LIFE SCRIPTS

Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said. But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Matthew 26:69‭-‬75 NIV

Peter was a man who dared to venture where many only imagined. He was the only recorded disciple around Christ during this moment at the court of the high priest. He was the only disciple who set his feet on water and indeed made a few steps towards Christ when the others dared not to. He was one of Christ’s closest companions during the events at the mountain of transfiguration and even at the garden of Gethsemane. He demonstrated commendable faith in Christ. However, on this occasion, His faith in Christ would face the acid test. Would he still stick it out for His Master? Peter was the leader of the twelve. He would later transform into one of the key leaders of the church’s evangelistic campaign. Christ called him Peter or the Rock or Kepha to symbolize the foundation the church would stand on… Christ, the solid Rock. However, Christ Himself had confessed to Peter that He would pray for him for the wicked one had conjured up a strategy to weaken His faith. During the prayer watch at Gethsemane, Christ rebuked Peter and others to keep watch and pray so that they may not fall into temptation. Indeed the time of temptations and trials had come and Peter succumbed even as the Lord had prophesied to him. In fact from the scriptures, he denied Christ all the more vigorously with every successive accusation. In verse 74, he even hurled curses to show how serious he was in what he said. We might confess Christ with our mouths. But is our faith active in real life situations? We might confess Christ in the comfort of our closets, homes and neighbourhoods. However, if that same confession will put us in harm’s way, will our faith still stand? Years later, this same man, Peter would be put to death because of believing in the Christ he had before denied. His conviction had grown. He had been established in Him through faith. This passage speaks to us about God’s mercy upon us. He gives us another chance even after our faith gives in and falters. He reminds us that if we fall into sin, He’s faithful and just to forgive us all sin and unrighteousness. He’s a God of second chances.