Matthew 26:31-35

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31 Then Jesus said* to them, ``You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, `I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.' 32 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee." 33 But Peter said to Him, ``Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.'' 34 Jesus said to him, ``Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.'' 35 Peter said* to Him, ``Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.'' All the disciples said the same thing too.

Well, the time has come for Jesus to be taken away to be sacrificed as the Lamb of God. He warns His disciples that this will prove to be most traumatic to them and they will fall away from Him for a time. Then He says BUT after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.

Jesus specifically warns Peter that he will deny Him 3 times "before a rooster crows." Peter protests that this won't be true of him, but that he will die with Jesus, if necessary! And the other disciple agreed with him.

When we look at this situation, we really don't think it applies to us. But it truly does! When it is clear that we're going to fail at something, we persistently try to show God and everyone else that we can do it. We tend to become defensive and deny any vulnerability. It's important to realize God doesn't allow anything in our lives unless it goes through His loving hands.

IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU, BUT HOW YOU HANDLE WHAT HAPPENS THAT COUNTS. This is not the time to either deny or wallow in your failure, but see it as a special graduate course from the Lord from which you will learn and grow significantly through it.

I like this saying, A SETBACK IS A SETUP FOR A COMEBACK!