“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’[d] 28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” 30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice[e] you yourself will disown me three times.” 31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same. Mark 14.27-31
This was not a good look for Peter. He was supposed to be “Petras,” the rock upon whom Christ would build the church. And yet, at this stage, he would betray Jesus like all the others.
Imagine how hard this must have been for Jesus. He had to say to his friends, his only friends besides God the Father, “You will all fall away.” For as it is written in Zechariah 13:7, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” This prophecy would soon play out for him. As soon as the threat came, the disciples would scatter and disown Jesus.
Most hero stories would exclude the honesty that the Bible includes. Most would not show the weakness of the team, the betrayal of friends, the disowning of comrades. But the Bible is true, honest, and genuine. Here we have “hero Jesus” predicting the loss of his friends at his greatest need (this will be amplified during prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane).
And yet, he pinpoints Peter’s part precisely: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times.” And we think, “Poor Peter! Don’t do it!” But really, there is no helping it. For Peter, even the great leader that he is, is a fantastic sinner.
And so are we! We who have bound our hearts to Christ, who submit to his will, who tell him just how much we love him, still sin, turn away, and disown the Christ. The difference between Peter and Judas was that Peter returned to the Lord in repentance and confession. We also must do the same. We do not desire to disown our Lord, yet sometimes our flesh gives way and we find ourselves weak and afraid. But this doesn’t have to be the case. We can reject sin and turn to Jesus. We can place our trust in him and in his awesome power, never again favoring sin over the Savior.
John Wesley talked about entire sanctification in which we do not sin any longer. He also spoke about perfect love in which our desire for Christ supersedes our desire to please ourselves. And for these things, we strive. We learn from Peter and the disciples and we turn around, running to Christ, clinging to the cross covered in grace and overflowing with compassion.
Return to Jesus today. You will find him willing and waiting to receive you, by his grace and for his glory.
“O Lord God, you are good and faithful. Thank you for loving me. Help me find my strength in you. When my love fails, your love remains steadfast. Fill me with the Holy Spirit that I might be all in for you. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen