OUR FATHER WHOSE SON FACED CONDEMNATION ALONE IN THE WORLD

The book of John chapter 8 verses 25 - 27 records the second and third moments that the disciple Peter denied being associated with Jesus when he was pressed by some of  the soldiers and then again by one of the servants who was present during Jesusˋ arrest in the garden of Gethsemene. 

Peter had bravely confronted the arresting party on the garden and was ready to fight but once Jesus was arrested, all the disciples fled the scene and once Jesus was in custody, a couple of disciples including Peter trailed behind to watvh what was happening to their leader.

It was at this point that the Peter, no longer charged with adrenalin, was not ready to be associated with Jesus now that Jesus was now a socially toxic brand.

25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore 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 servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

Jesus had warned Peter that this very thing would happen but Peter was sure that he would be unwavering in his loyalty to Jesus when the authorities were in control but Peter, upon seeing the cold-blooded violence being exerted on his Lord with impunity and with the charges of a crime that carried the death penalty being floated by the chief priests, Peter lost confidence and evaded the attempts by various people to identify him with Jesus.

At the third denial, a rooster crowed that Jesus had indicated would be the marker that Peter would have denied Him three times. 

Peter was aghast at his own almost involuntary self-preservation when people inquired about his identity and he was emotionally devastated to find out that his own courage that he had believed, in turned out to be flimsy in the face of a threat to his life.

Have mercy on us all.

Amen.

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