Matthew 26:69-75 Peter Fails Christ

"Peter has been criticized for following afar off, but that was not his mistake.  His mistake was that he followed at all.  He was supposed to get out.  Jesus had warned Peter that he would deny Him ... Jesus had expressly commanded the disciples not to follow.  If Peter had listened to the Word and obeyed it, he would never have failed the Lord in such a humiliating way," my commentary said.

John also had followed with Peter and gotten both of them entrance into the high priest's house.  He was a part of this failure.

Instead of watching and praying, to keep them from temptation, they'd fallen asleep and later entered into temptation and Peter fell.  

"Mark's account of this event indicates that the cock crowed twice.  after the third denial, the cock crowed for the second time ... the first cock-crowing was a warning to Peter, and he should have left the scene immediately."

But after the resurrection, Jesus took Peter aside and restored him to his discipleship.  He then did the same publicly.  Peter learned "to put no confidence in his own strength."

Father, help me not to make rash decisions based on my own confidence, but to obey You.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford