Did the Apostle Peter boast too much before his denial of Christ?

This is an interesting question to consider. I don’t know if I would call Peter’s responses to Jesus boasting. I think he thought he could handle whatever was in front of him. But on the night when Jesus was arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin Peter got cold feet.

All of a sudden it became real. The possibility Jesus was going to the cross became more and more likely with every passing hour that Thursday night into Friday. Peter may have made commitments he didn’t realize he couldn’t keep.

Many of us have no idea how we would handle persecution when it comes upon us. We may think we are brave and faithful but when the moment comes we will definitely be afraid and consider another way out.

Peter made commitments he didn’t realize at the time he could not keep. I don’t think it’s really boasting. I think he had a desire to be with Jesus no matter what happened. They may have been statements made out of faith rather than pride.

I’d like to give Peter the benefit of the doubt here. He was clearly distraught after he denied Jesus three times at night. It took Jesus reaffirming him three times at the end of the Gospel of John to make enough of an impact that Peter stayed on course.

Jesus knew how Peter would react in the moment. He forgave Peter for his inability to follow through. Each of us could be in the same spot depending on how much we suffer in our trials. We are all human and we get weak when the moment comes upon us.

I want to know that Jesus has mercy on me if I failed to measure up to what I think I can do. I may speak out of faith, expecting I can handle whatever comes my way with his help. But I am only human and I don’t always measure up. Peter was the same way. We all are.

Image by Günther Simmermacher from Pixabay