March 16: Wilderness Challenge / At a Distance

Mark 14:54-72

Amplified Bible (AMP)

54 And Peter followed Him at a distance, even right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting [in the firelight] with the guards and warming himself at the fire.

55 Now the chief priests and the entire council (the Sanhedrin) were constantly seeking [to get] testimony against Jesus with a view to condemning Him and putting Him to death, but they did not find any.

56 For many were repeatedly bearing false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

57 And some stood up and were bearing false witness against Him, saying,

58 We heard Him say, I will destroy this temple (sanctuary) which is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, made without hands.

59 Still not even [in this] did their testimony agree.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, Have You not even one answer to make? What [about this which] these [men] are testifying against You?

61 But He kept still and did not answer at all. Again the high priest asked Him, Are You the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), the Son of the Blessed?

62 And Jesus said, I Am; and you will [all] see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power (the Almighty) and coming on the clouds of heaven.

63 Then the high priest tore his garments and said, What need have we for more witnesses?

64 You have heard His blasphemy. What is your decision? And they all condemned Him as being guilty and deserving of death.

65 And some of them began to spit on Him and to blindfold Him and to strike Him with their fists, saying to Him, Prophesy! And the guards received Him with blows and by slapping Him.

66 While Peter was down below in the courtyard, one of the [serving] maids of the high priest came;

67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she gazed intently at him and said, You were with Jesus of Nazareth too.

68 But he denied it falsely and disowned Him, saying, I neither know nor understand what you say. Then he went outside [the courtyard and was] into the vestibule. And a cock crowed.

69 And the maidservant saw him, and began again to say to the bystanders, This [man] is [one] of them.

70 But again he denied it falsely and disowned Him. And after a short while, again the bystanders said to Peter, Really, you are one of them, for you are a Galilean and your dialect shows it.

71 Then he commenced invoking a curse on himself [should he not be telling the truth] and swearing, I do not know the Man about Whom you are talking!

72 And at once for the second time a cock crowed. And Peter remembered how Jesus said to him, Before a cock crows twice, you will utterly deny Me [disclaiming all connection with Me] three times. And having put his thought upon it [and remembering], he broke down and wept aloud and lamented.

Are you following Jesus at a distance? Are you mute when folks badmouth your Savior? Are you a silent Christian? 

I once was shy, disliking attention drawn to me. I also feared being looked down on. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be liked. I didn't speak up for Jesus in a crowd. By being silent, I was no different than Peter. I denied Jesus.

Loving from a distance is not love at all. 

Peter had been so vocal when he said in yesterday's reading that he would die with Jesus, but all that devotion had gone right out the window.

When the full force of his denial hit him, Peter was devastated.

"Jesus, did I ever ask forgiveness for all those times I failed you by being silent? I'm so thankful I have changed. That's because You changed me. By Your Holy Spirit. Just like You changed Peter on the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two. Peter DID actually die for You later. He fulfilled his promise. Lord, I promise right now to be more bold than I've been in the past as I shout out my love for You. I want to spread Your gospel everywhere as Peter did later. You are my Redeemer and my Savior. I love You and I want the world to know! I long to see Your face! AMEN."