John 18:15-27
Jesus had suffered Himself to be taken by the armed mob which Judas had conducted, and was by them bound and led away to the mock trial. The disciples had protested that nothing could induce them to leave Him; but this was because they did not know what was coming. They were sure that they would not forsake the One who had so tenderly cared for them, and yet had showed Himself so mighty to deliver. They could not conceive of Him in any other state than as they had seen Him going about scattering blessings everywhere, except as they thought of Him taking the kingdom to Himself, driving out the Romans, correcting the abuses that had crept into the Jewish priesthood, and reigning in pomp and majesty. But now they saw Him bound and led away unresistingly; and although they had witnessed the power of the simple words "I Am" which He uttered, they could not hold out against the overwhelming shock of His capture, and "they forsook Him and fled." (Mark 14:50) Even Peter who had been most zealous in his protestation of loyalty to the Master, and who had been valiant enough with the sword, could not keep his courage in the face of the Master's apparent defeat, and he fled with the rest; but when he found that the mob was content with Jesus, that it was the Shepherd and not the sheep they were after, he turned round and "followed afar off." (Luke 22:54) We may be sure that it was not mere curiosity that prompted Peter to follow. He had intense love for Jesus, even as had the other disciples. True, they had not yet attained to that perfect love that casteth out all fear, but they loved Him nevertheless, even though they fled in terror.
John was an acquaintance of the high priest, and so found ready access to the palace. Peter was stopped at the door, but through the influence of John was admitted. As he passed in, the girl that kept the door recognized him, or thought she did, and said, "Art thou not one of this man's disciples?" Peter said, "I am not."
Peter's love for the Master caused him to desire to be as near Him as possible, for he was anxious to see what the outcome would be. Yet it was a perilous time, and he would not endanger himself by seeming to be very much interested in the affair. So he joined the group of servants and officers who stood round the fire, warming themselves, "and Peter stood with them warming himself."
It is not difficult to picture ourselves the state of Peter's mind. Intensely fearful for his own safety, yet anxious about Jesus, compelled by fear to seem to be one of the indifferent crowd about the fire, listening to their rough jokes and loose gossip, which he could not have joined in even if his mind had not been distracted by anxious thought for the Master, and under the necessity of seeming to share in the conversation in which he had no interest and took no part, at the same time straining his ears to hear what passed between Jesus and His merciless persecutors. It was no pleasant position in which he found himself. It is never an easy thing to act a double part, and the circumstances in this case made it doubly trying. Besides, Peter was not hypocritical by nature, but blunt and outspoken. It was his fear that was swaying him now.
But Peter could not succeed in concealing his identity. Indeed, it is most likely that his very efforts to do so made it the more difficult. He was not one of the unfeeling crowd, and could not make himself appear so. He was ill at ease. He could not conceal the deep feeling that he had, and his uneasiness could not but draw the attention of the others to him as he "stood and warmed himself." "They said therefore unto him, Art thou not also one of His disciples? He denied it and said, I am not." (Verse 25) This was the second positive denial of Christ that evening.
This, however, was not the end. The very words in which Peter denied the Lord, served to mark him as one of His disciples. Jesus was known as the prophet from Galilee, and His disciples were also Galileans, who spoke with an accent noticeably different from that of the dwellers in Judea and Jerusalem. So "they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto." But the more he denied, the more was attention fastened upon him. And "one of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with Him?" (John 18:26) This was bringing Peter into close quarters. He was not only in danger because of his connection with Jesus, but he was likely to suffer because of his rash zeal in the garden. The relative of the wounded man might be inclined to take revenge, if the act were settled upon Peter. And so doubly frightened Peter began to curse and swear, saying, "I know not this man of whom you speak." (Mark 14:71) Alas, what a change was this from the loyal Peter in the upper chamber in loving communion with Jesus a few hours before.
All this is recorded for our learning; but unfortunately we too often miss the lesson. It is easier to censure Peter's cowardice than to avoid it. Peter is not the only disciple who has denied his Lord. In fact, the flight of the eleven when Jesus was bound, was in itself a tacit denial of Him. Peter's denial was more marked than that of the rest, but this was but the natural recoil from his boastful possession of faithfulness: "Though all men should be caused to stumble because of Thee, yet will I never be caused to stumble." (Matt. 26:33) (See margin of revision.)
