Jesus Devotional - Day 14
Day Fourteen
Jesus: Real, Relevant, and Radical!
Epic Fail
Matthew 26:57-68(NLT) Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. 59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!” 67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
Jesus is arrested. He is about to face six court appearances: three by the Jews and three by the Romans. He would be found guilty by all three Jewish courts but innocent before the Romans. Then, he would make a final public appearance where the crowd would shout, “Crucify Him.” Pilate would then wash his hands and hand Jesus over to be crucified. The peculiar thing is that the guilty would be accusing the innocent. The lawbreakers would be judging the Law Giver. The Jews would be breaking several of their own laws in this kangaroo court. There is some debate over whether these trials were legal or illegal; nonetheless, a few things should be considered, such as holding the trial at night or during Passover. Jesus’ trials lasted from 2am to 9am, during Passover. Each person had to vote individually, but they voted as a group. They did not have the authority to put someone to death, so they tried to find lying witnesses. That is why the accusations before Pilate and Herod differed from those before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin. There was not supposed to be immediate execution in death penalty cases. The penalty could only be carried out after a night had passed. Anyone appearing before the court was given representation, yet Jesus was alone. Whether legal or illegal, they had their knives out for Jesus, and they were willing to use any means necessary to get rid of Him.
That’s the problem with religion: when it is void of compassion, it often leads to self-deception. When the rules are inconvenient, they are ignored. In their desperate attempt to convict Jesus of breaking the law, they became the true lawbreakers. Religion can be ruthless and heartless; if you find yourself in its crosshairs, beware! Religion doesn’t take lightly when you cross it, especially if you point out its hypocrisy. Jesus was loved by ordinary people but despised by the religious leaders of his time. You can understand their anger. He told parables that made them the bad guys. He cleared the temple twice. He apparently didn’t wash His hands enough. He made sinners and Samaritans heroes and the religious villains. He threatened their political power and influence. He challenged their greed and questioned their motives. He called them “snakes” and “vipers.” He told them they were on their way to hell. He called the devil their father. We could go on, but I think you get the idea. They wanted Jesus to fail in the worst way possible. In the end, it is their failure that is evident to all.
To truly judge whether someone or something is a success or failure, we need time. We need enough time so that we can look at a complete picture, not a partial one. If we had witnessed all these events, it would be very difficult, from a natural perspective, to see Jesus as a success. After all, the religious leaders finally had Him where they wanted Him, or so it seemed. Luke writes in Acts 4:25-28 (NLT) “You spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? 26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ 27 In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.”
All that planning to make Jesus seem like a failed Messiah did, in fact, just prove the opposite. All that anger and political power only ended up fulfilling God's will. Amidst all the chaos and upheaval, we notice someone else trying his best to stay in the background, but about to face his own epic failure. v58 “Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.”
There are moments in life when we are the worst versions of ourselves. We begin with great effort and even a sense of bravado, but at the first sign of resistance, we shrink back like a turtle retreating into its shell. Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, had many moments that are recorded in scripture; some are great, and others are not so great moments. Sometimes he had a great moment, followed by a moment of weakness! Can you relate to that?
We tend to see failure as a single event. We go along in life and everything seems fine, then suddenly, we fail. But this couldn't be further from the truth. Failure, like success, is a building thing. A moment by moment. Before you realize it, you're acting in ways and developing patterns that lead to destructive outcomes.
What made matters worse for Peter is that Jesus already warned him. However, Peter was adamant about his capacity to withstand whatever might be coming his way. Luke 22:31-34 (NLT) “‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.’ 33 Peter said, ‘Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.’ 34 But Jesus said, ‘Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.’”
Peter is saying, “I can handle this. I know better than anyone else how I will respond. I am capable of handling this!”
Jesus knows what lies ahead. Never for one moment did Peter see himself as part of the problem, as we can see from his response. Peter is so self-assured that while Jesus is praying, Peter is sleeping. While Jesus is in agony, Peter is resting. While Jesus is crying out, Peter is snoring out loud! Jesus returns and says, “Peter, all I needed from you was one hour. But you allowed your flesh to subdue your spirit. You needed it because you are about to go over a cliff and you don’t even realize it!”
