Monday, January 15, 2024
“And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew” (Luke 22:59,60 KJV).
How was Peter the Apostle being preposterous?
Read Matthew 26:31-35 again: “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.” You may also see the parallel in Mark 14:27-31.
It is quite clear the Lord Jesus Christ had no confidence in the flesh of His disciples. They were not perfect and He knew it well. Instead, He believed, or had faith in, the Scriptures. He was quite familiar with Zechariah 13:7: “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” The “sheep”—the Little Flock, the disciples—would indeed be scattered, going their own way when their Shepherd headed to Calvary’s cruel cross.
Dear brethren, what lesson we can gain from this is simple. May we have confidence in God’s words to us, Romans through Philemon, His grace to us in Christ. Unlike miserable Paul in Romans chapter 7, struggling to live the Christian life in his own strength, we should read and believe Romans chapters 6 and 8. Here is where we have victory over sin, the weakness of our flesh. It is in these grace truths that we find God’s faithfulness, Christ’s faithfulness, always compensating for our unfaithfulness (our preposterousness)! 🙂