March 22, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Day 33 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Week Jesus Dies
Read Sections 5.43 through 5.46 (pages 171-173)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Hard to see Jesus’ words coming to pass about His capture and making it more clear to the disciples that He indeed would likely be killed but how much more painful for Peter realizing that Jesus’ words about him had to come to pass as well.
He was so sure he would never deny Christ, however, fear makes us do things that we might never do when we are clear headed. I am sure that was a very scary situation and I am not judging his reaction as i have never been in a life or death situation regarding my faith and belief in God. It is why Jesus taught and reminded us so often that we should always be ready, that we should stand firm in what we believe, and prepared when oposition comes because it will come and for Peter, he learned that lesson the hard way.
”And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?” Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”“
John 18:22-23 NKJV
Jesus speaks the truth and is struck for it. Sometimes the truth is painful, but how should we respond?
Peter realizes the truth and cries bitterly.
”For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.“
Hebrews 4:12 NKJV
So true Kelly. A night court where the Sanhedrin CAN’T find any charges against Jesus so they have false witnesses brought in to accuse him. As in the gospel of Mark Imagine being accused by these men and your disciples have also deserted you. All alone. We are like the apostles. Would we cave to pressure if some intellect started pushing our buttons? Easy to say what Peter said. I will never deny you. As Peter is outside imagine as he probably knows that Jesus is being more than questioned being abused and beaten Confused and afraid. I’m sure. But forgiven by the Lord himself. After the resurrection. Imagine how Peter felt at that time. Crushed!!
5.43, 5.44, 5.45, 5.46
Great thoughts, Kelly…and so applicable to us as well. Makes me think of 1 John 4:18-19…
”Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.“
1 John 4:15, 18-19 ESV
We know we have not yet been perfected…but we also know that perfection is precisely what God is working in us through His Holy Spirit…sanctifying and conforming us into the image of His Son. Lord, please give us strength to acknowledge you before the world, even when we are fearful…cast out our fear and fill us with your love!!
Jesus was brought before Annas the father in-law to Caiaphas first and then afterwards to Caiaphas. Apparently both shared the tittle or Annas was treated that way out of honor. Didn`t the men serve in the priesthood from 30 to 50 years old? I looked it up. It says in Numbers 8: 24-26, that the Levites were to serve from 25 to 50 doing the physical labor but it also says that from the age of 50 and older these men were to take part by ministering doing the charge given them. Like teaching and anything that was needed just not the physical labor. That makes sense for as each of us get older it becomes harder to do the physical things that were once so easy and taken for granted. Jesus raises the question to why they never arrested Him in public when He was teaching among them. And then says: Ask the people who heard my teaching for they know what I said. I haven`t said anything wrong. Actually the Pharisees and teachers of the law also heard Him. One of the guards hit Jesus and said: You should not talk to the high priest like that. Isn`t that something Jesus is the Creator of the whole universe and is at this very moment tied up. He could had struck them down at anytime but didn`t because of His great love to all of us. All mankind. He knew that He had to fulfill His mission to die on the cross and conquer it. Now as far as Peter is concerned he denies Jesus three times before the rooster crows twice, just as Jesus said he would. Can you imagine how he felt when he did this and the look that Jesus gave him. We can because the scriptures tells us. It says that Peter went outside and cried bitterly. It must had felt like the end of the world to him without any hope. Anyways, thank Jesus that it didn`t end there for none of us would have hope. Thanks Jesus for dying on the cross that we may have new life. 2 Cor. 5: 17. God bless all that call upon His name.
We can certainly sympathize with Peter and even understand how he came to deny Jesus and how sad it was for him to have Jesus’ words come back to his mind. But there is an important lesson here as well. And that is that it matters more what choices we make in the thick of things than the commitments we make outside of them. it really does happen to all of us. We imagine what we will do or say, but what matters is what we actually do or say. Let’s seek to be strengthened in that rather than thinking our commitment to do something is enough. And Jesus just keeps speaking truth and holding people accountable to it and even as He is being treated unfairly..He is an amazing Savior throughout.
The Life of Jesus 5.43-5.46. I definitely feel bad for Peter throughout this reading, but it was part of the scripture. Pastor you said it perfectly. We’ve all been where Peter was. I couldn’t imagine the conviction and sadness he felt when Jesus looked right at him.