Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not”.
Mark 14:29
Mark 14:29
The Lord has no use for bravado. How many personal disasters are born out of an arrogant spirit? At its root is presumption; the enemy of faith. Do we imagine that we really do deserve a safe passage through life, or may in some way earn it?
The Easter message is a collision of old and new. Under the old Law of Moses a pathway is prescribed that meets all of God’s requirements, yet none were found until Jesus who could do so. Enough time had been given to make the connection that righteousness was beyond mortal man. Not even Moses was up to it, and because of his presumption was left on the wrong side of the Jordan River when the promised-land appeared. Mankind was meant to fail, meant to recognise their need of a Saviour. It was time for the new.
The Peter that went on to become an empowered Apostle had to first be stripped of his own self-sufficiency. His denial of Jesus when put to the test proved to be his most important revelation about himself: he had limits. We too need to make that discovery for ourselves on a daily basis. When we come to Good Friday, we do well to acknowledge our shortcomings with some remorse.
Jesus re-instated Peter, just as he does for us when we come to Him for forgiveness. The new way to be put right with God is so profoundly different from the old. When we take the communion cup in our homes this Easter, will we recognise the great escape we have been given?
Barry Struthers
The Easter message is a collision of old and new. Under the old Law of Moses a pathway is prescribed that meets all of God’s requirements, yet none were found until Jesus who could do so. Enough time had been given to make the connection that righteousness was beyond mortal man. Not even Moses was up to it, and because of his presumption was left on the wrong side of the Jordan River when the promised-land appeared. Mankind was meant to fail, meant to recognise their need of a Saviour. It was time for the new.
The Peter that went on to become an empowered Apostle had to first be stripped of his own self-sufficiency. His denial of Jesus when put to the test proved to be his most important revelation about himself: he had limits. We too need to make that discovery for ourselves on a daily basis. When we come to Good Friday, we do well to acknowledge our shortcomings with some remorse.
Jesus re-instated Peter, just as he does for us when we come to Him for forgiveness. The new way to be put right with God is so profoundly different from the old. When we take the communion cup in our homes this Easter, will we recognise the great escape we have been given?
Barry Struthers
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