Daily Devotions
Luke
Luke 22:54-62; Matthew 26:69-75 "FOREKNOWLEDGE OF JESUS"
Day 302 – Luke 22
Text: Luke 22:54-62; Matthew 26:69-75
FOREKNOWLEDGE OF JESUS
Every single event had occurred just as Jesus had forewarned His Disciples. Let us take time to recall what He had foretold His Disciples:-
1. He had foretold that He would be betrayed. Luke 9: 44; 22:21
Judas who allowed himself to be possessed by Satan fulfilled this. Luke 22:3-6, 47-48
2. He had also forewarned His Disciples that they would all be scattered as the Shepherd was struck down. Matthew 26:31
This was fulfilled when all His Disciples fled and forsook Him . Matthew 26:56
3. Jesus had also warned Peter that Satan desired to have him. However, prayer had been offered on his behalf. Peter would deny Him, but would in time return to the side of Jesus. Luke 22:31-34
This was fulfilled too. We will take time to study the heart-wrenching battle Peter fought and lost as he struggled to find the courage to stand with his Master.
DON’T BE TOO HARSH WITH PETER
All the Disciples had fled as Jesus was arrested! What caused them to flee? Perhaps it was the presence of the Romans soldiers. Perhaps it was the presence of the Temple guards. Perhaps it was the multitude of people led by the chief priests and elders of the people. Perhaps all of these factors, plus the fact that it was the hour of darkness. Panic suddenly struck all the Disciples, and everyone fled!
Peter had put up a resistance. He had drawn his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest (John 18:10). Jesus forbade Peter to use violence against His enemies. In the melee the Disciples had lost their nerve and they all fled the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter had fled too. But soon, he found some courage and “followed at a distance” (Luke 22:54).
THE FIRST DENIAL
Peter must have thought he would not be easily recognized if he kept a low profile, and if he just mingled with the crowd. It must have been a cold night, for a fire had been lit and people gathered themselves around the fire to keep themselves warm. Suddenly, the unexpected happened…
“But a certain servant girl, seeing him
as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him
and said,
‘This man was also by Him.’ “
Luke 22:56
Peter was caught off guard. He responded too quickly. Once again, panic struck him. He blurted out the first denial,
“Woman, I do not know Him.”
Luke 22:57
Once again, let us be reminded that the struggle Peter went through involved Satan himself. He wanted to have Peter too. He was going to sift Peter. He was going to shake him up. The first denial saw Peter lose this round in his battle against his own fear.
THE SECOND DENIAL
What thoughts filled Peter’s mind as he dwelt on what he had just uttered! Nevertheless, Peter had stood his ground. He remained where he was. In his own way, he was still showing some courage when he continued to stay where he was, in the courtyard of the High Priest.
Another chill must have entered into Peter’s heart when he heard another accusing voice. Luke described this next incident.
“And after a little while another saw him and said,
‘You also are of them.’ “
Luke 22:58
Once again, Peter found himself in a fix. Why couldn’t people just mind their own business? Why should a servant girl point him out? Why should this man, a stranger also point a finger at him? What were they trying to do anyway?
Peter’s instincts once again swamped him. The primal instinct of survival overwhelmed him. He feared for his life and once again he found himself blurting out another denial.
“But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not.’ “
Luke 22:58
THE THIRD DENIAL
An hour had passed. Nobody else came to bother him. But suddenly the silence was broken rudely by another person who accused him of being a disciple of Jesus.
“Then after about an hour had passed,
another confidently affirmed, saying,
‘Surely this fellow was also with Him,
for he is a Galilean.’ “
Luke 22:59
Peter was nonplussed! How could he answer the third accusation? He had stayed as close to Jesus as he dared. He had stayed as long as he did because he was so torn inside him. There was a part of Him that loved his Master and he wanted to stay by His side. But there was another part of him that feared the worst. He too could be arrested, or so he feared. Fear won. Peter lost. It was with the voice of fear that Peter cried out.
“Man, I do not know what you are saying! “
Luke 22:60
How many times did Peter deny Jesus? We can say, “At least three times.” Jesus highlighted the fact that Peter would deny Him three times. What lay behind the words of Jesus when He said that Peter would deny Him “three times”?
Was Jesus emphasizing the number of times? Or was Jesus merely emphasising the fact that Peter would certainly deny Him. The latter was most likely the meaning. The mention of the phrase, “three times” had more symbolic meaning than just numerical.
In Matthew’s account of the denials of Peter, he noted the following.
“A servant girl came to him, saying,
‘You also were with Jesus of Galilee.’ “
Matthew 26:69
“Another girl saw him and said to those who were there,
‘This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.'”
Matthew 26:71
“And a little later those who stood by came up
and said to Peter,
‘Surely, you also are one of them, for your speech
betrays you (that is, Peter displayed a Galilean accent).'”
Matthew 26:73
In Matthew’s account, two servant girls were mentioned. He also noted that the crowd took up the cry against him. In Luke’s account, only one girl was mentioned, and the crowd was not mentioned at all.
It would not be difficult to understand how Peter could have denied Jesus repeatedly when confronted. The point that Jesus was trying to help Peter understand was not how many times he would deny Him, as much as that he would definitely and categorically deny his Master.
This was well borne out by the fact that Matthew took pains to describe the way in which Peter denied Jesus. On two occasions, Peter must have used hard language on the people who rankled him.
“But again he denied with an oath,
‘I do not know the Man!'”
Matthew 26:72
“Then he began to curse and swear, saying,
‘I do not know the Man!'”
Matthew 26:74
Peter had denied his Master in the worst possible way! He suddenly remembered the words of Jesus (Matthew 26:75). Worse, at that point of time, Jesus had been led out of the palace of the High Priest, and He had paused to look at him (Luke 22:61). No words from Jesus were necessary. “Peter went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:62).