Total System Meltdown

Have you ever heard of TSM? That’s an acronym I came up with for “Total System Meltdown”. That’s what happened to Peter the night that Jesus was arrested. Despite his earlier statements that he would follow Jesus unto death, Peter ended up denying Christ three times that night. I think this “Total System Meltdown“ happened for several reasons. Here are a couple of them but this in no way is an exhaustive list:

• I think Peter was very flustered that Jesus would be arrested. In Matt. 16:21, in response to Jesus’ telling the disciples that He would suffer and die in Jerusalem, Peter says, “Oh no, Lord. This will never happen to you!” It would seem that Peter was certain Jesus would not suffer and die. When Jesus’ arrest did happen, Peter’s world was turned upside down. It makes one wonder if he started questioning everything in his relationship with Jesus. We can have these times as well, when everything is shaken and we must face reality as Jesus defines it, and not how we define it. 

• Peter was in a bad place. He couldn’t get into the courtyard until John came and got him, he was surrounded by folks who were hostile to him, his best friend and rabbi had just been arrested after being betrayed by one of His own, and he was cold. This, in combination with his world being turned upside down, would have put Peter in a place of not being ready to give an account of himself. And, so, we must have the self-awareness to know what’s happening within us and around us so that we can keep close to Jesus in rocky times. 

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Ultimately, I also think Peter denied Jesus because he simply didn’t listen to Jesus when the Lord kept warning him of what would happen. We put ourselves in a heap of trouble when we fail to listen, respond to, and obey Jesus’ words to us! 

Thankfully, Jesus specializes in forgiving, healing, restoring, and lifting up those who have “Total System Meltdowns”! Friends, that’s you and me! It’s not just Peter who needs the grace of Christ but every moment of every hour of every day we need His grace to cover us. Thank the Lord Jesus Christ that He has done that for us and has brought us into the kingdom of the Father!

Please read John 18:28-19:16 for Sunday.

Blessings, 
Pastor Andy 

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