John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
Jesus knew Simon Peter would deny Him three times. He *knew* it, and yet, He not only still loved Peter, He encouraged Him long before His denial. In Luke 22:32 He says, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
John 18:17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.”
I understand Peter’s cowardice when he wanted to be brave. I understand Peter’s denial when he was scared. It is harder for me to understand Jesus’s love and encouragement even in the face of Peter’s actions, but that’s a lesson I need to take to heart.
John 18:25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
Lord, I am like Peter in so many ways—I want to be brave, but I am often afraid. Give me strength. Help me to stand strong in my faith, to stand strong for You always. And help me to love others as You love Simon Peter, as You love me. Amen.
John 18:26-27 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
Have a blessed day.