Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | February 10, 2011

“God is faithful”

Today’s devotion comes from John 18:17 and John 18:25-27.  We include the prior verse of John 18:17, because we know that Peter denied Jesus three times, and John 18:17 contains the first time. 
 
“17  Then the slave-girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?”  He said, “I am not.”
                                       
 
“25  Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself.  So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”  He denied it, and said, “I am not.” 
                                
 26  One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”
                                  

 27  Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.”  John 18:17 and John 18:25-27.

———————–

Peter tends to get all the blame, but we remember Mark 14:27-31 which contains both the prophecy of Jesus that not only Peter, but also the other disciples, would fall away and scatter after the arrest of Jesus.  “And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, because it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP SHALL BE SCATTERED.’  “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”  But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not.”  And Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times.”  But Peter kept saying insistently, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all were saying the same thing also.”  Mark 14:27-31.

What hope is there for us if all of Jesus’ disciples, who saw with their own eyes Jesus’ miracles and heard His teaching and were in His presence, fell away and scattered?

The hope for all of us is not based on the strength of will-power of man or strength of faith of man.

The hope for all of us is based on God and that we receive faith as a gift of God.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.  But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:26-31.

As there is unity between the disciples in falling away and scattering, there is unity in the disciples and all of us receiving that gift of faith, that wisdom of God, that righteousness, that sanctification, and that redemption.

“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  1 Corinthians 1:9-10.

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