Today's Daily Lesson comes from Mark chapter 14 verses 66 through 72:
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. 67When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’ 68But he denied it, saying, ‘I do not know or understand what you are talking about.’ And he went out into the forecourt.* Then the cock crowed.* 69And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, ‘This man is one of them.’ 70But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, ‘Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.’ 71But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, ‘I do not know this man you are talking about.’ 72At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.
The denial of Christ itself was no mortal sin. Yes, it was sad and shameful, but how could we have expected Peter to have done otherwise? In such a position, with the Sanhedrin police just yards from the fire, and his Lord in the brig, what choice did Peter have if he wanted to save his life?
Let he who would have done any different become the next martyr.
Peter's real sin was the sin of arrogance. It was the sin of overconfidence. It was the sin of pride, and self-assurance, and self-sufficiency. Peter really expected more of himself, which means that either he did not know himself or that he did and was overcompensating.
Truly I tell you, we will not be saved by our own faith or courage. We are saved by Christ's.
We follow as far and as faithfully as we possibly can; but woe unto them who denies that they too have a breaking point, and no reason to pray that they not be led into temptation nor delivered from evil.
Ryon Price is Senior Pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.
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