Someone said to me yesterday that Peter is great
He said that he got his act together after Jesus died
and after he had denied Jesus
and then went on to become great
Not exactly
We can do nothing without Him
Peter denied the Lord because he was leaning on his own strength
If we think for one second we can be righteous
or stand up for Him without His strength, we are sorely mistaken
We can do nothing without Him
This sentence hits a nerve
We are not used to thinking this way
I am the vine, ye are the branches:
He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit:
for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:5
This is a realization that confuses many preachers of the gospel
and those who claim to follow Jesus the Christ
They try in their human strength to do what is good and right
Peter was already great in his humanness
Jesus had seen that the Father revealed
the Mystery of Who Jesus really was
Peter was not great because of what he had done
but because the Lord opened the eyes of his understanding
The only reason he saw who Jesus was was because God opened his eyes
Then Jesus said to Peter, upon this rock shall I build my church
and the gates of Hell shall not prevail
The rock was the revelation of who Christ was
The church was not built upon Peter,
but rather the revelation that Peter had received
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples, saying,
Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist:
some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him,
Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee,
but my Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee,
That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven:
and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:13-19
Once you know Who Christ is, you cannot look away
Peter was able to continue following the Lord
after he had denied him thrice
because Jesus said He will send His Holy Spirit
and He will lead us and guide us into all truth
He sent His Holy Spirit for all of us who would receive Him
The Holy Spirit helped Peter to follow Jesus regardless of his fleshly failings
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you;
but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me
John 16:7-9
Jesus continued to speak of the Holy Spirit:
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will shew you things to come.
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine,
and shall shew it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I,
that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
John 16:13-15
The Holy Spirit is a part of God and has all the attributes of God,
He leads us and guides us into all truth
Without Him, we can do nothing
that counts for the Kingdom and Eternity
I suspect as the days go on and The End draws near,
we will need the Holy Spirit in a greater way
I believe He is the oil that is represented in the Parable of the 10 Virgins
We must keep our lamps filled with oil
In other words, do everything we can to learn of Jesus
and His word and let His Holy Spirit teach us and guide us,
spend the necessary time with Him
to allow Him to do the needed work in our lives
so we can stand strong in the Evil Day
The night is coming when no many can work
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day:
the night cometh, when no man can work. John 9:4
Scriptural References:
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made,
Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise,
Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
But the wise answered, saying,
Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:
but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;
and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage:
and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying,
Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said,
Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour
wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:1-13