Day 11
John 18: 25-27
25Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." 26One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" 27Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
The Second and Third Denial of Peter (John 18: 25-27)
We return to the scene with Peter 'warming himself' by the fire. Again he is questioned about his relationship with Jesus. The question is put in a way that expects a negative answer. And Peter gave an unequivocal reply: 'I am not.' A relative of Malchus, whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, 'Did I not see you in the garden with him?' Peter again denied it; and the cock started to crow, precisely as Jesus had foreseen (13:38).
Peter's failure is obvious for all to see, but what is often not acknowledged is the fact that we would have not fared much better. In groups there is a reluctance for one person to go in an opposite direction from the rest of the group. In reality, however, it is not as difficult as it seems to remain loyal to Christ, if we firmly and gently state that we are Christians.
Think: How does Peter’s experience illustrate the tendency of sin to grow out of control?
