THE KING’S BUSINESS
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fulfillment o f prophecy (Isa. 50:5, 6 ). Sunday, August 25 . John 18:24-27. Here we see how Peter’s following his Lord at this time got him into, trouble. Matthew tells us that he had followed his Lord “afar off” (Matt. 27:58). I f we fol low Jesus at all we should follow close. In these verses we see Peter, who had been going down hill, at the very bottom o f his descent. The steps by which he had reached his present depths o f infamy should be borne in mind and pondered. The first step, was self-confidence (Mark 14:29; cf. Prov. 29:23). The, second step, .was turn ing a deaf ear to Jesus’ faithful warning (Mark 14:30, 31,- cf. Prov. 28:26). The third step, was sleeping when he ought to have been-praying (Mark 14:37-41). The fourth step, was rash impetuosity in strik ing an unbidden blow for Jesus (v. 10). The fifth step, was rushing needlessly into temptation (vs. 15, 16). The sixth step, was associating with the enemies o f the Lord and warming himself at their fire. Then came the three successive denials. He had had abundant time for reflection since the first (Luke 22:59). Moreover, the cock o f which Jesus had spoken had once already lifted his warning voice (Mark 14:30, 68 ), The Devil himself was back o f Peter’s lamentable fall (Luke 22:31), and he is, after us too (1 Peter 5:8), so we would do better to take warning from Peter than to glory over him. The Lord was more grieved by this denial o f Peter than by the blow o f the officer, and today Jesus Christ is less grieved by the oppo sition o f avowed enemies than by the denials o f professed friends. We learn from the parallel accounts that there was an increasing strength in Peter’s denials o f his Lord. The last time, the time men tioned here, he cursed and swore (Matt. 26:70, 72, 74). The direct connection between this denial o f the Lord on the part o f Peter and his rash impetuosity in drawing his sword and cutting.off the ear o f the servant o f the high priest, We see in verse 26—One o f Peter’s questioners,
tain that you will soon see him denying the Lord. Ask yourself the question, Am I in any way warming myself at the enemy’s fire? Saturday, August 24. John 18: IQ-23. Jesus had no “ esoteric teaching.” He had not one doctrine for the public audi ence and another for private ears. Look out for the man or woman who has a doc trine that will not stand the light o f pub licity. That which fears light is darkness and evil (John 3:20, 21; Eph. 5:11, 12). Any teaching that you have to go into a dark room to investigate or bind yourself with oaths to secrecy to learn, you had better let alone. _ Jesus said, “In secret spake I nothing.” All He had to say He spake “ openly to the world.” So He can shy to the high priest who sought to ques tion Him regarding His disciples and His teaching, “Why askest thou me? Ask them that have heard me, what I spake uhto them: Behold, these know the things which I said.” It is evident that He not only spake openly but spake simply so that He could be understood. It is very diffi cu lt to tell what some men have said, though you have heard them. This answer o f our Lord’s 1was eminently reasonable, nevertheless, -“one o f the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand.” It is strange with what indifference most o f us read such a heart-breaking statement as this. Little do we realize how that blow hurt the Son o f God, the lover o f men, not the mere physical hurt, but the blow to outraged love. And little do most men realize what a revelation that blow is o f the blindness o f the human heart. Here stood God manifest in the flesh, His Deity shone forth in everything He did and said, and so blind were men to the Divine glory resident in Him and revealed through Him that a petty officer dare strike Him in the face and no one lifted a voice o f protest. This was but the beginning,of the indignities heaped upon the Son o f God, and He bore them all for me (Isa. 53:5). This blow was itself a minute and literal
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