Sample Devotion (Mar 4)
Excerpt from the book Family Devotions by Lauretta Marigny © 2008
I Don’t Know Him
Bible
Peter was a disciple of Jesus. At the Last Supper Jesus had told his disciples that they would all fall away from him. Peter said that even if everyone else left Jesus, he never would. Jesus told Peter that before the rooster crowed he would deny him—say he didn’t know him—three times. That same night Jesus was arrested and taken to a trial at the high priest’s house. Peter followed closely, but he was not allowed in the house. He stayed in the courtyard, where people were warming themselves around a fire.
Lk 22:55 But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. Lk 22:56-57 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
Lk 22:58-59 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
Lk 22:60-62 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Peter felt terrible about what he had done. He never got a chance to tell Jesus he was sorry.
When Jesus rose from the dead he took Peter alone on the beach. Jesus let Peter know that he was forgiven. If Jesus could forgive Peter after Peter disowned him, we can trust Jesus to forgive us too, when we have done wrong and we ask his forgiveness.