Self-assurance, rather than God-confidence, has an amazing capacity to give us a false sense of security. It also creates a hypocritical sense of peace. “I am committed,” is what Peter would protest, “I am just tired.” Commitment is more than simply being there. That’s the issue with self-deception: it makes me seem better than I really am. Jesus is not fooled. Peter’s failure is about to break out in the open; his internal failure is about to become visible. All his self-assurance and self-confidence, in one moment, will be reduced to the biggest regret of his life. He is about to betray the One he vowed he never would.
John 18:25-27(NLT) “Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, ‘You’re not one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it, saying, ‘No, I am not.’ 26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus’ 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.”
Luke 22:59-62(NLT)” About an hour later someone else insisted, ‘This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.’ 60 But Peter said, ‘Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: ‘Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.’ 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.”
Self-deception always leads to regret. Not just regret. It leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure that others could see, but that we were never aware of. Peter is being recognized by a family member of Malchus. The guy that got his ear chopped off by Peter. Peter’s recent failure is coming back to haunt him, so he does the only thing he knows to do, he denies it. The rooster crows and Jesus turns and looks at Peter. What do you think the look was like? Accusatory? Condemning? Disappointed? “I told you, Peter, I knew you were going to mess up. I knew you’d drown in your own bravado! Look what you did to me!”
That could not be further from the truth. I believe that Jesus looks at Peter with a look that says: “Hang in there, Peter. I knew this was going to happen. Remember, I told you I have already prayed for you! Even when you're so low that you can’t trust what comes out of your own mouth, I still believe in you. In your greatest failure, your most epic collapse, I still believe in you!” You cannot surprise God with your failure. He knew you would fail before you ever did. Religion might tell you that your failure disqualifies you. It might find you guilty and keep reminding you of your failure. But always remember, let your Father have the last word.
To those of us who have had great and grand visions for ourselves but have come up short, we need to remind ourselves that, despite our failure, Jesus still believes in us!
Prayer:
Jesus: Real, Relevant, and Radical!
Epic Fail
Matthew 26:57-68(NLT) Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. 59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61 who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!” 67 Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68 jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
Jesus is arrested. He is about to face six court appearances: three by the Jews and three by the Romans. He would be found guilty by all three Jewish courts but innocent before the Romans. Then, he would make a final public appearance where the crowd would shout, “Crucify Him.” Pilate would then wash his hands and hand Jesus over to be crucified. The peculiar thing is that the guilty would be accusing the innocent. The lawbreakers would be judging the Law Giver. The Jews would be breaking several of their own laws in this kangaroo court. There is some debate over whether these trials were legal or illegal; nonetheless, a few things should be considered, such as holding the trial at night or during Passover. Jesus’ trials lasted from 2am to 9am, during Passover. Each person had to vote individually, but they voted as a group. They did not have the authority to put someone to death, so they tried to find lying witnesses. That is why the accusations before Pilate and Herod differed from those before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Sanhedrin. There was not supposed to be immediate execution in death penalty cases. The penalty could only be carried out after a night had passed. Anyone appearing before the court was given representation, yet Jesus was alone. Whether legal or illegal, they had their knives out for Jesus, and they were willing to use any means necessary to get rid of Him.
That’s the problem with religion: when it is void of compassion, it often leads to self-deception. When the rules are inconvenient, they are ignored. In their desperate attempt to convict Jesus of breaking the law, they became the true lawbreakers. Religion can be ruthless and heartless; if you find yourself in its crosshairs, beware! Religion doesn’t take lightly when you cross it, especially if you point out its hypocrisy. Jesus was loved by ordinary people but despised by the religious leaders of his time. You can understand their anger. He told parables that made them the bad guys. He cleared the temple twice. He apparently didn’t wash His hands enough. He made sinners and Samaritans heroes and the religious villains. He threatened their political power and influence. He challenged their greed and questioned their motives. He called them “snakes” and “vipers.” He told them they were on their way to hell. He called the devil their father. We could go on, but I think you get the idea. They wanted Jesus to fail in the worst way possible. In the end, it is their failure that is evident to all.
