“And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, ‘This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.’ And again he denied it with an oath: ‘I do not know the man.'” – Matthew 26:71-72
What would it take for you to act like you “do not know the man”? At work? At school? With friends? With family? As traditional, orthodox Christianity becomes less and less socially acceptable, these questions will matter more and more. We praise Jesus loud and proud on Sunday morning, but are we clear to everyone around us that we know Jesus every other day and in every other place?
How much pressure, and of what sort, would it take for you to say that “you don’t know the man”? Never assume it couldn’t happen to you! Peter broke because of fear and so could we. If we never think about it, we’re unlikely to withstand the pressure when it comes.
So what would be most likely to get you to claim you don’t know Jesus? Would it be the threat of your reputation being destroyed for knowing Jesus? Losing your career or business? Financial ruin? Losing your home? The loss of close friendships? The end of your marriage? Family strife? Imprisonment? Torture? Death?
Where do you see pressure to deny Christ being irrelevant and where do you see yourself being vulnerable? Ask God to reveal this to you and to strengthen you in those vulnerable areas. Ask God to help you love Jesus more than those precious things. Even if the pressure never comes, your faith and love for Christ will be stronger for having thought and prayed through these questions.