The FaithOfJesus2 Daily Devotional

Focus:

kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

( FaithOfJesus thread begun by rRandyP )

Today's Verse:

kjv@Mark:14:66-72

kjv@Mark:14:66 @ And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:

kjv@Mark:14:67 @ And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

kjv@Mark:14:68 @ But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

kjv@Mark:14:69 @ And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

kjv@Mark:14:70 @ And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

kjv@Mark:14:71 @ But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

kjv@Mark:14:72 @ And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

Today's notes:

Context:

Before - I AM
After - Pilate, willing to content the people

Key Concepts:

What is God's righteousness observed doing?:

Allowing for man to make his mistakes, even in denying following Christ when put to the test.
Warning Peter ahead of time of the sin he was about to commit.

What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:

Various other scriptures read that Christ will deny men who deny Him or are offended in Him. God is big enough to know that this is not one of those times though it gives that outward appearance. This is a man that stumbles at nearly every turn that has proven to have the heart when stumbled to consider hard thereon to regret and repentance and moving forward passed the obstacle. As much as He knows that Peter will deny Him trice, He also knows that he is a trusted disciple, perhaps the best out of the material available to work with, to become a key pillar in the early church. Peter could have been taken down by this regretful sin consumed by his guilt as to forbid himself from ever approaching the ministry again, but our Lord knew better.
What purpose did Jesus have in telling Peter this ahead of time? There are many things that Jesus knows ahead of time that will happen left untold that either isn't beneficial to be known by us or is counter productive or is better experienced to be learned than foretold. This is a case where the opposite is true; it is a case where it must be thought how else would Peter come to know it? Jesus knows that Peter will deny Him just as He knows all will, but thereto Jesus knows Peter's heart and is heavily invested in Peter to continue onward.
Jesus just as truthfully could have said "Peter you will deny me all the way over to the palace brewing over this and all the next days sulking over this and my death". He could have said "Peter you have been denying me all this time in many respects". The fact is that we all deny Christ in a multitude of very subtle yet meaningful ways. Do we have to be told by Him in order to realize it? No, but we have to be told that it doesn't have to mean that it is the end of the road with Him if when we do. We need to know in advance that He is of the character to see passed these thing as long as we are willing turn from them so as not to do them again and ask His forgiveness.

How is man reacting?:

There is no telling what Peter had thought leading up to this from the time that he was told. Perhaps he had shrugged it off thinking it was a manner of speech. Perhaps it had haunted him ever since then amplifying the chill in the morning air. Perhaps he had anticipated the challenge to be bigger and more important to the story line as in being called before the counsel to testify; surely he would not deny his Master then if he could just get past these pesky minor inquiries and up into that room.
There is many a believer that has taken the opposite approach as Peter, that have condemned themselves for failing Jesus by denial and or offense, that consider themselves to have sinned the unpardonable. Peter made a huge mistake that should not be overlooked and rightfully that he will be forever remembered by others for. More than that however, we should remember that he did not let it end his holy quest and neither did Jesus, it became for them the glue that bonded them from this time forward more closely together. No man should think that he doesn't have this sad ability within him just as no man should think that God doesn't have HIS ability to pardon once sought as well.

Notes:

Recall that Peter was more than willing to die for Jesus and has both stated and behaved so. Popular contemporary analysis suggests that Peter fell to the fear of what the servants may have done to him had his identity been exposed (or something along those lines). This conflicts with the evidences already mentioned. How out of bounds would it be to propose a alternate tact?

Peter had (oddly at the time) been exhorted to pray that he not enter temptation. He chose rather to sleep. We think of the temptation Peter had entered as the temptation to hide his identity from the young woman and others. The temptation more truthfully may have been from that foretelling onward to prove Jesus wrong. That could be what put Peter at the palace and that is why he anxiously bids his time awaiting the opportunity not to deny his prophetic accuser. The inquiry of the maiden would not have gotten him there, remaining where he could be seen from above and called upon to testify would. Certainly this is conjecture on my part, better however we consider all the approaches temptation might take.

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

Most often our test is not in the upper quarters, it is down in the servants concourse. And it is not always for fear of what could happen, it is in preparation for what we rather to happen. One who sets out to prove the Lord wrong has set out to deny the Lord by the very thought.
We all know that testing is coming, that there will be opportunity to fail Jesus, but we think in terms of big and epic event not in terms of the small seemingly inconsequential intrusions. Because of this we deny Jesus in the many smaller things in approach to what we perceive to be the singular large test. We can build up valor against the one, but we let our guard down for the many others.

Further Resources:

Comment Board:Mark:14:66-72
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:14:66-72 rwp@Mark:14:66-72 mhcc@Mark:14:66-72
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index

< Mark:14:53-65

Mark:15:1-15 >