Why Do We Deny Jesus?

In my last post, I asked some tough questions of everyone (myself included). The main question was the toughest – Do you deny Jesus? For more details about exactly what I was talking about, please read that post before reading further here.

Why Deny Jesus?

Now that you are caught up, I am assuming that you are among the crowd of those of us who do, in fact, deny Jesus (to some degree) on a daily basis. That being the case, let’s move into the second question of this series – WHY do we deny Jesus?

To help us determine the answer to this question, I would like for us to look back at Peter. Let’s first try to figure out what caused Peter to deny Jesus. Maybe then, we can shed some light on why we do the same thing.

Misplaced Expectations?

It is clear from Scripture that many of the disciples (Peter included) and other followers expected Jesus to rise to some sort of military power and overthrow the Roman rule over the Jews. In fact, many Jews today still believe that way, which is why they do not accept Jesus as the Messiah.

In an effort to attempt to discern Peter’s motivations, let’s look at a couple of quotes from Peter in the book of Luke.

But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
– Luke 22:33

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
– Luke 22:49-50

Mistaken Identity?

In both cases, it appears Peter is expecting (and looking forward to) a fight! Do you think anything Jesus has said to this point would cause him to think that? Or is it more likely that this was how Peter had assumed (along with virtually everyone else) the Messiah would rise to rule from His throne?

I think the latter is the case. I think Peter truly thought Jesus was going to show His true authority with some sort of rebellion and Peter wanted to be a part of it. If this is the case, how would this affect his behavior when Jesus willingly submitted to His arrest?

Peter’s Thoughts

Do you think Peter was confused?

Disappointed?

Scared he had misjudged Jesus?

I think this would easily explain his fear and subsequent decision to deny Jesus that night. In fact, this idea seems to fit the more I think about it.

However, even if this line of thinking is way off base, I think we can all agree that Peter was afraid of something when he decided to deny Jesus. He may have been afraid he would also be arrested. Maybe he was scared of how his association with Jesus would impact his own family. We cannot really know.

BUT, there is one thing we can be sure of.

Misunderstanding

We can be sure that Peter’s decision to deny Jesus came from one root misunderstanding. It is this same misunderstanding that I believe causes you and me to deny Jesus on a regular basis.

What is the one misunderstanding?

Peter did not fully comprehend WHO Jesus was and WHAT His purpose really was.

Drink that in a moment.

What If…

IF Peter had FULLY understood that Jesus was truly God in the flesh…

IF Peter had COMPLETELY grasped that Jesus created the very earth he inhabited…

IF Peter had TRULY wrapped his mind around Jesus’ mission here…

Do you really think he would have even considered the decision to deny Jesus?

Our Problem!

Please take this slowly. This is not just about Peter. I believe this is OUR problem!

We act the way we do because we have yet to fully grasp exactly WHO Jesus really is!

We go about our every day tasks, errands, and work. We raise our families and hang out with our friends. We do all the things that people do everyday, but most of us do not really behave in a way that reflects Jesus for who He is!

Do we REALLY act like disciples of the Jesus that created this world? Do we act like followers of the One that died in our place? Are we sincerely allowing Him to be Lord over ALL parts of our life (work/job/business, family, school, etc.)?

What About The Difference?

If so, shouldn’t there be a significance between us and those around us? I am not talking about having a fish symbol on your car, either. I mean different to our core!

If you are that different, again I say, “Congratulations!”

If not, like me, then something needs to change! We need to be about the business of learning WHO this Jesus truly is. I am not talking about the Americanized Jesus. I am talking about the real Jesus – the One in the Bible.

Let’s take the time to completely understand the real Jesus and His mission (and by extension, ours) here. Let’s agree to no longer deny Jesus and start boldly acknowledging Him in everything we do!

I promise you that He deserves it.

What are your thoughts at this point?

Am I off my rocker or does this make sense?

What am I missing?