Key Verse
But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
(Matthew 26:70)
Central Truth
Jesus’ pain was greater than ours will ever be. His pain was for You. And Me. Do we really claim him as our friend, every day?
"YEAH,I'M WITH HIM."
I have to admit, I’m a little afraid of the changes our world seems to be going through. I’m not really big on watching the daily news, but it seems like everywhere you turn, something else is going downhill. Global warming. Crime. Marriages ending. Relationships destroyed. Cancer. Neglected children. Health care. Depression. Death. Scares about our future for ourselves, our kids, our parents, our loved ones.
So I try to tune it out sometimes. But I realized when reading this chapter, Jesus had it harder than you or I will ever have. He knew he was going to die and then became completely separated from God. Even in our toughest hardships, we know we won’t have to be cut off from God. That’s what can get us through.
So when things seem to be going out of control around us, does our spiritual growth have to do the same? I’ve found the answer to be no. He will never leave us. He is not surprised. He is there waiting to comfort us. He even knows what is going to happen next and exactly how it fits into His plan. He is light,when our world is dark. He is faithful, when our world is fickle.
If that’s so, why would any of us ever deny Him? I looked deeper into who Peter was in the Bible, who denied Jesus three times. He was passionate. Strong. Daring. A leader. One of Jesus’ closest friends. Jesus even nicknamed him the “Rock”.
I want to be those qualities in Peter. But then I like to think I would not be the “Peter" who denied Jesus when he was under pressure. Then again, maybe I do sometimes deny Jesus in my day-to-day life? Maybe even you do? It’s easy to just be subtle or inoffensive when it comes to Christianity. We don’t want to be weird, right? But, we’re not supposed to look like we belong with “the crowd.”
What about when those in my circle are conversing and agree on an ungodly view, and I just nod and don’t want to “offend” anyone? Is that communicating, “Yes! I am with Jesus?”
Or, when the whole world thinks that movie in all of its raunchiness is the “best this year,” and so do you and I? Are we claiming to be set apart for Him?
Or, do the words I say about others reflect Whose I am?
I’m challenged from this chapter to be a person that, even if it means being strange to the world or not fitting in, would be willing to say, “Yeah. I’m with HIM.”
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Curt Warner recently retired from the NFL. As I listened to ESPN radio talk about him I wanted to yank a knot in the announcers. They went on and on about him being a good guy, one of the best you would ever see. They just could not bring themselves to say, he is a Christian.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the college season Tim Tebow was the discussion. One announcer said Tebow was such a good guy and had a strong spiritual side but went on to say "maybe he should keep that to himself".
My heart jumps for joy when I hear an athlete truly profess their faith to the world.
I agree Elizabeth, lets not fit in, I would rather make someone uncomfortable hearing I am a Christ follower than to stand before Jesus one day explaining why I kept Him to myself.
John Kilgore
Matt24:67-68.
ReplyDelete...When I read vs 24:67-68, I immediately felt indignation, and felt an impulse to defend Him, to jump up and stand defiantly between these people and Jesus. Then, reading your post, I remembered how many times I fail to do that in everyday life. (What's scarier: how often am I the one doing the hitting by my actions?) You bring valuable insight to the more subtle ways Jesus is attacked every day, and we too often fail to defend Him. (it's not as if He needs us to defend Him, but I can't help but think it is the right thing to do anyway).
I meant to say chapter 26:67-68, which reads:
ReplyDeleteThen they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,and said, "Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?"