I have been doing a meditation on Peter's denial of our Lord and how he did not heed the Lord's advice to 'watch and pray'. This story is told in all four gospels.
Matt 26:31-46; 69-75
Our Lord warns of the disciples falling away. Self confident Peter says he will not fall away. Our Lord assures Peter he will indeed fall away.
Our Lord gives these challenging words in v41 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak". We are reminded that the Christian life is a spiritual warfare (Eph 6).
Verses 69-75 record Peter's tragic denial of our Lord and that he was not as strong as he thought he was. The problem was that he had not watched and prayed. The Reformation Study Bible says of these verses "It is a testimony to both human weakness and the greatness of God's mercy, for Jesus uses and restores Peter despite his shameful failure.
Mark 14:26-42;66-72
In v 37 our Lord adds an interesting insight "Peter could you not watch with me one hour?" If only Peter knew what the nature of the spiritual warfare was.
V72 tells us Peter broke down and wept after the rooster crowed three times. The Reformation Heritage Study Bible says "The form of the greek verb indicates prolonged weeping, a sign that Christ's grace was winning Peter back in repentance".
Luke 22:31-34; 39-46; 54-62
Luke's gospel goes somewhat deeper into the nature of the spiritual warfare. V31 tells us that Satan desired to 'sift Peter like wheat'. Satan desired to destroy the work of Christ and his disciples. But he is limited by God's sovereign power.
Our Lord prayed that Peter's faith would not fail, and that when he returned in repentance, our Lord wanted him to strengthen his brethren. Peter did this especially in his two epistles.
Peter assured our Lord he was ready to die rather than deny his Lord. If only he knew the weak state of his heart.
In v45, after our Lord prayed in anguish, he found the disciples sleeping. The verse says they were exhausted from their grief. The Reformation Heritage Study Bible says "Luke uses a medical word here that indicates more than medical exhaustion, implying intense pain, anguish, or sorrow." Our Lord tells them to get up and pray so that they will not fall into temptation. This is a challenge and encouragement to the Christian. When one is physically or mentally exhausted, one needs to pray all the more; if one does not do this the devil will exploit any weakness.
John 21:15-17
John 18 records Peter's denial. John 21 is important because it records Peter's restoration.
Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. This strikes at Peter's heart because Peter denied our Lord three times. Peter is restored and is told to feed Christ's lambs, and shepherd his sheep. This brings to mind our Lord's command in Luke's gospel to strengthen the brethren after Peter has repented and being restored.
May we all take the challenge to meditate on the Word, watch and pray. As Paul says in 2 Cor 2, we are not ignorant of Satan's devices.
Matt 26:31-46; 69-75
Our Lord warns of the disciples falling away. Self confident Peter says he will not fall away. Our Lord assures Peter he will indeed fall away.
Our Lord gives these challenging words in v41 "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak". We are reminded that the Christian life is a spiritual warfare (Eph 6).
Verses 69-75 record Peter's tragic denial of our Lord and that he was not as strong as he thought he was. The problem was that he had not watched and prayed. The Reformation Study Bible says of these verses "It is a testimony to both human weakness and the greatness of God's mercy, for Jesus uses and restores Peter despite his shameful failure.
Mark 14:26-42;66-72
In v 37 our Lord adds an interesting insight "Peter could you not watch with me one hour?" If only Peter knew what the nature of the spiritual warfare was.
V72 tells us Peter broke down and wept after the rooster crowed three times. The Reformation Heritage Study Bible says "The form of the greek verb indicates prolonged weeping, a sign that Christ's grace was winning Peter back in repentance".
Luke 22:31-34; 39-46; 54-62
Luke's gospel goes somewhat deeper into the nature of the spiritual warfare. V31 tells us that Satan desired to 'sift Peter like wheat'. Satan desired to destroy the work of Christ and his disciples. But he is limited by God's sovereign power.
Our Lord prayed that Peter's faith would not fail, and that when he returned in repentance, our Lord wanted him to strengthen his brethren. Peter did this especially in his two epistles.
Peter assured our Lord he was ready to die rather than deny his Lord. If only he knew the weak state of his heart.
In v45, after our Lord prayed in anguish, he found the disciples sleeping. The verse says they were exhausted from their grief. The Reformation Heritage Study Bible says "Luke uses a medical word here that indicates more than medical exhaustion, implying intense pain, anguish, or sorrow." Our Lord tells them to get up and pray so that they will not fall into temptation. This is a challenge and encouragement to the Christian. When one is physically or mentally exhausted, one needs to pray all the more; if one does not do this the devil will exploit any weakness.
John 21:15-17
John 18 records Peter's denial. John 21 is important because it records Peter's restoration.
Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. This strikes at Peter's heart because Peter denied our Lord three times. Peter is restored and is told to feed Christ's lambs, and shepherd his sheep. This brings to mind our Lord's command in Luke's gospel to strengthen the brethren after Peter has repented and being restored.
May we all take the challenge to meditate on the Word, watch and pray. As Paul says in 2 Cor 2, we are not ignorant of Satan's devices.
Last edited: