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Humble Hero
own thoughts. As they began to descend toward the mount, Jesus
said, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night,
for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock
will be scattered.’”
Matthew 26:31
. In the upper chamber, Jesus had
said that one of the Twelve would betray Him and that Peter would
deny Him. But now His words included them all.
Peter’s Buried Sin
Then Peter spoke, protesting, “Even if all are made to stumble,
yet I will not be.” Jesus had warned him that he would deny his
Savior that very night. Now He repeated the warning: “Asssuredly,
I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows
twice, you will deny Me three times.” But Peter only “spoke more
vehemently, ‘If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And
they all said likewise.”
Mark 14:29-31
.
When Peter said he would follow his Lord to prison and to death,
he meant every word of it, but he did not know himself. Hidden in
his heart were elements of evil that circumstances would fan into life.
Unless he became conscious of his danger, these things would result
in his eternal ruin. The Savior saw a self-love in him that would
be stronger even than his love for Christ. Peter needed to distrust
himself and to have a deeper faith in Christ. When on the Sea of
Galilee he was about to sink, he cried, “Lord, save me!” So now if
he had cried, “Save me from myself,” Jesus would have kept him
secure. But Peter thought it was cruel that Jesus seemed to distrust
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him, and he became more persistent in his self-confidence.
Jesus could not save His disciples from the test, but He did not
leave them comfortless. Before the denial, they had the assurance of
forgiveness. After His death and resurrection, they knew that they
were forgiven and were dear to the heart of Christ.
Jesus and the disciples were on the way to Gethsemane, at the
foot of the Mount of Olives. The moon was shining brightly, reveal-
ing a flourishing grapevine. Drawing His disciples’ attention to it,
Jesus said, “I am the true vine.” The vine with its clinging tendrils
represents Himself. The palm tree, the cedar, and the oak stand
alone, requiring no support. But the vine entwines around the trellis,
and in this way it climbs toward heaven. So Christ in His humanity