Peter gave the answer that Jesus had predicted: He denied knowing Jesus. Temptation came when Peter least expected it, and this serves to warn us to be prepared. Peter had been ready to fight with a sword but not to face the accusations of a servant. Later in the evening, another servant girl noticed him. She didn’t question him directly, rather she told those standing around that Peter was with Jesus of Nazareth. The accusation scared Peter, so once again he lied, this time with an oath, meaning he had invoked a curse on himself if he were lying. This was Peter’s second denial. About an hour passed (Luke 22:59), and another bystander noticed Peter’s Galilean accent.
While Peter may have hoped to seem a natural part of the group by joining in the conversation, instead he revealed, by his speech, that he did not belong there. This was too much for Peter, so he decided to make the strongest denial he could think of by denying with an oath, “I don’t know the man.” Peter was swearing that he did not know Jesus and was invoking a curse on himself if his words were untrue. He was saying, in effect, “May God strike me dead if I am lying.” This was the third denial.
Immediately upon Peter’s final words, the rooster crowed. When Peter heard the rooster crowing and saw Jesus look down at him from the upper story where the trial was being held (Luke 22:61), he was reminded of what Jesus had said to him earlier. Peter had indeed denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. Peter went away, crying bitterly, realizing he had denied his Lord, the Messiah. Fortunately, the story does not end there. Peter’s tears were of true sorrow and repentance. Later, Peter would reaffirm his love for Jesus, and Jesus would forgive him (Mark 16:7; John 21:15-19).
Very early the next morning, the Council made it official that Jesus was worthy of death. The Jewish leaders had arrested Jesus on theological grounds—blasphemy; because this charge would be thrown out of a Roman court, however, they had to come up with a political reason for Jesus’ death. Their strategy was to show Jesus as a rebel who claimed to be a king and thus a threat to Caesar. The charge against Jesus in the Roman court was treason. Jesus was bound like a common criminal and sent off to Pilate.
The religious leaders had no other way to get rid of Jesus than to go to him. So they imposed this on him early Friday morning, bringing a man whom they accused of treason against the hated Romans! The stories of Peter and Judas provide a dramatic contrast. We see in Peter the weakness of humanity and in Judas the guilt and spiritual consequences of rejecting Christ. Peter wept, repented, and was restored; Judas had remorse, but killed himself. Forgiveness was available from the Master, but Judas did not pursue it.
Judas, filled with remorse at having betrayed Jesus, went back to the leading priests. Jesus had been condemned to die, and Judas realized his sin, but it was too late. The religious leaders had Jesus where they wanted him, and they replied, “What do we care?” What a response from the religious leadership! The priests’ job was to teach people about God and act as intercessors for them, helping them turn from sin and find forgiveness. Rather than helping him find forgiveness, however, the priests didn’t care. At that, Judas threw the money onto the floor of the Temple. Judas then hanged himself. Acts 1:18 says that he fell and burst open. Evidently, the limb from which he was hanging broke, and the resulting fall split open his body.
These chief priests felt no guilt in giving Judas money to betray an innocent man, but when Judas returned the money, the priests couldn’t accept it because it was against the law to accept money paid for murder. True to character, they refused to break certain laws while overlooking their own gross sins as they planned the murder of an innocent man! Because they could not put the money into the Temple treasury (it was considered “unclean” money), they decided to buy the potter’s field, and they made it into a cemetery for foreigners. Graveyards and tombs were considered by the Jews to be “unclean” places, so this appeared to be a perfect use for this “unclean” money. This fulfilled the prophecy in Zechariah 11:12-13.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
I have always kind of seen myself as a "Peter" of our generation. Loud, loyal, speak before I think - sometimes, impulsive, a leader. When I read this passage, I recognize in me the same thing that was in Peter - self. Self pride, self-centeredness, self-will, selfishness.
Thank You Lord, for your forgiveness and mercy. Thank you Lord, that You were capable and ready to forgive even Judas. Thank you for being the God of second and third and fourth and 100th chances. Thank you Lord for seeing in me - what I can become, and not what I am. Lord, give me that gift as well today. Help me to encourage people and lift them up and help me to build them in such a way so they see all that You have planned for them, and all that You have created them for. Help that message of Hope come though in this next message series on Building Bridges.
"Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (AMP)
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the people of COV. What an honor to be their pastor. Lord, You know how unworthy I feel at times to be in this leadership role. Lord, build our people and encourage our people and strengthener our people. Lord, help them see what You see. Help them see their potential and calling. In those days when they feel like giving up and compromising. In those days when they feel like a failure or maybe they don't measure up, remind them and remind me of your great capacity to love and forgive.
"Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the Cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get Christ, we are included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us." Romans 6:6-10 (MB)
No comments:
Post a Comment