Moreover Peter's use of the sword tended to his discomfiture. If he had not used violence, he would have had no special cause for fear. Men are often applauded for bravery which they show in defending the right, or what they conceive to be right, with weapons of war. But that sort of defense, however zealously conducted, may be in reality only a manifestation of cowardice. It requires much more bravery quietly to suffer than fiercely to repel assault. Quiet endurance of injury is a far better expression of real zeal for Christ than are loud professions and vigorous blows.
There is a truth here that needs special emphasis at this time. Would that every Christian gathering might have this lesson strongly set before them. There is scarcely a meeting without resolutions denouncing this or that evil. Religious leaders become almost frenzied in their passionate denunciation of men and measures which they think, and which may really be, opposed to Christ and Christianity. They vie with one another in strong expressions of loyalty to Christianity, and hatred of evil doing; yet when the test comes to them personally to suffer alone and unknown for the truth's sake, too often they are ready to compromise. It is well to speak boldly for truth, but it is better to hold to the truth and say nothing, than to use strong language for it and not live it.
In Titus 1:16, we read of some "who profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him." This is done every time a professed follower of Christ does that which is inconsistent with the character of Christ. "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." (Gal. 3:27) Whether one has had the reality of this experience or not, the act of baptism indicates that one surrenders himself to Christ; yea, more than this, that he lays down his own life, and takes the life of Christ, so that it is no longer he, but Christ who lives and walks about among men. The old man is declared to be dead, and the new man who takes his place is the Man Christ Jesus. So he calls himself by the name of Christ--a Christian. Now so long as he professes to be a Christian, he says by everything which he does, "This is the way Christ does; this is Christ's character." But if he does those things which are inconsistent with the character of Jesus of Nazareth, then he is denying Him as surely as Peter did, and his guilt may be even greater than was Peter's.
One may deny Christ by his association with others, even though he utter not a word. Peter's mingling with the rude, unfeeling crowd in the court room was in itself a denial of Christ. Not that it was wrong to associate with sinners: this Jesus Himself did; he went in with publicans and sinners and ate with them. But it must be remembered that when Jesus associated with sinners, He did not try to make it appear that He was one of them. He associated with them to win them by His kindness and His example to a better life. And although His demeanor was such that they could associate with Him familiarly, yet when He most appeared to be one with them, there was always apparent the fact that He was far different from them. To stand in the crowd, or sit in the assembly where the rude jest and the coarse talk, and possibly the reviling of that which is good and pure, show that they are the enemies of Christ, is to deny Him, even though one say not a word. Unless one's very presence is a rebuke to sin, it is a countenancing of it: and that is a denial of Christ. "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night."
It was the offence of the cross that caused the disciples to flee, and Peter to deny his Lord. It was not that they loved Christ any the less, but because they were unexpectedly brought face to face with a condition which they had not calculated upon. They had not taken the shame of the cross into consideration when they followed Christ. Jesus had told them of it repeatedly, in order that they might be prepared for this very time, but they had not comprehended His words. They had not counted the cost. They had been willing to accept Jesus as King, even though He was in poverty, and was hated and rejected by the priests and elders, because His power was visibly manifested before them. But they had not learned that God chooses things that are not to bring to naught things that are. So when Jesus seemed to have no power at all in the hands of the mob and on the cross, they failed.
If we would not make the same failure, we must make provision for the cross in our lives. We must not expect that since to be a Christian is to have a name greater than that of the kings of the earth, we shall therefore always be held in high esteem because of our profession. We must remember that the world is in deadly opposition to Christ, and that the world never becomes converted. "Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4) There can, therefore, be no more positive denial of Christ, than to be like the world, or to seem to be like the world. "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." (Rom. 12:2) Know that that which is highly esteemed by the world is an abomination to the Lord; and that "the base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen." (1 Cor. 1:28) The cross of Christ, which the world looks upon with scorn, is the power of God. Therefore "think it not strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings." (1 Peter 4:12) Confession of Christ means nonconformity to the world; and those who confess Him in His humiliation will be acknowledged by Him when He comes in His glory. Therefore let our sincere prayer be, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."
--May 11, 1899