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HEY took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilean. 60And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:54-62)
All people of faith are rightly inspired by the events of Easter 2,000 years ago. We observe the various events and characters that both preceded and followed the Easter resurrection of our Lord. We do so, too often, with a certain detachment – as if we are simply hearing a story that is more about Judas, Barabbas, or Peter than it is about ourselves. But believe me, we are all accounted for in that account of Easter.
Judas believed in our Lord, but not as Lord of Heaven, only as a conquering leader who would dispatch the Romans from Israel. He believed out of a wicked and greedy heart as well. That kind of faith cannot stand the judgment. Many professing believers today have that same view of Christ. He is one to call upon when we seek for our own desires to be fulfilled and not those of the Lord. Judas was guilty of betraying the Lord into the hands of the enemy. He never repented to God of his sin, but rather to himself.
Peter was a favored disciple. He once claimed he would go to the grave with the Lord if necessary, but as the Lord prophesied, Peter would deny the Lord three times before the crow of the rooster. On that third denial, the Lord turned and looked Peter straight in the eyes. Peter, a strong and weathered fisherman, melted under that gaze. He went out and wept bitterly for the next three days. Peter’s weakness was not the wrong kind of faith, but a faith that lacked courage. I believe everyone who reads this letter is guilty of the same fault as Peter was at some time or other. We deny the Lord in our daily conversation, in the way we conduct ourselves as citizens in the voting booth, and by our deathly silence at biblical truths that the world has made to appear ‘controversial.’
Now there remains a third character that symbolizes each and every believer, but in a spiritual, rather than a physical, sense. - Barabbas! Have you ever considered yourself to be as mean and despicable as Barabbas? Well, you have been. You have committed high crimes (sins) against Heaven ere you came to the Throne of Grace. Had you only committed a single sin, the sentence would have been the same as that handed down to Barabbas – DEATH! But Someone took your place on the cross, didn’t He? Just as surely as Barabbas was spared the death by crucifixion, so were you and I spared that death of the sinner in his sins. Christ took our place – He alone was worthy and able to do so. Was that a fair bargain? Not at all, we deserved death and Hell to the salvation made possible by the grace and mercy of God through the sacrifice of His only Begotten Son.
Now that we belong to the Body of Christ, we die daily by taking up our crosses every morning and following Him to Calvary, to the Tomb, and then out of the borrowed tomb at resurrection.
Have we lately considered the great debt we owe our Lord for such a free gift of salvation! He does not demand payment since none can suffice; but He does desire our whole hearts. Having our hearts will testify that He has our ALL. Does the Lord have your ALL this Easter?
Jerry L. Ogles
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