Scripture – “Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.”
Matthew 26:31-35 NIV
Observation – Jesus is telling his disciples that this very night they will all desert him and, specifically, tells Peter he will disown him three times. Peter declares that he will die before he disowns him and all the other disciples said that they too would die before they betrayed Jesus.
Application – We know that later that night Peter denied Jesus three times and all the disciples ran away when Jesus was arrested. Later in the Gospels and the book of Acts we read that the disciples hid because they feared the religious leaders. Everyone knew who these men were because they had spent three years with Jesus and the disciples knew they were the next to be killed so they ran and hid. After Jesus rose from the dead, spent 40 days on earth with the disciples and ascended into heaven the disciples hid for another 10 days. On Pentecost they received the Holy Spirit and were filled with power. At that time God transformed these men from cowards to lions of the faith and they were willing to get beaten, thrown in prison, rejected and killed in order to proclaim that Jesus died on the cross for humanity’s sins and that he is the only way to heaven. Some people will die for a lie that they think is true but no one dies for a lie that that know is a lie. The disciples experienced the risen Son of God and knew what when they died they would go to heaven to be with Jesus. This is the only rational explanation for the birth and rapid growth of Christianity.
Prayer – Lord, I pray that whoever reads this would be strengthened in their faith and that anyone that reads this that doesn’t believe in you would trust you today with their life and surrender their life to you, the one who died and came back from the dead and who lives forever. Amen.
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