We are in the middle of a series at my church entitled Experiencing the Cross. We are looking at the various aspects of the cross and the stories of the people who surrounded it. One such story is the life of Peter and his denial.
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. (Matthew 26:31–35)
Peter was emphatic; there was no way he would deny Jesus! Not ever!
Yet in Matthew 26:74, we find Peter warming himself by the fire and denying that he ever knew Jesus. What made matters even worse for his emotional state was that he denied Jesus to a young lady who was likely a junior high school age. And when he heard the rooster crow, Peter remembered what Jesus said about him, wept bitterly, and was in so much anguish over his denial that he began to call down curses on himself!
There are two things we learn from Peter’s denial and Jesus’s cross.
1) Through the life of Peter, we learn that distance leads to denial.
One major factor in Peter’s denial was distance.
Look at Mark 14:54. When Jesus was being led away to be crucified, and when the heat and the pressure were mounting on those who claimed they would follow him to his death, we notice a key word in this verse.
Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards, warming himself at the fire. (Mark 14:54)
The first thing that led to Peter’s denial was simply following Jesus at a distance. When we follow Jesus at a distance, our faith gets into trouble real quick! Think about it:
- The further we get from Jesus, the more commercialized Christianity becomes.
When we follow Jesus at a distance, we exchange holiness for hype, humility for showmanship, and God’s agenda for man’s agenda. We become consumers instead of contributors, attenders of church who complain rather than contenders of the faith who remain committed to Christ and his church.
- The further we get from Jesus, the more cultural Christianity becomes.
If we follow Jesus at a distance, we leave space in our walk with God for compromise and sin. We make certain allowances that we would never make if we were following Jesus closely (what we watch, what we say, what we consume). In fact, when people follow Jesus at a distance, they view high standards of righteousness as legalism. But when you follow him closely, you call those same standards a means to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul.
- The further we get from Jesus, the more callous our hearts towards Christ and Christianity become.
One key danger of following Jesus at a distance is that when the questions of life happen (“why did this happen?” “where is God at in the midst of this?” “God, I don’t understand….”) when those kinds of questions and statements arise, and they will, those who follow Christ at a distance are more likely to fall away. They are picked off by the problems of life and the things they do not understand. But when we are following Christ closely, and those questions arise, we tend to lean into Jesus even more. And our leaning causes our trust to triumph over our troubles.
Following Jesus at a distance is dangerous!
However, there is good news…
2) Through the life of Peter, we discover that the “and” of the cross is restored.
After Jesus died, three ladies went to his tomb to anoint his body. There, a young man (likely an angelic being) told them that Jesus had risen, but then also said something powerful about Peter.
4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” (Mark 16:6–7)
I want you to notice something in verse 7 again, that is simply the word “and”
v. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter…
Take note that Jesus specifically says, “and Peter.”
In other words, what Jesus was saying was, “though Peter denied me to a junior high schooler at a campfire, I remember him. Though he wept bitterly and called down curses on himself, I still remember him and know the humility of his heart. Go get the other disciples and make sure you get Peter!”
Aren’t you glad that God remembers you, too?
Jesus knew the humility and remorse of Peter’s heart and made a specific point of remembering and restoring him. And because of the cross, the “and” was restored over Peter.
And the same happens with us. Go ahead, fill in the blank with your name: “Go get the disciples and_________.”
If you have been at a distance, today is the day of salvation.
Make a decision to draw near to God again and hear the “and” over your life.
