered him, ‘Will you lay down your life
for My sake? Most assuredly I say to you, the
rooster shall not crow till you have denied me
three times.'”
John 13:36-38
There is no question as to the fact that Peter loved his beloved Teacher. In his heart, he loved Him enough to follow Him everywhere He went. He declared that he was prepared to even lay down his life for Jesus’ sake!
Jesus knew Peter better. He also knew that the Disciples were going to undergo very trying circumstances that they had never experienced before. Peter would deny Him, and the rest of the other Disciples would flee.
Let us take time to study some possible reasons that would help us understand how Peter (and the other disciples) could let Jesus down so badly.
POSSIBLE REASONS WHY THE DISCIPLES WERE WEAK
While we are not given specific texts to explain why Peter and his fellow disciples ended up fleeing from Jesus, certain passages from John’s Gospel may enlighten us as to how they were not as strong as they were expected to be. Let us ponder over two reasons:-
1. The Power of Satan
Judas had already fallen because of Satan’s work in his heart (John 13:2, 27). We must not think that Satan confined his attacks on Judas. Jesus told His Disciples that Satan had asked for Peter to be singled out and attacked.
“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed,
Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you
as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith
should not fail; and when you have returned to Me,
strengthen your brethren.”
Luke 22:31-32
While we do not need to fear Satan, we must not underestimate what he can do to us and against us! There is no question about the fact that behind the suffering of Jesus, Satan’s evil hand was there! His demons would have ranged themselves against the Disciples, and somehow they created a terrible sense of fear and the Disciples succumbed to the spirit of fear and they fled from Jesus!
Jesus intimated that the evil one would especially attack the Disciples, thus He prayed for them especially.
“I have given them Your word, and the world
has hated them because they are not of the world,
just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that
You should take them out of the world, but that
You should keep them from the evil one.”
John 17:14-15
Peter was felled, at least momentarily. He would recover soon, and become much stronger than he ever was. In later years, Peter wrote a general epistle to all Christians who were suffering because of their faith in Christ. He wrote,
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in
the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are
experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”
1 Peter 5:8-9
Perhaps Peter had not been sober enough, not vigilant enough, and so he faltered for a while. Jesus had prayed that his faith might not fail and it did not, though it was badly shaken for a while. Peter had learned over the years how to resist Satan, by having a steadfast faith. Yes, there was suffering and Satan was probably not far from the scene of suffering. Nevertheless it was possible to stand firm and strong against the Devil. He, Peter had learned this lesson the hard way.
2. Strength of Faith
Again and again, Jesus sought to build up the faith of His Disciples. He taught them deep truths so that through understanding them they would be able to have a stronger faith, but somehow they did not fully comprehend all that Jesus sought to teach (John 12:16).
Their failure to comprehend the Word that Jesus taught also resulted in not being able to believe fully (John 14:10 “Do you not believe …”).
The Disciples had faith enough to believe that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. However, they would need a far stronger faith to be able to hold out against the trials and tribulations that Satan would engineer against them.
WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF OUR STRENGTH OF FAITH?
It would not be inappropriate to raise this question. How strong are we spiritually? What kind of a faith do we have? Can we resist the devil steadfastly?