John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?
I am caught considering what social pressures I succumb too. The threat was very real for Jesus as He endured His trial, and the potential of the threat was very real for Peter as well. Nevertheless, the pressure of those around him calling him out for being associated with Jesus led Peter to deny Jesus 3 times. So I come to this place humbly considering my own state.
While I do not blatantly deny Jesus in any regard, there are subtle moments I can think back to where I have withdrawn what I know I ought to say or do and don't say or do those things for fear of the people around me. I would not say it was a common thing, but neither was Peter's denial of Jesus. It required repentance regardless. I am encouraged when I look upon Jesus' restoration of Peter and then Peter's boldness to follow in Acts.
There is an undertone through this passage that reveals something about Peter. He didn't really know exactly who Jesus was. Sure he knew a lot concerning Jesus and had some pretty amazing revelations, but the fullness of that stopped short of the full thing. It wasn't until the revelation of the risen Messiah that Peter got it. From that revelation he dwelt with the other 119 disciples in the Upper Room where He received the Spirit and preached with boldness. So let's break down what all it took for Peter to step up into His relationship with the Lord with boldness.
I can see four elements at play here. The first is repentance, then restoration, then revelation, and finally, the move of the Holy Spirit. I am responsible for repentance. The Lord follows up repentance with restoration. By looking upon Jesus we receive revelation concerning who He is. And the Holy Spirit moves in that. Peter eventually was martyred for His faith. His restoration was genuine.
My takeaway from this passage comes about in a round about way. In seeing the contrast of how Peter suffered versus how Jesus suffered here, I reflectively see bits of myself in Peter's cowardice. But my lesson is that I need to be able to suffer like Jesus. He stood and answered when needed. He didn't waver through unbelief. He held fast the mission that His Father gave Him. He held His confidence steadfast to the end. That is what I need to follow. Let me encourage you to do the same. Do not just reflect on your own failure, rather, turn your eyes to Jesus who did it perfectly.
What lesson are you taking away?
While I do not blatantly deny Jesus in any regard, there are subtle moments I can think back to where I have withdrawn what I know I ought to say or do and don't say or do those things for fear of the people around me. I would not say it was a common thing, but neither was Peter's denial of Jesus. It required repentance regardless. I am encouraged when I look upon Jesus' restoration of Peter and then Peter's boldness to follow in Acts.
There is an undertone through this passage that reveals something about Peter. He didn't really know exactly who Jesus was. Sure he knew a lot concerning Jesus and had some pretty amazing revelations, but the fullness of that stopped short of the full thing. It wasn't until the revelation of the risen Messiah that Peter got it. From that revelation he dwelt with the other 119 disciples in the Upper Room where He received the Spirit and preached with boldness. So let's break down what all it took for Peter to step up into His relationship with the Lord with boldness.
I can see four elements at play here. The first is repentance, then restoration, then revelation, and finally, the move of the Holy Spirit. I am responsible for repentance. The Lord follows up repentance with restoration. By looking upon Jesus we receive revelation concerning who He is. And the Holy Spirit moves in that. Peter eventually was martyred for His faith. His restoration was genuine.
My takeaway from this passage comes about in a round about way. In seeing the contrast of how Peter suffered versus how Jesus suffered here, I reflectively see bits of myself in Peter's cowardice. But my lesson is that I need to be able to suffer like Jesus. He stood and answered when needed. He didn't waver through unbelief. He held fast the mission that His Father gave Him. He held His confidence steadfast to the end. That is what I need to follow. Let me encourage you to do the same. Do not just reflect on your own failure, rather, turn your eyes to Jesus who did it perfectly.
What lesson are you taking away?
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January
John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
February
Passage of the Week: John 17John 17 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 17 | What's the connection?John 17 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 17 | What's the lesson for me today?John 17 | What am I going to do about it?John 17 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:1-11John 18:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:1-11 | What's the connection?John 18:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 18:12-40John 18:12-40 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 18:12-40 | What's the connection?John 18:12-40 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 18:12-40 | What's the lesson for me today?John 18:12-40 | What am I going to do about it?John 18:12-40 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 19John 19 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 19 | What's the connection?John 19 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 19 | What's the lesson for me today?John 19 | What am I going to do about it?John 19 | Prayer Prompts
March
Passage of the Week: John 20John 20 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 20 | What's the connection?John 20 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 20 | What's the lesson for me today?John 20 | What am I going to do about it?John 20 | Prayer PromptsJohn 21 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 21John 21 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 21 | What's the connection?John 21 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 21 | What's the lesson for me today?John 21 | What am I going to do about it?Passage of the Week: Hebrews 1:1-4Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What is a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 1:5-14Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the connection?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 1:5-14 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 1:5-14 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:1-4Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the connection?
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