“¶And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest *came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and *said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out into the entryway.” Mark 14:66-68 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/mrk.14.66-68.LSB
One of the most haunting warnings God gives to us in Jesus the Savior is the warning that those who are ashamed of Him before men in this world He will be ashamed of when He returns to take men to His world (Mark 8.38). Shame of Jesus, identifying ourselves as His followers, is a common Christian malady. It is the opportunity to receive a great reward. Jesus promises those who suffer for His name will be rewarded greatly or lose our salvation for denying Him on earth. Most of us have denied Him either by commission, ‘I don’t know Him,’ or omission, ‘I’m not saying anything about Him.’ I have certainly fallen into the latter camp in my days to my shame and regret. Peter was resolved to follow Jesus but fell away when a slave girl called him out. She was not a powerful influencer of people, yet Peter still denied Him. Why? Peter was not prayed up, so he couldn’t stand up. Jesus warned him that his spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak, so he needed to pray but instead, Peter slept. Our breadth of influence for Christ can be measured by our depth of relationship with Christ. Peter loved Jesus, but he loved himself more. When Peter loved Jesus more than himself, he served Jesus unto death. Peter later humbled himself and was restored to Jesus, becoming a bold Apostle for the One he loved, dying upon a cross similar to his beloved Savior. You and I can be restored for our denial, but we must prove that restoration by denying Him no longer and instead sharing the good news with others as we have an opportunity. The world needs Jesus. We are His ambassadors through whom He is making Himself known. We must identify with Him lest the world continues its downward spiral towards death and hell to the great grief of our God, Who so loved the world that He gave His Son to save the world. We are His witnesses of these things. Let us be found faithful.
