Leviticus 14, Matthew 26:51-75 Key Verse: Matthew 26:75
In Peters life there was a slow, downward spiral, a regression from courage to cowardice. It
began with a denial, moved to a defense and concluded with a denial of a different kind.
Just prior to these verses is the boast of Peter, the one in which he denied that he would ever
deny Jesus.
Then came the scene in the garden. Judas arrived with a group of armed men. With characteristic
courage and impetuousness, Peter drew his sword and struck a man.
Peter then moved away from Jesus’ side to somewhere in the distance. He hung back, staying
just out of sight yet keeping everything in sight. His courage was waning. A servant girl and
another girl prompted the first two denials. The third denial in the crowd was inevitable.

In Peter’s actions there is a lesson: A step back from Jesus may lead to yet another. He did not go
immediately from courage to cowardice. It was a sequence of events.
Watch your every step. Stay close to Christ. When your step is away, make sure the next one is
back toward Jesus.
“Help me stay close to You, God, in private and in public. May I always be willing to say, ‘You
are my God.”
Woodrow Kroll & Tony Beckett
www.backtothebible.in