What Made Peter Deny Jesus? | Jesus Forsaken and Forgiving

Fellow soldiers have shared how, to their dismay, they witnessed a team member drop his gun, turn, and run deserting his team! It is hard to imagine the impact of desertion upon those who trusted him. Words like ‘dismay,’ ‘confusion,’ ‘shock,’ ‘incredulity,’ ‘abandonment,’ ‘fear,’ ‘anger,’ and ‘betrayal’ only graze the surface of how those left alone feel. Those left to fend for themselves and suffer without companion only know the pain, hurt, and fear they battle deep in their souls. This must have been the profoundly deep impact Jesus felt when His disciples fled from Him in the Garden. Our beloved Savior faced the cruel shame and suffering of the cross alone! “Falling away” as we have it here means, ‘To forsake someone.’ What caused the man of God to forsake His Lord? What can cause you or me to forsake Jesus in a moment of fear or faithlessness? But first, we need to see that even our forsaking never surprises God. This is no excuse to sin, but we must remember that God's sovereign plan is all-encompassing. It will carry onward with or without us.