Peter’s Fall

While in the upper chamber, just previous to his betrayal, Jesus poured forth the burden of his soul in words of comfort, of counsel, and of prayer which would ever remain imprinted on the hearts and minds of his disciples. But throughout his whole discourse, he made no mournful allusion to his own sufferings and death. The Shepherd knows he will be smitten, that the rod lifted in his Father’s hand will fall heavily upon him because of the law transgressed, but he thinks only of his followers. His heart of tenderest love is ever seeking to cheer them, and to prepare them for their disappointment and his absence. Looking around upon the little flock so soon to be left without a shepherd, he tenderly said: «Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.»

Christ longed to have his disciples understand the privileges and advantages coming to them through his death upon the cross. If they had heeded these last lessons, what instruction they would have received! One who loved them was seeking to give them special instruction. He was thinking of them, praying for them. His eye read every phase of their experience during the terrible ordeal through which he was about to pass. O, if they could have looked into that heart of infinite love! If they could only have seen how sorry he was for them! Had they known more of Jesus, more of the deceptions of the human heart; if they could have known of the sorrow of Christ’s heart, that the Shepherd was to be smitten and his sheep scattered; had they but comprehended that he was to gather them again, to speak to them with comforting assurance,they would have known more what his great sacrifice meant.

The last supper ended, Christ bent his steps toward the place of his severest suffering in humanity. Jesus had often resorted to Gethsemane with his disciples for meditation and prayer; but never before had he visited the spot with a heart so full of sorrow. In tones of deepest anguish he addressed his disciples: «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.»

The period that is to answer to the prophetic past has come, and Jesus takes his disciples over the terrible scenes about to be enacted. He speaks of their scattering and forsaking him at the very time when he most needs their sympathy and their prayers. But he does not allow this thought of sadness to leave a depressing gloom upon them. He wants their hearts to know no fear, but to trust in him. He revives them with hope, assuring them that he will break the fetters of the tomb. «After I am risen,» he says, «I will go before you into Galilee.»

But now Peter feels that he must speak, and assure his Master that he will never be guilty of forsaking his Lord. «Tho all men should be offended because of thee,» he says, «yet will I never be offended.»

Peter did not realize that in this very assertion he was refusing caution and reproof from Christ. The time had come when silence was eloquence, when to think in quietness was far better than any speech he could have made. But Peter knew so little of his own heart that he denied the truthfulness of Christ’s statement.

In answer Jesus said, «Verily I say unto thee, that this night before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.» Jesus could see the future. He could read even the thoughts of the heart. He knew that Peter’s first denial would not stop there. His first denial would give occasion to deny again, and the second brought circumstances in its train to lead him to deny the third time, and that with cursing and swearing.

On one occasion Christ had declared to his hearers: «Verily, verily I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that heareth me, even he shall live by me.» These words were spoken to test them; and when they heard them, many of his disciples said among themselves, «This is an hard saying, who can hear it?» The spiritual perception of these followers could not grasp Christ’s words, and «from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.» Turning to the twelve, Jesus said, «Will ye also go away?» But Peter answered him, «Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.»

What honor Peter might have done his Lord had he received his words. When tempted to deny his Lord it was his privilege to solicit Christ’s help as earnestly as when, ready to sink beneath the tempestuous waves, he cried, «Lord, save, or I perish.» Then his cry for help brought him a hand that grasped his own; and now, had he said: «Lord, I receive thy word; altho I can not see that it is possible. I love thee, but I do not know myself; and I ask thee to save me from denying thee, whom I so love,» Christ would have saved him from himself. He would have asked for him help of his heavenly Father. He would have prayed that Peter might have been made watchful over his temper, vigilant when most strongly assailed by the enemy, wide-awake to Satan’s wily assaults. Then how watchful Peter would have been to maintain his loyalty to Christ! While others might deny their Lord, he would have remained steadfast. He would have listened silently, and learned of Jesus how to conduct himself under charges and provocation, and in the darkest hour. Then he would have come close to the Saviour, and would have done honor to Christ.

But he proved unfaithful, unworthy of being the depository of the rich treasure of God’s grace. At this time Peter should have been examining himself. How distrustful of self should he have been! But he refused to admit that the picture presented before him was correct, and in the place of inviting research, altho the Holy Spirit of God had revealed to him the character he would manifest under test and trial, he refused to accept it.

Peter should have taken it for granted that Jesus knew him better than he knew himself. He should have humbled his heart, and asked for special grace that this thing might not be. But this opportunity presented to him he lost by not heeding or believing the warning given. In a most decided manner he declared, «Tho I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.» Peter was thoroughly honest in this assertion, but he was not half as wise as he thought himself to be. He was ignorant of himself. He did not realize his own weakness. He needed a distrust of self, and deeper views of God. If he had humbled his soul before God, in the place of denying the searching and reading of his inmost soul, he would have said with the prophet, «Woe is me; for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.»

