Denials and Restoration

By Danny Saavedra

“Then Jesus told them, ‘This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’ Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’ ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same.”—Matthew 26:31–35 (NIV)

Talk about a dramatic shift! After performing the Passover Seder and explaining how His body would be broken and blood would be poured out for the sins of the world, singing hymns, and taking a nice after-dinner walk to the Mount of Olives toward the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus drops this bomb on them: “You will all fall away.” One commentary said, “It was a startling announcement in broad general terms that the disciple circle was about to experience a moral breakdown.”

Can you imagine being told that in a few short hours, you were going to abandon the One they called teacher, master, and Lord . . . the One who had chosen you out of everyone in the world to be in His inner circle for the last three years, who had proven time and time again to be the Son of God, and had just washed your feet, offered you wisdom and comfort, and promised to send a Helper after He was gone? And even after being warned about it, still doing it?

But Peter wouldn’t accept this. He said, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” Pulpit Commentary explained that the Greek tense in Peter’s words “implies he kept asserting over and over again. He was, no doubt, sincere in all this, but he had yet to learn his weakness . . . Peter was so carried away by the fervor of his zeal and love for Christ, that he regarded neither the weakness of his flesh nor the truth of his Master's word." Of course, we know Peter did go on to abandon Jesus—as did the others, though John came back and went with Mary and Mary Magdalene to the cross—and deny Him three times, just as Jesus said.

Now, it’s easy to look at this passage with critical eyes and say, “How could they have done this? I would never have done what they did.” But we shouldn’t. Why? Because we all can be consumed by fear, doubt, grief, or temptation. We’re not better, more evolved, or more righteous than the disciples, just like they were no better than any of us! We all suffer from the same fatal flaw: We’re wretched sinners who are by nature, deserving of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).

So, instead of thinking we would never do something, let’s learn from the mistakes of these men. They were then restored and went on to be used by God to turn the world upside down and take the gospel to the ends of the earth. They all suffered, were persecuted, and almost all eventually died horrible deaths in Jesus’ name.

Instead of looking down on them or thinking ourselves better in any way, we should 1) grieve, mourn, and weep over our own continued sinful nature (Matthew 5:4; James 4:9) even as believers (Romans 7:7–25), humble ourselves before the Lord (James 4:10), and ask Him to help us in our weakness (Mark 9:23; Romans 8:26–27; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10). Remember, the Lord promises to lift up those who approach Him in humility with a humble and contrite spirit.

Pause: What’s the great lesson we can learn from this passage?

Practice: Consider where you are spiritually right now. Are you soberly guarding your heart and faith through devotion and spiritual formation? Are you walking humbly and consistently seeking the help, direction, and power of the Holy Spirit? If not, I strongly encourage you to pray and ask the Lord to break down any walls of pride and self-sufficiency, lest you fall into a serious crisis of faith.

Pray: Jesus, thank You that despite knowing how sinful I am and how prone I am to wander, get lost, and fall, You still love me, died for me, and have promised to never leave me. Help me to never be blinded by self-righteousness, pride, knowledge, or any other form of self-deception and to daily find my strength, peace, security, understanding, and identity in You! Amen.