To truly judge whether someone or something is a success or failure, we need time. We need enough time so that we can look at a complete picture, not a partial one. If we had witnessed all these events, it would be very difficult, from a natural perspective, to see Jesus as a success. After all, the religious leaders finally had Him where they wanted Him, or so it seemed. Luke writes in Acts 4:25-28 (NLT) “You spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans? 26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ 27 In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will.”
All that planning to make Jesus seem like a failed Messiah did, in fact, just prove the opposite. All that anger and political power only ended up fulfilling God's will. Amidst all the chaos and upheaval, we notice someone else trying his best to stay in the background, but about to face his own epic failure. v58 “Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.”
There are moments in life when we are the worst versions of ourselves. We begin with great effort and even a sense of bravado, but at the first sign of resistance, we shrink back like a turtle retreating into its shell. Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, had many moments that are recorded in scripture; some are great, and others are not so great moments. Sometimes he had a great moment, followed by a moment of weakness! Can you relate to that?
We tend to see failure as a single event. We go along in life and everything seems fine, then suddenly, we fail. But this couldn't be further from the truth. Failure, like success, is a building thing. A moment by moment. Before you realize it, you're acting in ways and developing patterns that lead to destructive outcomes.
What made matters worse for Peter is that Jesus already warned him. However, Peter was adamant about his capacity to withstand whatever might be coming his way. Luke 22:31-34 (NLT) “‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.’ 33 Peter said, ‘Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you.’ 34 But Jesus said, ‘Peter, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.’”
Peter is saying, “I can handle this. I know better than anyone else how I will respond. I am capable of handling this!”
Jesus knows what lies ahead. Never for one moment did Peter see himself as part of the problem, as we can see from his response. Peter is so self-assured that while Jesus is praying, Peter is sleeping. While Jesus is in agony, Peter is resting. While Jesus is crying out, Peter is snoring out loud! Jesus returns and says, “Peter, all I needed from you was one hour. But you allowed your flesh to subdue your spirit. You needed it because you are about to go over a cliff and you don’t even realize it!”
Self-assurance, rather than God-confidence, has an amazing capacity to give us a false sense of security. It also creates a hypocritical sense of peace. “I am committed,” is what Peter would protest, “I am just tired.” Commitment is more than simply being there. That’s the issue with self-deception: it makes me seem better than I really am. Jesus is not fooled. Peter’s failure is about to break out in the open; his internal failure is about to become visible. All his self-assurance and self-confidence, in one moment, will be reduced to the biggest regret of his life. He is about to betray the One he vowed he never would.
John 18:25-27(NLT) “Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, ‘You’re not one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it, saying, ‘No, I am not.’ 26 But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus’ 27 Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.”
Luke 22:59-62(NLT)” About an hour later someone else insisted, ‘This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.’ 60 But Peter said, ‘Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: ‘Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.’ 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.”
Self-deception always leads to regret. Not just regret. It leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure that others could see, but that we were never aware of. Peter is being recognized by a family member of Malchus. The guy that got his ear chopped off by Peter. Peter’s recent failure is coming back to haunt him, so he does the only thing he knows to do, he denies it. The rooster crows and Jesus turns and looks at Peter. What do you think the look was like? Accusatory? Condemning? Disappointed? “I told you, Peter, I knew you were going to mess up. I knew you’d drown in your own bravado! Look what you did to me!”
That could not be further from the truth. I believe that Jesus looks at Peter with a look that says: “Hang in there, Peter. I knew this was going to happen. Remember, I told you I have already prayed for you! Even when you're so low that you can’t trust what comes out of your own mouth, I still believe in you. In your greatest failure, your most epic collapse, I still believe in you!” You cannot surprise God with your failure. He knew you would fail before you ever did. Religion might tell you that your failure disqualifies you. It might find you guilty and keep reminding you of your failure. But always remember, let your Father have the last word.
To those of us who have had great and grand visions for ourselves but have come up short, we need to remind ourselves that, despite our failure, Jesus still believes in us!
Prayer:
- Ask the Lord to help you see your failure correctly.
- Seek forgiveness when you've only tried to justify yourself.
- Pray for the wisdom to avoid judging something as a failure or success from a human perspective.
- Thank the Lord that your relationship with Him is based on Him, not on you.
- Pray for others so they can see themselves the way Jesus sees them.
Posted in Jesus Devotional