17th May 2011

John 18:15-18 – Peter’s First Denial

• “ So Near but so Far ”
• Whilst Jesus is on trial inside, Peter is on trial outside.
• His faith is being tested.
• Peter is moving through the temple courts trying to get as close as He can to Jesus and yet at the same time he is denying Him.
• This is a challenge to me.
• Am I trying to get as close to Jesus whilst still denying Him?
• I may testify that I am a disciple but am I denying him in other ways?
• Am I denying Him all of my heart of the opportunity to clean up certain aspects of my life.
• If Peter had confessed he was a disciple would he have been taken to the High Priest along with Jesus? He would have faced the same consequences but He would have been right next to Him.
• Another thought occurs to me;
• Peter has no right to be as close to Jesus as He gets but a friend manages to sneek Him in. He has to lie in order to take up the opportunity.
• Actually – it is His desire to get close to Jesus that highlights His sin.
• The closer we get to Jesus the more our sins are shown to us..
• I need to  be aware of the fact that if I am determined to pursue Him then He will be determined to highlight more of my sins. Things that did not bother me years ago may bother me now.
• But He only picks them out in order that I can ask for forgiveness and move on.
• I just need to make sure that I do not think I can get closer to Jesus and still deny Him.
• Instead, I need to get closer to Him and give Him whatever it is that He shows me He wants.
• Tough choices today.