Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.

                                                                                                                 Matthew 26:74

Today: Read Matthew 26

We know the story well. Peter, a self- proclaimed loyal follower, will bow to the human pressure of fear. It was easy to follow Jesus on those bright sunny days when everything was great. Jesus was teaching and the disciples were soaking it up. Healing and miraculous signs were so numerous one couldn’t even count them. But now Jesus is gone, being held by government officials. He spoke a lot about this day and told them that they should not be surprised when these things happened. Yet, it wasn’t that long ago that Peter was pledging his allegiance to Jesus, a loyalty that Peter was willing to follow even to death. And now the time has come to test his devotion.

Approached by a servant girl and recognizing Peter as a follower of Jesus, she points him out. He denies knowing anything of what she speaks. Another servant girl approaches with the same observation, but still denial. As the bystanders began to gather, they too questioned Peter regarding his status of being a Jesus follower. This time, with curses from his mouth, Peter denies it all. The rooster crows…well you know the rest.

Before we start Peter-bashing, let’s be honest. Haven’t we all been there at one time or another? A missed opportunity to share Jesus, a camouflaging of your faith so that you can land the new job, or just not wanting to be thought of as “weird.” All of these are more common than you might think. And what is the driving force behind these denials? I believe it can be primarily attributed to fear. Peter thought he was ready to commit unto death, but when it came right down to it, he wasn’t. It’s fear that usually keeps us from stepping out of our comfort zone to share Jesus. Fear of losing our job can cause us to hide our faith at work. And it’s fear stemming from social pressure that causes multitudes of believers to choose the path of least resistance when it comes to their Christian life.

I would like to offer up two reminders of what our life in Christ is to be.

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is heaven.”

                                                                                                            Matthew 10:32-33 

You can look at that passage in a negative, fearful light and many people do. But look at the tremendous promise we have from Jesus for those of us that outwardly profess the name of Christ. Every time you are faithful to stand and take on the darkness of this world, remind yourself of the day when you will stand before God and Jesus will smile and declare you as one who belongs. Confess Jesus and watch Jesus confess you!

Secondly, there is the issue of being the light of the world.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

                                                                                                            Matthew 5:14-16

I do not believe it is helpful to live our lives continually announcing the darkness that is in the world. If you were in an unfamiliar room, completely in the dark, what would announcing the darkness do for helping you navigate the space? Rather, if you had the smallest of lights, you could dispel the darkness in a moment by shining that light, no matter how small (that reminds me of mustard seed faith). Darkness cannot stand in the face of light. Confessing Jesus and holding up the simplicity of the gospel will always yield results. Yes, some will run from the light for fear that they will be exposed (John 3:20) but others will be healed because of your faithfulness. So, turn that light on, even in the midst of what seems to be overwhelming darkness…it’s not!

Let’s close with Peter. Yes, he denied Jesus three times. But Jesus reinstated him with a series of three questions (I think that is significant). I believe this goes way beyond forgiveness on the part of Christ. Jesus was giving Peter the opportunity to heal from his denials and three failed attempts would require three victories (John 21:15-17). If you have struggled with being faithful in your walk with Christ, take heart! Just like in the life of Peter, Jesus forgives failures and is ready to hand you some victories! He is ready and willing, are you?