“They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.” Mark 14.53-54
Jesus was in the thick of it now. Imagine a college graduation with everyone dressed in their regalia, looking sharp and important. He was surrounded by the high priest, the chief priest, the elders, and the teachers of the law. And in the middle was Jesus, simply adorned, waiting for their judgment.
In the background, over in the shadows, sneaking in like a child, was the great and mighty Peter. Now the cock had not yet crowed, but it soon would, and it would find Peter in denial, weak and unwilling to follow through with his many promises not to deny Jesus. Peter was sitting with the guards at the fire, for they would not recognize him.
What kind of courage must it have taken for Jesus to submit himself to such insults? He who was God’s Son, the King of the Universe, God’s Spoken Word made flesh, was submitting himself to the people. And these weren’t just any people — God loved these people; they were descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were his people, who once again rejected God as king and rejected Jesus as Messiah.
This required not only courage from Jesus but also patience. He could have struck down every last one of them with a word, but Jesus was here to save and not destroy. And the only way for Jesus to truly redeem was to become the sacrificial lamb and submit himself to death on a cross.
In contrast to Christ’s noble act of courage, crouched Peter. He would certainly redeem himself, but at this moment he was but a shadow of himself. Look at the contrast: Jesus standing tall and confident, and Peter hiding behind some guards away from the action.
I have found myself in both situations in life. Sometimes I have stood tall and proud, confident in the Lord and in his mighty strength; other times I am a weakened shell of myself, full of fear and lacking courage. Although I might sway, God never does. In the moment of testing, Jesus stood true. He went to the cross and paid the penalty of death so that I might not have to. And aren’t we so thankful that he did?
“O Lord God, I give you praise for who you are. Thank you for loving me. In my weakness, you are made strong. Come now, Holy Spirit, fill me with your power and love. Help me know you fully and submit to you in all my ways. Give me courage to stand tall and to be your hands and feet. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen