Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! -John 13:36-38*
Do you doubt that Peter loved Christ? In Matthew 4 Christ asked Peter and his brother to follow him. They left everything at once to follow Christ. Now Peter expresses his love for Christ with his willingness to follow him anywhere, even to laying down his life for Him. This should qualify as a deep love.
Imagine the devastation Peter felt when Christ told him that he would disown Him, not once but three times before dawn. Christ knew Peter better than Peter knew himself and He knows each of us better than we know ourselves. Peter was overzealous and self-willed, interested in knowing where Christ was going and what he could do for Him rather than listening and following. Christ knew Peter would lean only on his own strength in the coming hours and would not have the courage to stand up for Christ.
Do you ever walk in this kind of love for God - desiring to express your love for Christ, but in your own understanding and strength - not truly listening to what God is calling you to do within your spiritual gifts? We must move our relationship with God from a “wanting to serve Him”, to a “wanting to follow Him.”
Sharmy McDonald serves on the Youth Team. She is also a part of the First Friends Team.
How does Jesus make a difference in your life? "God has made a difference. I do my chores when my mom doesn't even tell me to. When I don't fight with my brothers and my sister." -Asher Johnson, 4th grade
*Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
