John 18:18 “Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.”
Satan was after Peter. When you look at all of the gospel accounts of this time in the courtyard of the high priests, you discover that all of the denials of Peter occurred around the fire. It was cold and therefore a fire had been started in the courtyard. The slaves and the officers of the high priest, who were no doubt members of the arrest squad, with John and Peter, were warming themselves around the fire. The first to recognize him and question him was the slave-girl who was also the gate-keeper. Luke wrote, “a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, ‘This man was with Him too.’” Although John’s version of her question differs, there’s no reason not to believe she said both. One a question and another a statement. At some point Peter was standing with them, but perhaps feeling the stares of some of the slaves, must have stepped back and sat down.
Yes the fire was a source of warmth for Peter and the rest, but one can’t help wondering if Peter didn’t feel an internal heat from the temptations and the spirit of the prowling lion from hell. His love was certainly being tested by fire. We can expect the same in our daily walk with Jesus. As we follow Him, there will be times when He puts people in our paths that know that we are Christians and consider us to be threats to their world. We need to be ready with a well thought-out answer when someone questions or mocks us for following Jesus. Perhaps if Peter had prepared himself for such questioning, he would not have denied Jesus. As we love with Jesus, not everyone will receive us with open arms. After you finish listening to this live to love encouragement, I hope you’ll take a few minutes and think about what you would say if someone today confronted you with a negative attitude toward your faith and lifestyle. What would you say to express the love of Jesus? What will you say when the heat is on?
Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com
