April 9 – The Denial

Matthew 26:31-35

You will all fall away. Peter answered...I will never fall away.  Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night before a cock crows, you shall deny Me three times.”

 

Rooster Art - Israel

Have you ever heard a rooster crow? My grandfather worked on a chicken ranch, so going to visit as a kid would mean waking up to lots of roosters crowing and hearing hens clucking all day long. There were brooding pens and lots of cute fuzzy little chicks in the spring that would delight any child. I loved to visit and go to the egg room where they sorted and cleaned the eggs. The smell of fresh egg and the coolness of the refrigerated room was such a treat. Back home on our farm my folks had just a few chickens, including a rooster. He was a mean one that was scary to try to get back into the fenced area if he got loose. I think that when we finally butchered him I was glad to be picking his feathers, but I missed his crowing---waking us up every morning. Peter wasn’t so glad to hear a rooster crow and possibly didn’t like hearing any rooster crow the rest of his life, reminding him of his denial.

How could Peter deny Jesus not just once, but three times? Jesus knew that all the disciples were to leave Him that evening. How lonely to feel that way---rejected and disowned. Each of the disciples themselves would also feel that way before the evening was gone.  It was predicted in Zechariah 13:7, the falling away of the sheep. The disciples didn’t think that they would reject their Master, their teacher, their God, but they did.

Do you ever deny Jesus before others?  Do you keep your mouth shut when you could speak up and speak out about Him? Do you not read a Bible story or devotional to your children because it is just too late or they’ve just misbehaved too much today?

Back in Matthew 10:33 Jesus said, “But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in Heaven.”  Wow. That’s a powerful motivator---I don’t want to be denied to the Heavenly Father. How about you?

Lord Jesus, help me to not only share You with others, but to encourage others not to “fall away” from You during times of stress.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek.  All rights reserved.