Matthew 26:69-75is aboutPeter denied Jesus.
Peter denied Jesus three times as follows:
Matthew 26:69-70
26:69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
26:70 But he denied it before themall, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
Jesus was raised in Galilee. Peter was also a fisherman in Galilee.
Matthew 4:18-20
4:18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
4:19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
4:20 They immediately left theirnets and followed Him.
In Galilee, Peter received call from God from fisherman to become fisher of man, to become God’s servant.
Peter denied Jesus of Galilee means Peter denied the calling and election of God.
God calls and elects us to become priest and king, that is:
1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The calling and election of God equal to full rights to enter the eternal kingdom of Heaven.
For one who has not served God, he must pray in order to receive the calling and election of God.
For one who has served God, he must pray such that the calling and election of God are sure, until we enter the eternal kingdom of Heaven.
The requirements such that the calling and election of God are sure, are as follows:
Peter denied Jesus three times as follows:
- Verse 69-70: Peter denied Jesus of Galilee.
- Verse 71-72: Peter denied Jesus of Nazareth.
- Verse 73-75: Peter denied Jesus even cursed and swore.
Matthew 26:69-70
26:69 Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
26:70 But he denied it before themall, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
Jesus was raised in Galilee. Peter was also a fisherman in Galilee.
Matthew 4:18-20
4:18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
4:19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
4:20 They immediately left theirnets and followed Him.
In Galilee, Peter received call from God from fisherman to become fisher of man, to become God’s servant.
Peter denied Jesus of Galilee means Peter denied the calling and election of God.
God calls and elects us to become priest and king, that is:
- one who is holy,
- one who holds the ministry,
- one who ministers and serves God.
1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
1:11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The calling and election of God equal to full rights to enter the eternal kingdom of Heaven.
For one who has not served God, he must pray in order to receive the calling and election of God.
For one who has served God, he must pray such that the calling and election of God are sure, until we enter the eternal kingdom of Heaven.
The requirements such that the calling and election of God are sure, are as follows:
- Never stumbling in the calling and election of God.
2 Peter 1:10
1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
Stumbling means being unfaithful until leaving the ministry because of ‘something’ in this world. ‘Something’ can be our own self, children or parents, husband or wife, work, etc.
If we stumble, it means we lose the full right to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Be careful such that we are not only fervent in spirit previously, but then we stumble in front of the door.
Acts 20:19-20,24
20:19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;
20:20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,
20:24 But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul the apostle did not count everything in this world, including his life, to be able to serve God according to the ministry given by God, until he finished the race (until we die or until Jesus’ second coming).
2 Timothy 4:7-8
4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
If we keep the faith, we are faithful to the true teaching Word, we are faithful to the ministry until we finish the race, we will receive the crown of righteousness to welcome Jesus’ second coming. - Do not blind spiritually.
2 Peter 1:9
1:9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
The first and second point is in sequence. Blind people will easily stumble.
Blind spiritually means forgetting forgiveness, repeating the sins until being bound by sins.
Revelation 21:8
21:8 But (1) the cowardly, (2) unbelieving, (3) abominable, (4) murderers, (5) sexually immoral, (6) sorcerers, (7) idolaters, and all (8) liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
These eight sins make us blind spiritually and will lead us to the hell. The closure of sins is lie.- The cowardly, that is fear to sacrifice for God.
Abraham had fear of Lord and he did not fear to sacrifice anything for God, including sacrificing Isaac. - Unbelieving, being doubtful.
- Abominable.
- Murderers, which equals to hatred without any reasons.
- Sexually immoral.
- Sorcerers, prophesy, wizard.
- Idolaters, that is everything which prevents us to obey and love God.
- Liars.
When there is still lie, another seven sins will remain. But when we do not lie, all these seven sins are purified by God little by little.
Romans 6:18
6:18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
If we have been separated from these eight sins and the false teaching, we will live in truth and sincerity, as eight people who were inside the ark of Noah. We are separated and enclosed by God.
The border of our life is righteousness and purity.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8
5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.
5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened breadof sincerity and truth.
If we live in truth and sincerity, we will live in the ambience of feast in Heaven. Since Adam and Eve fell into sins, men have lived in curse. Until the whole world is judged by the floodwaters, there were only eight people inside the ark of Noah who had the ambience of feast. - The cowardly, that is fear to sacrifice for God.
- We must enter the ministry of building body of Christ.
2 Peter 1:3-8
1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertainto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that isin the world through lust.
1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith (1) virtue, to virtue (2) knowledge,
1:6 to knowledge (3) self-control, to self-control (4) perseverance, to perseverance (5) godliness,
1:7 to godliness (6) brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness (7) love.
1:8 For if these things are yours and abound, youwill be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The body of Christ is started from within marriage. We have to serve our best within marriage. It is continued by ministry within shepherding, ministry in the fellowship between shepherding, up to the unity of the perfect body of Christ between Israelites and Gentiles.
The foundation of ministry is the true and firm faith. In Tabernacle, this denotes the Gate.
Romans 10:17
10:17 So then faith comesby hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The true faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
If we are wrong in hearing the Word, it equals to entering the wrong gate.
Proverbs 9:19:1 Wisdom has built her house,?She has hewn out her seven pillars;
On the top of true and firm faith, we build seven pillars, those are:- Virtue.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the Altar of Burnt Offerings.
It means that the first virtue deed waited by God is repentance. Just after repenting, we can do good things. All good deeds without repentance are in vain and perdition. - Knowledge.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the Brazen Laver.
Philippians 3:10-11
3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
3:11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Knowing Jesus who has died, risen, and been glorified is through water baptism.
Life who has died from sins must be baptized to rise in new life, that is life in righteousness. - Self-control.
In Tabernacle, this denotes the door of Tabernacle, that is the fullness of Holy Spirit.
Only Holy Spirit who can make us control the flesh with all its desire, such that we may live in truth and sincerity.
The fourth and fifth pillars are combined. - Perseverance.
- Godliness.
Godliness is ministering, that is perseverance in three main services in the shepherding, those are:- Golden Candlestick, that is perseverance in General Service.
- Table of Showbread, that is perseverance in Bible Study Service and Holy Communion.
- The Golden Altar of Incense, that is perseverance in Prayer Service.
10:36 For you have need of endurance,so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
10:37 “For yet a little while,?AndHe who is coming will come and will not tarry.
We have many needs, but our importance is perseverance. Within perseverance, all our needs are included. - Golden Candlestick, that is perseverance in General Service.
- Brotherly kindness, that is loving the others as ourselves, do not harm the others, do not slander the others.
- Love to all people, until we can love the others who hate us, we can pray for them.
Loving God more than everything is being obedient whatever the risk. And God will love us more than everything. God will struggle for our life until He dies on the cross.
Exodus 3:7-8
3:7 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who arein Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
3:8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
God cares us up to our deepest feeling. God will make everything easy and light.
Job 31:4
31:4 Does He not see my ways,?And count all my steps?
God cares all our steps, all our heartbeat. Every step of our life is miraculous step.
Romans 10:15
10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,?Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
God guarantees beautiful and joyful future.
Matthew 10:30
10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Jesus as the Head cares our life from the top of our head to the sole of our feet, even to our deepest feeling. The very hairs of our head will not be let fall. It means that God struggles and cares our life who has no power as one hair, until our life fully enters the New Jerusalem. - Virtue.