Matthew 26:69-75is about Peter denied Jesus.
Peter denied Jesus three times as follows.
Matthew 26:73-75
26:73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."
26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.
26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.
Cursing means traducing, despising, slandering God and other people. It means being in the curse and the ambience of thorns, referring to sorrows and tears. Continuing in it, one will perish forever.
Galatians 3:13-14
3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Actually, Jesus has been willing to offer Himself to the point of death to bear all curses of sin, to deliver us from the curses, so we can be in the blessing of Abraham as follows.
Matthew 16:21-23
16:21. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Peter used his human logic so he rejected the cross and became same as Satan. Cosequently, he became stumbling-block for other people and he easily stumbled.
Mark 9:42
9:42 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
The consequence of being stumbling-block is a millstone are hung around neck and he is thrown down into the sea as follows.
Peter denied Jesus three times as follows.
- [Verse 69-70] Peter denied Jesus of Galilea. It refers to denial to the calling and election of God.
- [Verse 71-72] Peter denied Jesus of Nazaret. It equals to denial to the true teaching Word and the true shepherding.
- [Verse 73-75] Peter denied Jesus with swearing and cursing.
Matthew 26:73-75
26:73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, "Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you."
26:74 Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed.
26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.
Cursing means traducing, despising, slandering God and other people. It means being in the curse and the ambience of thorns, referring to sorrows and tears. Continuing in it, one will perish forever.
Galatians 3:13-14
3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),
3:14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Actually, Jesus has been willing to offer Himself to the point of death to bear all curses of sin, to deliver us from the curses, so we can be in the blessing of Abraham as follows.
- Blessings up to our descendants.
- The anointing of Holy Spirit to make us peaceful in heavenly joy nothing may influence.
Matthew 16:21-23
16:21. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
16:22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!"
16:23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
Peter used his human logic so he rejected the cross and became same as Satan. Cosequently, he became stumbling-block for other people and he easily stumbled.
Mark 9:42
9:42 "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.
The consequence of being stumbling-block is a millstone are hung around neck and he is thrown down into the sea as follows.
- Being weary and heavy laden in life.
Lamentation 5:13
5:13 Young men ground at the millstones; Boys staggered under loads of wood.
One enters the spiritual famine up to the time when antichrist reigns over the world. - There is no sure direction because the millstone only spins.
Meaning there is no beautiful future life or sure direction to New Jerusalem. - Sinning in the sins of Babylon.
Revelation 18:21
18:21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
It is the sins concerning eating-drinking, including smoking, being drunk, and drugs abuse and the sins concerning marrying-being given marriage, including sexuality sins with all its varieties, sexual deception, and false marriage.
Consequently, one enters the sea of fire and brimstone to perish forever.
- Rebellion.
Ezekiel 18:30-32
18:30. "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.
18:31 "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?
18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"
The practice is as follows.- Disobedience to the true teching Word.
Ephesians 2:2
2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
We have to be obedient, beginning from physical parents, spiritual ones or our pastor, up to God. - Unfaithfulness in doing service and ministry, even leaving them.
Hebrews 10:25-27
10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
When yo have sin, do not throw away the ministry but you have to throw away the sin.
18:31 "Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel?
18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies," says the Lord GOD. "Therefore turn and live!"
We must have the renewal of heart and mindso that we do not become rebellious and we do not become stumbling-block.
The process is as follows.- Repenting, confessing sins to God and other people. After being forgiven, do not sin anymore. It equals to salvation. Repentance equals to salvation.
Ezekiel 18:21-22, 24
18:21. "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
18:22 "None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live.
18:24 "But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die.
Sinful people who repent will be saved, no matter how unclean and wicked they are.
On the contrary, the righteous person who sins and does not want to repent will lose his salvation. - Water baptism.
1 Peter 3:20-21
3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us––baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Water baptism is the renewal of heart from bad heart ,which naturally tends to be wicked to good conscience, which is faithful and obedient. It equals to entering Noah’s ark and being saved. There is only one true water baptism according to Bible.
Entering the ark of Noah equals to entering the true shepherding. Be alert of false shepherding.
The true shepherding is based on the true teaching. We are shepherded to the true teaching Word as a branch that attains to the True Vine.
We are shepherded in the true shepherding through entering the true sheepfold, namely Holy Place. There are three equipments referring to three main services as follows.- Golden Candlestick: perseverance in doing General Service.
- Table of Showbread: perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion.
- Golden Altar of Incense: perseverance in doing Prayer Service.
21:12 'nor shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.
We are sanctified and anointed by Holy Spirit in the Holy Place or the sheepfold, so we are equipped with ministry and the gifts of Holy Spirit. In addition, we are lifted up as priests and kings. We become living stones.
One will become dry and unholy little by little if he is outside the Holy Place.
Ephesians 4:11-12
4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Priests and kings are ones who are specialized as the apple of God’s eye.
