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Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

Luke 22:60

The Lord warned me, but I took it lightly. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you,” I bluffed my way through, confident of my love and commitment to my Master (Matt. 26:35).

Sometimes we forget we are human. We trust in our strength, especially when we are young. When the adrenaline is pumping, and we can flex the muscles, we forget our weakness and frailty. Graciously, Jesus doesn’t. He rather intercedes for us (Rm. 8:34).

After all my cockiness, I slept when I should have been watching and praying (Lk. 22:45-46). “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” Jesus warned me (Mk. 14:38).  In an apparent effort to prove my alertness and devotion to the Master, I drew the sword and “struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear,” when they came to arrest Him (Jn. 18:10). Finally, we all deserted our Lord. But now I know better, that following Jesus at a distance, is recipe for catastrophe when the enemy strikes. (Mk. 14:54).

Sometimes, God gives us the opportunity to prove ourselves when we get conceited and overconfident. He does so to reveal our fragility and vulnerability without Him. Our great Shepherd uses such instances as His rod to draw us unto Himself when our knees buckle, and we can’t lift our hands anymore, as my water-walk revealed (Matt. 14:27-31).  

The hour came for me to validate my confident promise to die with Jesus. One of the servant girls of the high priest put me on the spot, and I failed miserably. Twice I denied knowing my Master (67-68). But how could I hide my Galilean? It crudely betrayed me, and for the third time, I denied Jesus with curses (Matt. 26:73). Instantly, the cock crowed, and my heart jumped. I knew the expression in my Lord’s face when He turned to me. His words rang loudly in my ears: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” (Lk. 22:61-62).

How could I hold back the tears? How could I remain in the courtyard again? Solomon was right. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18).

It is folly for the child of God to deny knowing Jesus at any time. His image is all over you. He molded you after Himself in your salvation. You look like Him, you smell like Him, you talk like Him. You can’t hide your identity in Jesus. People recognize the hypocrisy or cowardice. I tried it three times but failed miserably.

My counsel this Passion Week, therefore, is for you to accept the consequences of being His disciple and deal with it. By the power of His High Priestly prayer (Jn. 17:15-17) and His present ministry on your behalf in heaven (Rm. 8:34), you will prevail if, indeed, His anointing is on you (1 Jn. 2:20, 27).

Shalom