What can we learn from Peter's fear when confronted by the servant girl? Setting the Scene “Peter was sitting in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him and said, ‘You also were with Jesus the Galilean.’ … When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ ” (Matthew 26:69, 71) Peter’s Moment of Fear • A simple question from a low-ranking servant girl felt more threatening than swords in Gethsemane. • Moments earlier, Peter had boldly drawn a sword (John 18:10). Now, in the glow of a fire, he wilts. • Jesus had foretold this collapse: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times” (Matthew 26:34). Roots of Peter’s Fear 1. Overconfidence – “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You” (Matthew 26:35). – 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns: “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 2. Prayerlessness – Jesus: “Keep watch and pray… The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). – Peter slept instead of seeking strength. 3. The snare of public opinion – Proverbs 29:25: “The fear of man lays a snare.” – A servant girl’s opinion outweighed loyalty to Christ at that moment. Key Lessons for Followers Today • Small pressures reveal big cracks. • Spiritual confidence must be rooted in dependence, not bravado. • Fear thrives where prayer is absent. • Denying Christ begins with distancing ourselves—Peter moved “out to the gateway” (v. 71). • The setting may be ordinary—a courtyard, a workplace, a classroom—yet the stakes are eternal. Turning Fear into Faith • God’s provision: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). • Right fear: Matthew 10:28—fear God, not people. • Filled with the Spirit: After Pentecost, Peter faces the Sanhedrin and says, “We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). The same tongue that denied now declares. Hope After Failure • Jesus looked at Peter (Luke 22:61). Divine sorrow met human shame. • Restoration beside another charcoal fire: “Feed My sheep” (John 21:15-17). • Peter later exhorts suffering believers, “Honor Christ the Lord as holy. Always be prepared to give a defense” (1 Peter 3:15)—the very courage he once lacked. Practical Takeaways – Start the day in prayerful dependence; armor up before the rooster crows. – Cultivate a greater awe of God than of human opinion. – Stay close to Christ’s people; isolation breeds compromise. – Remember grace: past failures do not define future usefulness. – Let the Spirit turn yesterday’s denials into tomorrow’s declarations. |
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