Theme: The Easter Story

Reading: Matthew 26:69-75

Peter Is Afraid to Say He Knows Jesus

⁶⁹ While Peter was sitting outside in the yard, a servant girl came up to him. She said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Galilee.”

⁷⁰ But Peter told everyone there that this was not true. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he left the yard. At the gate another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² Again, Peter said he was never with Jesus. He said, “I swear to God I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ A short time later those standing there went to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. It’s clear from the way you talk.”

⁷⁴ Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear to God, I don’t know the man!” As soon as he said this, a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then he remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.

 

Prayer for the week:

Psalm 139

   Lord, you have tested me,
    so you know all about me.
² You know when I sit down and when I get up.
    You know my thoughts from far away.
³ You know where I go and where I lie down.
    You know everything I do.
⁴ Lord, you know what I want to say,
    even before the words leave my mouth.
⁵ You are all around me—in front of me and behind me.
    I feel your hand on my shoulder.
⁶ I am amazed at what you know;
    it is too much for me to understand.
⁷ Your Spirit is everywhere I go.
    I cannot escape your presence.
⁸ If I go up to heaven, you will be there.
    If I go down to the place of death, you will be there.
⁹ If I go east where the sun rises
    or go to live in the west beyond the sea,
¹⁰ even there you will take my hand and lead me.
    Your strong right hand will protect me.

¹¹ Suppose I wanted to hide from you and said,
    “Surely the darkness will hide me.
    The day will change to night and cover me.”
¹² Even the darkness is not dark to you.
    The night is as bright as the day.
    Darkness and light are the same.
¹³ You formed the way I think and feel.
    You put me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way.
    I know how amazing that was!

¹⁵ You could see my bones grow as my body took shape,
    hidden in my mother’s womb.
¹⁶ You could see my body grow each passing day.
    You listed all my parts, and not one of them was missing.
¹⁷ Your thoughts are beyond my understanding.
    They cannot be measured!
¹⁸ If I could count them, they would be more than all the grains of sand.
    But when I finished, I would have just begun.

¹⁹ You murderers, get away from me!
    God, kill those wicked people—
²⁰ those who say bad things about you.
    Your enemies use your name falsely.
²¹ Lord, I hate those who hate you.
    I hate those who are against you.
²² I hate them completely!
    Your enemies are also my enemies.
²³ God, examine me and know my mind.
    Test me and know all my worries.
²⁴ Make sure that I am not going the wrong way.
    Lead me on the path that has always been right.

 

Song for the week: It's A New Day