Lessons from John 18: You Are One of His Disciples
Naturally, Peter would have been confused and afraid, but it was a serious sin to deny or disown Christ. There are many today who are being asked the same questions?
You are one of His disciples! And many have and are losing their lives for it!
It makes me think of Cassie Bernal, a 17-year-old student who lost her life at Columbine for stating that she was indeed one of his disciples. And what about Jim Elliot who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in Operation Auca, in an attempt to evangelize the people of Ecuador. For Christians today its called ISIS.
Though your declaration of who Jesus is may not result in your death, it may lead to eternal life for those who hear your answer.
So won’t you continue to study God’s Holy Scriptures and show yourself to be a workman or workwoman for God? Will you let others know of your faith? Ask God to remove the fear that grips you and causes you to forget who’s in control. God changes our outward actions and words by changing our spirit to become more like Christ.
It’s interesting that as Jesus is being questioned, He knows who’s in control and so He speaks the truth in the face of suffering, and yet Peter forgot who was in control and sins, bringing on himself the suffering and shame that we read about in the other gospels.
Yet, this is not the end of the story for Peter. Yes, Peter failed! It’s as if he spiritually did a faceplant falling flat to the ground. But it is good for us to remember, Jesus knew what Peter was going to do, how Peter was going to react, and still, Jesus prayed for Peter and later in chapter 21 Jesus will restore Peter.
It has been said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man or woman who’s actually in the arena, the one whose face is actually marred by dust and sweat and blood, who fights valiantly but who errs and comes short again and again because there’s not effort without error and shortcoming; but who actually strives to do the deeds, who spends himself or herself on a worthy cause, who knows great enthusiasm, the great emotions, who knows at the best the triumph go high achievements, but knows at the worst if he or she fails, at least she fails while daring greatly so that her place will never be.”
So, might we be encouraged to help pick Peter up and brush him off. Might we be used to help clean and bandage his wounds and offer him a word of encouragement and stand him upright, encouraging him to get back into the saddle and fight the good fight of faith?
Principle: Jesus empowers believers to overcome evil with good through His Word and the help of His Holy Spirit.
I wonder if there’s something in your life where fear has replaced faith. Maybe it’s the fear of losing a relationship that causes you to sin? Or maybe you have been asked to do something you know is contrary to God’s principles, but you fear you will lose your job if you don’t do it? What do we do?
Do we choose to act in faith or react in fear?
Isaiah 26:3 states that God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in God. Therefore God and who He is needs to remain bigger than our greatest fear. When we understand who He is and who we are in Him, there is nothing we cannot face where we are not without His help.
So there we have it, Jesus is the power!
He is the one who is in total control. He chooses to suffer for those He loves and gives them proof that they might not receive God’s cup of wrath as will unbelievers. But rather that they might choose eternal life as believers through grace, by faith in Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Terri Hamman
Faith & Fitness Coach