Mark 14:66-72 The cock crows
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: April 23, 2018, Mark 14:66-72
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s servant girls came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she glared at him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus from Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know—or even understand—what you’re talking about!” Then he went out into the entryway. Just then a rooster crowed. The servant girl saw him and again told those who were standing around, “This man is one of them!” Again he denied it. After a little while the people who were standing there began to say to Peter again, “Obviously you’re one of them, because you are a Galilean!” Then he began to invoke a divine curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” Just then a rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered that Jesus told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” Then he broke down and cried.
(Understanding the Text) Here is where it is pretty obvious that Peter told this story to Mark many times. Peter was warming himself by the fire and the servant girl was actually glaring at Peter. Actually, after comparing verses, I think stare is a better word. According to Strong’s, the Greek word is “em-blep’-o . . . to look on, that is, (relatively) to observe fixedly, or (absolutely) to discern clearly: – behold, gaze up, look upon, (could) see.” There is the idea that she was focusing in on him with her eyes and recognizing him. I do not know if it is significant, but several versions say “also” or “too” which implies to me that they already knew that John was with Jesus. Either John was well known to them as a follower or he had self-identified himself as a disciple when he came in, but Peter thought that he could hide who he was. Trying to blend in was useless because the truth is that when we belong to Jesus, we cannot hide it. If we can, then we have not allowed ourselves to love Him nor allowed His love to abide in us.
It had been a long scary night for Peter. During the day, he had been busy preparing the Passover meal. During the meal, he had been disappointed about the seating and worried about Jesus talking about a traitor. Then, Jesus had acted like Peter himself was not loyal. In the garden, he had been worried as he watched something terrible happening to his Master. He had slept but not restfully as Jesus kept waking him up and warning him to pray. He had woken to fear hearing his Master saying that the betrayer had come. He had come out fighting with his sword only to be halted by his Master’s voice. Then, he had run in fear when the soldiers tried to capture him. When he had eluded the soldiers, he had circled around with John to follow but had been too slow to catch up when they reached the gate. John had scurried forward in his quick way and slipped in behind the soldiers. Peter had been outside the gate trying to figure out how to get in when it opened and John motioned for him to enter. Once inside, Peter had not joined John, but had instead slipped over to the fire trying to blend in. His adrenaline rush was declining and shock was settling in. With it came chills, and he could not seem to get warm. As he listened to the trial of his Master, it seemed that he was in a nightmare that would never end. He was without any mooring as his trust in his Master’s safety and guidance was pulled out from under him. In this state, he reverted back to the old ways of handling problems-push your way through and use loudness to overpower objections, but it did not seem to be working with this servant girl. With each accusation, he reverted more to his old ways until he heard himself swearing by the Father in heaven that he did not know his Master. The next sound that he heard was the rooster crowing for a second time and suddenly what he had been doing was brought full force to him. He saw Jesus turn and look at him with love and forgiveness in His eyes, and it was too much. He was already in the entryway, so he opened the gate and rushed outside. When he stopped running, he simply slumped down where he was and cried.
He cried for his lost dreams. He cried for his beloved Master’s humiliation, but most of all he cried because he had failed his Master when it counted. He cried for himself, and he cried for Jesus. He cried because he was lost and without any of the self protections he had developed over the years. The nightmare had still not ended, but now he was not just in a nightmare; he was one of the monsters; he had become the nightmare.
(Application / Revelation of God) My application for myself is that even when it appears to me that Jesus has failed me, He has not. I need to be like John never denying who I am and who my Master is, but I also need to be like Peter who even when he was broken and crying, somewhere in his heart still knew that his Master loved him and forgave him. I need to know that even when the nightmare surrounds me, my Master is worthy and beloved by me. I need to know that even when darkness overcomes me, my Master still loves me, and His love surrounds me to cushion me from the world. The adrenaline may flow; I may be terrified; I may be exhausted and hurt, but my Master loves me.
(Prayer) You love me. I’m messed up and unlovable, yet You love me. I’m stubborn and rebellious, and that does not stop You from wanting me near You. I want to give all of me to You, but my nature keeps pulling me away. Always, keep drawing me nearer and nearer to You so that one day, I will trust You even when You seem powerless to help me in my nightmares. Help me to look beyond the darkness to see the truth of Your caring and strength. Teach me to trust in Your love and help for me.