The result is as follows.- We are employed in the building of perfect Christ’s body.
- We are preserved and protected by God. We live nly by His grace.
Daniel 6:20-23
6:20 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.
6:21 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?"
6:22 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!
6:23 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you."
It continued until Daniel was lifted up in high position. He could glorify God and He gave him beautiful future life. - Golden Candlestick: perseverance in doing General Service.
- Disobedience to the true teching Word.
- Physical gold and silver or wealth.
Ezekiel 7:19-20
7:19 ‘They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the LORD; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.
7:20 ‘As for the beauty of his ornaments, He set it in majesty; But they made from it The images of their abominations––Their detestable things; Therefore I have made it Like refuse to them.
Physical wealth becomes stumbling-block if we misuse the blessing of God. The practice is as follows.- Using the blessing of God for our self –interest. It is egoism as a goat has. One does not remember the need of the other members of the body of Christ. It begins from household up to shepherding.
- Being stingy and greedy.
Being stingy means one cannot give.
Being greedy means seizing the possession of other people.
Revelation 21:8
21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Idolatry will cause perdition.
Malachi 3:1-3
3:1. "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts.
3:2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap.
3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.
To get the spiritual silver and gold, a priest must be sanctified by the fuller’s soap and the refiner’s fire. They refer to the hard true teaching Word preached repetitively or shepherding Word. It is as the repeated crowing of a rooster.
Peter should have perished but he could be helped because of hearing the crowing of rooster.
Whatever our sin and failure are, we can still be helped if we want to hear the shepherding Word.
The fuller’s soap is used to cleanse the tunic of ministry (outside part), referring to our saying and deeds until our tongue can be as choice silver to say “yes” if “yes” and “no” if “no.” If our saying is true, our deeds will be true also.
Proverbs 10:20
10:20. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; The heart of the wicked is worth little.
Peter denied Jesus until he swore and cursed. His saying was not righteous. It equals to nakedness. We are in nakedness if we still lie and slander.
The refiner’s fire is to sanctify our inside part until we can result in spiritual gold, meaning gentleness and quietness.
1 Peter 3:3-4
3:3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward––arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel––
3:4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
Gentleness is the ability to receive the teaching Word no matter how hard it is. It is also the ability to forgive other people.
Quietness means being in silence, not commenting too much but being obedient.
Haggai 2:7-8
2:7 ‘and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.
2:8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.
We will get these results if we have the spiritual silver and gold.- We will be employed in the building of Christ’s perfect body although we are in crise. God allows us to be in the crise so that we do not hope in others but only in Him.
- We become the possession of God nothing may charge against.
- Using the blessing of God for our self –interest. It is egoism as a goat has. One does not remember the need of the other members of the body of Christ. It begins from household up to shepherding.
- Food, drink, clothes, et cetera.
Romans 14:17-21
14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
14:18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
14:20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
14:21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
1 Corinthians 8:8-13
8:8 But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.
8:9 But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak.
8:10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?
8:11 And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
8:12 But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.
8:13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Food, drink, clothes, et cetera have nothing to do with heavenly kingdom. They cannot make us near to heavenly kingdom although there is liberty about them. In addition, they often make us sin to God and other people.
The solution is through experiencing the sprinkling of blood or suffering without any sin.
For example, Paul did not want to eat meat anymore in order not to become stumbling-block.
We have to be alert about the permitted things, in order not to become stumbling-block. Moreover, we have to be alert about the forbidden ones. For example, woman should not wear man’s clothes in the service to God, and man should not have long hair, et cetera.
We must try to correct ourselves, beginning from the little things.
John 6:55
6:55 "For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
Jesus experiences the sprinkling of blood. He is willing to die on the cross so that His body and blood become the real food and drink.
1 Corinthians 10:16
10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
We receive the real food and drink through Holy Communion. The result is as follows.- We have a real satisfaction.
- We get the sprinkling of blood or suffering in the flesh, so we can change from carnal men to spiritual ones as Jesus is.
We have life renewal until we become precious stones in New Jerusalem.
Revelation 21:11
21:11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
We become jasper stone and clear crystal, meaning we are faithful, fervent in spirit, and honest.
It continues until we become as glorious as Jesus is when He comes a second time. - We become one in one body to enter the oneness of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:17
10:17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. - We become one with God as the body with its Head.
John 6:56
6:56 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
Jesus as our Head has been responsible for us, His body, until He dies on the cross in Golgotha, the place of skull.
We, the body of Christ, must believe and entrust ourselves fully to God.
1 Samuel 30:6
30:6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
When we are pressed without any way out, we have to strengthen ourselves in the Lord, and He will help us.
We strengthen ourselves in the Lord through the Holy Communion and God pours His mercy to us. The faith added with the mercy will result in miracle and God heals our life.
- We have a real satisfaction.