The One Who Denied Jesus: The Watch Letter

And immediately the cock crew.

In Matthew 26:69-75 and Luke 22:54-62, we read about Peter and how he denied knowing Jesus three times after Jesus was taken away and on his way to bear his cross and be crucified.

Jesus had told Peter earlier: "Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." - Matthew 26:34

Jesus was warning Peter. He was also giving him a chance to examine himself, pray and prepare. But sometimes, like Peter, we can't see ourselves in the warning. We don't think we will deny the Lord in any way, so the warning doesn't pierce our hearts and cause humility and sanctification like it was intended to.

Peter was in self-preservation mode and operating in fear, and his faith was shaken. Although, I am sure he always thought he would put Jesus first ... when the test came he failed to lay down his life at that moment for Jesus because he was more focused on perhaps avoiding death and persecution and wondering in his mind what would become of him.

All of us in one way or another have probably been in Peter's sandals. The cock crew immediately after Peter denied Jesus and he knew he failed to heed the warning. I know I have been just as guilty. We may not deny Jesus with our words or outwardly ignore the warnings, but we can deny Jesus and his warnings inwardly and by our actions, by our mindsets, by how we believe in our hearts, and by our disobedience.

Perilous times shall come.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 provides a good starting point for us to examine ourselves to see where we are denying the Lord or may be prone to do so. Perilous times will come to our lives and into the earth because of our denial of Jesus. As you will see, many of the items on this list are tied to fear, unbelief, and self-ambitions.

Loving yourself above others
Being covetous
Being proud
Being unholy
Being disobedient
Being ungrateful, murmuring, and complaining
Having inordinate affection/worry
Loving pleasures more than God
Being high-minded
Being a Sunday Christian
Lacking self-control
Being dishonest
Being spiteful or judgmental
Being destructive
Being too aggressive toward others
Being a slanderer
Lacking devotion
Being profane or disrespectful

Because Jesus is none of these things, when we do these things we are denying him. We are denying that we know Jesus, because he taught us better than that by his word and by the example he was and is.

I have seen myself on the list above and I thank God for a chance to repent. I thank God for a chance to see that I too have been the one who denied Jesus. It's easy to wonder: How could Peter have done that? But all of us have been a Peter in some shape or form and that means there is good news. Peter repented and Jesus forgave him and restored him to his calling after the resurrection.

The real Peter and the real us.

In fact, when Peter had decided to go fishing (after Jesus arose from the dead) like he did before he was called by Jesus, it did not work. He and those who were with him did not catch anything. So, Jesus performed the same miracle he did when he won Peter's heart and called him to discipleship. But not only did he restore him to being a follower, and a fisher of men, but he called him to be a feeder of his sheep. Jesus even told Peter he knew how he would age and die, reassuring him that the fear he had just days before about people knowing he followed Jesus was just a hindrance and that he would not die until it was his time and he would die glorifying Christ. Sometimes we can overthink, fear, and worry so much that we think the worst is about to happen when instead God has so much more planned for us.

We can be restored today by turning away from the things in us that have denied Christ. But when we fail him, and realize we have denied him, we must not throw in the towel and go back to who we were before we encountered Jesus. That is one reason why I believe Jesus revealed himself to the disciples after his resurrection: to let them know better was ahead of them, not behind them.

In January 2020, during a message, our Pastor Chief Apostle H.C. Gunn asked us: What if you're not the real you? He said: The real you doesn't fear. Sometimes the things we encounter or go through are to expose the real us and the real love that God placed inside of us.

God never said he gave us a measure of fear but instead a measure of faith. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7

Chief Apostle Gunn also said God is trying to show us the real us to show us that where we are weak is actually where we are meant to be strong. That night, Peter was at his weakest and he adamantly denied Jesus. But the real Peter would become one who adamantly proclaimed Jesus. Peter was out of place. He was not there for Jesus, he was swayed by the wind of his thoughts, emotions, and feelings. But Jesus told him long ago that his name means rock or stone, something that is more stable and hard to move - that was the real Peter. Everything in us and outside of us will rise up to get us to get out of place and not become the real us, but by drawing closer to Jesus, instead of running away, we can take our rightful place. Listen to the FORREAL RADIO BROADCAST message by Chief Apostle Gunn "Stay In Place" from 2018, here: https://www.thebodyofchristinc.com/listen-in?wix-music-track-id=6454612838055936&wix-music-comp-id=comp-j3hyec8g.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after the resurrection and admonished Peter, he was letting Peter know that before he called him the first time he wasn't the real him. And during the night he denied Jesus, Peter wasn't the real him. It was only when Peter was living for Jesus and not himself that he was who he was really meant to be. Jesus has given us the remedy. The only way we can grow from denying the Lord is to deny ourselves. Instead of just watching Jesus take up the cross from afar, we have to take up our own cross too. Chief Apostle Gunn said the Lord called this month "Overcoming October." So, what a perfect time to overcome all the things in our lives keeping us from being the real us and causing us to deny Jesus.

John 21 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me