The Life and Ministry of Jesus
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times. John 13:36–38
Peter’s love for and loyalty to Jesus was sincere. He wanted to follow the Lord wherever He was going. When he said, “I will lay down my life for thy sake,” he meant every word of it. He attempted to fight for his Lord, and he cut off the servant’s ear. (The reason he got his ear was because he was a fisherman and not a swordsman. He was aiming for his head.)
When the Lord told Peter that he would deny Him three times before the cock would crow, it was already dark, and he just couldn’t believe he would deny his Lord before the dawn. What a lesson there is here for us. Peter was overconfident in himself. We should learn from this that we should have no confidence in the flesh. 1
Personal Encouragement
Can you have confidence in the Lord without striving to have confidence in the flesh? God expects our very best, but under His leadership and with the power of His Holy Spirit. Can you live this day for the pleasure of the Lord, and not for personal gain?
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
To be confident in the flesh is a certain recipe for future failure.
A Prayer
Lord, please keep me from boasting in myself.
1. McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Gospels (John 11-21) (electronic ed., Vol. 39). Nashville.