And so it is to-day. The reason why so many of Christ’s professed disciples fall into grievous temptation, and make work for repentance, is that they are deficient in a knowledge of themselves. Here is where Peter was so thoroughly sifted by the enemy. Here is where thousands will make shipwreck of faith. But, altho we may have temptations, altho we may be beset by the wily foe, yet if we have the fear of God before us, angels that excel in strength will be sent to our help, and we shall be more than a match for the powers of darkness. Jesus lives. He died to make a way of escape for a fallen race, and he lives to-day to make intercession for us. As we travel in the narrow way, and have to contend with principalities and powers and meet the opposition of foes, we should bear in mind that provision has been made for us. Help has been laid upon One that is mighty, and through him we may conquer. Mrs. E. G. White. ( Concluded next week. ) —

Peter needed a deeper, broader knowledge of Jesus Christ. He had listened to his words and enjoyed his lessons. He had acknowledged him to be the Son of God, and he believed him to be thus; but he had only touched the margin of faith in Christ. There were depths in the knowledge of his character which demanded his homage, his faith, his tribute of perfect trust and unshaken confidence. «Thou shalt see greater things than these,» is the promise that invites increased expectation.

Jesus stood ready to reveal himself to Peter. In his great love he told him of his denial. He sought to reveal the defects of his character, and his need of the help which Christ alone could give. He told Peter that he was mistaken in his ideas of himself, and that in not receiving and believing the words of Christ, he was doing the very evil of which Christ had declared he would be guilty. How earnest, then, should have been Peter’s prayers, that the Lord would teach him how to resist the wiles of the devil, how to be watchful against his temptations! But Peter’s boastful assertions, while refusing to see himself as Christ viewed him, were causing his light to grow dim.

Jesus did not try farther to make Peter believe that he knew the course he would pursue; but he knew that «the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.» «Simon, Simon,» he said, «behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he might sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.»

The object of conversion is twofold, personal and relative. It is to bless us, and to make us a blessing. This is an individual work; but those who profess to believe the Word of God have so long accustomed their minds to be content with little things that they have disqualified themselves to discern and appreciate the great things prepared for them. In the place of receiving into good and honest hearts the Word that God sends in messages to help them, to elevate, ennoble, and sanctify them, they cavil and gossip over it, because it cuts directly across their inclinations. In the place of seeing their need of conversion, they regard the means which the Lord has provided to change their characters as idle tales. To them their habits are stronger than truth. Individual conversion means a change of character. Man must place himself in personal relation to Christ, that, in the place of following his own hereditary and cultivated tendencies, he may have the mind of Christ, placing himself under the moulding influence of the Holy Spirit.

O, that Peter had better learned the lesson given in the fifteenth chapter of John, of the necessity of abiding in Christ! «As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself,» said Christ, «except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.» Peter was listening to his words as, pointing to a vine on which was a withered branch, he said: «Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [pruneth] it, that it may bring forth more fruit. . . . As the branch can not bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. . . . If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.»

Peter denied the Man of Sorrows in his acquaintance with grief, in the hour of his humiliation; but he was filled with shame and sorrow for his act. With blinding tears he made his way to the solitudes of the Garden of Gethsemane, and there prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour’s prostrate form. He remembered with remorse that he was asleep when Jesus prayed during those fearful hours. His proud heart broke, and penitential tears moistened the sod so recently stained with the bloody sweat-drops of God’s dear Son. He left the garden a converted man.

Then how tender and charitable, how meek and forgiving, Peter revealed himself to be! While under the test, he had been but a very dim reflector of the character of his Lord. How much of infirmity, of unmortified sin, of carelessness of spirit, of unsanctified temper, of heedlessness in entering into temptation, he revealed, rather than giving up his own way and will! But now he was ready to pity the tempted. He was humbled, and could sympathize with the weak and erring. He could caution and warn the presumptuous, and was fully fitted to strengthen his brethren.

Peter’s history has a lesson for us. We need an abiding Christ with us, as Enoch had when he walked with God three hundred years. We can have what Enoch had. We can have Christ as our constant companion. Enoch walked with God, and when assailed by the tempter, he could talk with God about it. He had no «It is written,» as we have, but he had a knowledge of his heavenly Companion. He made God his counselor, and was closely bound up with Jesus. And Enoch was honored in his course. He was translated to heaven without seeing death. And those who will be translated at the close of time will be those who commune with God on earth. Those who make manifest that their life is hid with Christ in God will ever be representing him in all their life practises.

The highest testimony that Peter could have borne for Christ under trial would have been to reveal his steadfast principles, and in revealing the pure, holy beauty of the character of Christ, show that Christ was abiding in him. The Lord would have his followers reveal in their life-practises his life of self-denial, lifting the cross at every step. We are to show our consecration in every act. And this will be the highest testimony that we can bear to the Redeemer’s glory.

The Word must be studied, it must rule in the heart, that we may be prepared to bring from the treasure-house good things. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly; then when you are assailed, you will have the armor of God to wear. Having done all, you may stand. When the host of hell seek to destroy with temptations, you will be ready with sharp perception to discern their wiles, and meet them as Christ met his enemy in the wilderness,—with, «It is written.»

When men feel themselves strong, then it is that they need the words of inspiration brought to their minds, «Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.» Had Peter taken heed, he would not have disgraced himself, and put Christ to open shame. Often the tempted one does not realize that he has unseen, heavenly agencies working in his behalf; but this is so. When we feel our personal weakness, when we depend on Christ, and not on self, we have done what we can. Then the heavenly intelligences are ready to lift up a standard for us against the enemy, saying to the Satanic agencies, «Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther.» At such times if words were to pass from Christ to us, they would be, spoken gently and sympathisingly, «Abide in my love. Be of good cheer. Thou art in Christ’s heart; thou art not alone.» Mrs. E. G. White.