Without the Jesus Revolution, our Christian lives remain ORDINARY, MEDIOCRE and mostly PURPOSELESS. This was shown in the lives of the disciples before the Jesus Revolution started. As mentioned last week, there were so many examples of this in the lives of the early disciples pre-Jesus Revolution. I gave the first instance last week. Here is the second:-
- ii) Peter and his religious motions (Matt 26:58, 69-75; Luke 22:54-62)
The next case of pre-Jesus Revolution ordinariness and mediocrity that we shall see is the religious motions of Peter. Let us start by establishing the fact that Peter was a Christian, like you and I. In Matt 16:18, Peter had received the revelation of the Sonship of Jesus. Jesus had affirmed that it was a revelation from the Father God. 1 John 4:15 tells us that God dwells in anyone that confesses Jesus to be the Son of God.
The same Peter was part of the Jesus inner circle that followed Jesus to wherever He went. He was with Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration in Matt 17, when the masquerade was unveiled. The outer 11 flesh was torn open for the glory that is on the inside to be revealed.
Right here, we saw traces of the ordinariness and mediocrity He asked for three tabernacles to be built, one each for Jesus. Moses and Elijah (Matt 17:4). Peter was a Jew. He knew that you built tabernacles only unto God, but he was thrown by the level of glory he had just experienced. Thank God for directing his mind back to Jesus (Matt 17:5).
Peter was to affirm that these experiences were not cunningly devised fables, and that they were eyewitnesses of His Majesty (2 Pet. 1:16-18).
2 Peter 1:16-18
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
The Apostle John, who was also an eye-witness referred to this experience thus in I John 1:1-3.
1 John 1:1-3
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
The whole point of all that have been said is this: The disciples were Christians like you and I. They had received flashes of insight and revelations like you and I, but their Christian lives, inspite of all these, remained ordinary and mediocre, until they received that touch of the Jesus Revolution on Pentecost day. Let us see examples of this ordinariness in Peter’s life.
- Denial of Jesus
Matt 26:31-34
- Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
- But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
- Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
- Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
In Matt 26:31-34, Jesus operating in the realm of unlimited knowledge and visions told His disciples that they shall be offended because of Him, but Peter, as usual, operating in the realm of fleshly confidence vehemently contradicted Him, even promising to die with Jesus. However, Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny Him thrice that night before the crowing of the cock. It happened just as Jesus had prophesied (Matt 26:70-74). This was not surprising. Peter was a disaster that was waiting to happen. It was the ordinariness and mediocrity that manifested as long-distance Christianity and made him warm himself with the 14 enemy’s fire. All these ultimately led to Peter’s denial of Jesus.
- Long-Distance Christianity (Matt 26:57-58)
Matt 26:57-58
- And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
- But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
Immediately after Jesus was arrested, and was being led away to the high priest, Caiaphas, the Bible said that Peter followed Him “afar off” (verse 58). In other words, Peter followed Him “AT A DISTANCE”. How many of us are disciples of Jesus today, but following Him at a distance? This speaks about Christianity without much commitment. I have used the phrase “without much commitment” advisedly because Peter still followed His Master. There were other disciples that had scattered and fled after the arrest of Jesus.
Today, different people have various reasons for their “long-distance” Christianity. Some people are too rich, too educated, too beautiful, too elevated, to be seen behaving unseemly and shouting, singing praises to God at the top of their voices. This type of situation is a product of the lack of Jesus Revolution.
- Warming himself with the fire of the enemy (Matt 26:58b; Luke 22:55-56)
Matt. 26:58b
- But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
Luke 22:55-56
- And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
- But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
When they arrived at the palace of the high priest, the above scriptures say Peter sat with the servants of the high priest. The narration in the book of Luke tells us that Peter was warming himself with the enemy’s fire. What does this represent? It speaks about the various compromises that we allow in our lives. Not only are we found in the company of the enemy, we also keep ourselves warm with the fire of the enemy. We do what they do. Talk like they talk. Dress like they dress. We are very comfortable in their company. All these promote leakages in our lives and they are the surest signs of the lack of Jesus Revolution.
Matt 26:58 says Peter sat with the servants “to see the end”. He had been with Jesus for over three years. Jesus did not make a secret of His ordeal. He told His disciples, including Peter, over and over again. How they would arrest Him, hand Him over to the Gentiles, who would crucify Him and how on the third day, He would resurrect. So, Peter ought to have “known the end”. Again, we can see the ordinariness, mediocrity and purposelessness of his life. This is what happens to every Christian outside of the Jesus Revolution.
All the above could only lead to one conclusion. The denial of Jesus. This is despite his fleshly and selfconfident promise that he would rather die than deny Jesus. He even swore an oath and cursed while denying Jesus. The lesson here is stark and simple. Outside of the Jesus Revolution, every Christian will easily deny Jesus in one way or the other. Are we not all doing it today in one shape or form? We all need the Jesus Revolution in our hearts, NOW!!
Did you notice the radical change in Peter’s life after the Jesus Revolution began on Pentecost Day? The third instance will be shared next week…………..