Three nails…

It had already been a long night.  The only place to be warm was near a fire someone had lit in the courtyard.  Peter could feel the darkness pressing in.  He could feel the cold on his back.  He could sense the danger.  They had taken his Lord away, but he needed to be close.  The firelight flickered on the faces of the people as they huddled close.  The wood crackled and sparked and the smoke wafted and drifted.  A short distance away was Jesus.  The guards had dragged him to the high priest.  Peter could see Him, but only just.  In the dimness he could see they had begun to beat Him.  The priests were questioning Him.  Others were talking about Him. They were telling lies!  Those things were not true!

But Peter could do nothing.

An open fire has a way of drifting you away.  Maybe Peter’s thoughts drifted back to better days.  Perhaps the words of the Lord echoed in his ears.  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”   He answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.   And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Out of the corner of his eye Peter could see he was being watched.  He tried to ignore the young girl.  He looked away, but her gaze followed.  Then she stood.  She walked around, peering into his fire lit face.  The light was dim and flickering, but the more she looked the more certain she was.  Peter tried to ignore her, but it was no good.  Her eyes widened and her head spun around toward the others.  Her hand stretched out and pointed at Peter, “This man was with Him!”

It’s funny isn’t it?  When the world closes in we change.  I guess its part of being a person - when the heat is turned up we find out who we really are.  “Woman, I don’t know him.”

Then the next voice came out of the flickering and flashing faces…  “You! You are also one of them!”  “Man I am not!”  Yes, Peter you are.  You can’t help it and you can’t hide it.  When you are one of His people can tell.  You are different.  You are set aside.  You don’t even have to open your mouth.  When you are one of, His people can tell.

Then even by his words he was recognised. “Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”  Yes, his words gave him away, because he spoke like Jesus spoke.  But it’s not who we are, where we are, what we are, or what we say that makes the difference.  It’s what happened next.

“Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”  Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.  What was Jesus thinking?  Was it to do with the nails? The first nail, “Woman, I don’t know him.” The second, “Man, I am not!”  The third, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”  These are the words and deeds of a lost and broken humanity.  Of everyone who has denied the existence of God, separated themself from His love, or forgotten His grace.  It’s the words and deeds of all of us that nailed Jesus to the cross. 

What was Jesus thinking?  Yes, I think it was to do with nails!  I think when Jesus turned to look at Peter He also turned to look at you and me, and He cried.  He cried tears of sorrow because He could see what we must go through, and He loves us so much He doesn’t want that to happen!  And He cried tears of joy, because He knew what the three nails really meant.

“I love you!”

“I forgive you!”

“I die… for you…”