John the apostle wrote how about Jesus, “Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Are not you also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not”, and in chapter eighteen and verse twenty-six of his book John shared how, “One of the servants of the high priest … said … Did not I see you in the garden with him?” where we read:
One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, said,
Did not I see you in the garden with him?
The verse reads, “One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, said, ...” John began with the words, “One of the servants” which means “a particular and certain one of the slaves, men of servile condition or bondmen” “of the high priest” or “belonging to the chief or principal priest”, “being his kinsman” which means “existing as the high priest's relative by blood or fellow countryman” “whose ear Peter cut off” or “whose physical ear Jesus' disciple Peter whose name means a little rock or stone amputated or mutilated”, “said” which means “uttered, declared, proclaimed and asked” the following question. John shared how a particular one of the men of servile condition to the “high priest” who was a close relation to him and whose “physical ear” “Peter” severed asked the following question of him.
The verse goes on to say, “... Did not I see you in the garden with him?” John continued with the words, “Did not I see you” or “didn't I, the servant, observe and notice you, Peter” “in the garden” which means “within the garden to which Jesus and His disciples resorted” “with him” or “alongside and by him, Jesus”. John shared how the “servant”, “Malchus” (See John 18:10), whose “ear” “Peter” cut off in the “garden of Gethsemane” questioned him about being there.
When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how this “servant” whose name was “Malchus” identified “Peter” as being with Jesus in the “garden”. If anyone could recognize “Peter”, it would certainly be the man whose physical “ear” was cut off. This was Peter's third opportunity to say he was Jesus' disciple, and we shall see how he “denies” Jesus again. Jesus knew “Peter” would fail at these chances to declare he was His disciple, and He continued on His path to the cross to pay for “Peter's” sin and the sins of the world. God knows the heart and mind of every person, and He knows their tendency to “deny” Him before others. He still paid the price of death for the sins of everybody upon the cross, and anyone who surrenders their life to Him will not only be forgiven for their sins, but also inherit everlasting life with God in Heaven. Those who are wise will put themselves in “Peter's” place and simply yield to Jesus who alone can save even those who previously “deny” Him.
Next time John shares how, “Peter then denied again”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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