Key Passage
The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the high priest. All the leading priests, the older Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the law were gathered there. Peter followed Jesus, but he did not come near Jesus. Peter followed Jesus to the yard of the high priest's house. Peter went into the yard. Peter was sitting there with the guards. He was warming himself by their fire.
— Mark 14:53-54 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus was brought before the leaders of the Jewish people, but the leader of his followers stood at a cowardly distance sneaking around trying to watch the proceedings. While Jesus faced the cold ridicule of those in power, Jesus' self-proclaimed loyal follower warmed himself at a fire in the company of those put in charge of the Son of God's torture. While it all seems so despicable from the safety of our distance of two thousand years, if we are honest, most of us have done the same thing. When Jesus, his cause, or his Kingdom is maligned, we pull back from the discussion, hang back, and try to be unnoticeable.
Prayer
Father, give me wisdom to know how to stand up for your Truth, your Son, and your will without totally alienating me from others. Also, dear Father, help me to never back down in my spoken faith because I am afraid. I want to be wise and courageous in my loyalty to your Son. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
Then Jesus called the people to him. His followers were also there. Then Jesus said, "If any person wants to follow me, he must say 'No' to the things he wants. That person must accept the cross (suffering) that is given to him, and he must follow me. The person that wants to save his life will lose it. And every person that gives his life for me and for the Good News will save his life forever. It is worth nothing for a person to have the whole world, if he loses his soul {in hell}. A person could never pay enough to buy back his soul.
— Mark 8:34-37
I am proud of the Good News. The Good News is the power God uses to save every person that believes—to save the Jews first, and also to save the non-Jews. The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself. God's way of making people right begins and ends with faith. Like the Scripture says, "The person that is right with God by faith will live forever."
— Romans 1:16-17
And I suffer now because I tell that Good News. But I am not ashamed. I know the One (Jesus) that I have believed. I am sure that he is able to protect the things that he has trusted me with until that Day.
— 2 Timothy 1:12
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