Great ‘Failures’ of the Bible (part 2)

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Title: Great ‘Failures’ of the Bible (part 2) ------------------- Date: 1/2/2003
Keywords: “Peter”
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Passage: Matthew 26:69-75*

69. Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a certain servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean."

70. But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about."

71. And when he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw 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 do not know the man."

73. And a little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; for the way you talk gives you away."

74. Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a cock crowed.

75. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

Questions

Note: When Jesus was being tried by the Jews for blasphemy, Peter was enduring his own "trial." You might want to read in Matthew 26 for the whole story of Peter’s threefold denial of Christ.

1. Think of all that Peter and Jesus had experienced together. Call to mind all of the miracles Peter had seen, the teaching he had heard, the conversations he had enjoyed. Why would Peter deny knowing Jesus, who had given him spiritual life?

 

2. Do you think Peter was prompted to deny Jesus because of fear? If so, what did he fear?

 

Practical help

"Fear makes cowards of us all." Perhaps it was fear — of exposure, of being identified with an accused blasphemer, whatever — that successfully tempted Peter to deny the Lord.

No matter how you slice it, though, Peter’s denial was a failure. He failed to stand up for his Friend on the one night his Friend could have used a little support!

Was Peter’s failure, though, fatal? No!

Follow the story in the Gospels and in the early chapters of the book of Acts, and you discover that Peter was restored. He was the one who boldly proclaimed the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost so convincingly that 3,000 souls were added to the church. He became the prime leader of the church in Jerusalem.

What happened? God forgave and restored.

Just as God forgave and restored Peter, so He will restore and forgive YOU who struggle with Internet porn. Your failure is no more fatal than was Peter’s. God is not at all finished with you yet! Return to Him. Confess your sin — and allow His grace to wash over you, cleanse you, and restore you.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."