John 13:36-38
February 26, 2024
John 13:36-38
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
Jesus’ clarion call to love is quickly followed by words of foreboding. Peter, ever eager to impress Jesus with his earnestness, insists that he is willing to follow Jesus wherever he goes. He claims that he is willing even to lay down his life for Jesus if necessary.
Have you ever made bold claims regarding your faith? Maybe you have never suggested that you would die for Jesus’ sake, but perhaps you have made lesser promises. How has your commitment to Jesus been tested in the crucible of experience?
Though we, like Peter, may overestimate our own strength, Jesus knows each of our hearts better than we do. Jesus soberly informs Peter that he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows. Likewise, none of our failures come as a surprise to Jesus either. As for Peter, so for us, Jesus’ intimate knowledge of our weaknesses provides us with an unexpected comfort. If Jesus knows when and how we will fail, he can prepare the way for our restoration.
In what ways have you let Jesus down, despite your best intentions?