Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy God and Father, please don't let my sin steal my faith away from your transforming power and grace. I believe that you can remake me and empower me beyond my failures and my moments of unfaithfulness. Grow me and mature me so that those moments occur less and less frequently. Raise me up to be your loyal, useful, righteous, and faithful servant. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Then the soldiers with their commander and the Jewish guards arrested Jesus. They tied Jesus and brought him to Annas. Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas. Caiaphas was the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders that it would be better if one man died for all the people. Simon Peter and another one of Jesus' followers went with Jesus. This follower knew the high priest. So he went with Jesus into the yard of the high priest's house. But Peter waited outside near the door. The follower that knew the high priest came back outside. He spoke to the girl that opened the gate for people. Then he brought Peter inside. The girl at the gate said to Peter, "Are you also one of the followers of that man (Jesus)?" Peter answered, "No, I am not!" It was cold, so the servants and guards had built a fire. They were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter was standing with these men. The high priest asked Jesus questions about his followers. He asked Jesus questions about the things Jesus taught. Jesus answered, "I have always spoken openly to all people. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple area. All the Jews come together there. I never said anything in secret. So why do you question me? Ask the people that heard my teaching. They know what I said." When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing there hit him. The guard said, "You should not talk to the high priest like that!" Jesus answered, "If I said something wrong, then tell everyone here what was wrong. But if the things I said are right, then why do you hit me?" So Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas the high priest. Jesus was still tied. Simon Peter was standing {at the fire}, keeping himself warm. The other men said to Peter, "Are you one of the followers of that man (Jesus)?" But Peter denied it. He said, "No, I am not." One of the servants of the high priest was there. This servant was a relative to the man whose ear Peter had cut off. The servant said,"I think I saw you with him (Jesus) in the garden!" But again Peter said, "No, I was not with him!" And at that same time a rooster crowed.

Related Scripture Readings

Christ died for us while we were still weak people. We were living against God, but at the right time, Christ died for us. Very few people will die to save the life of another person, even if that other person is a good person. If the person is a very good person, then someone might be willing to die for that person. But Christ died for us while we were still sinners. In that way God showed us that he loves us very much. We have been made right with God by Christ's blood (death). So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's anger. I mean that while we were God's enemies, God made friends with us through the death of his Son. So surely, now that we are God's friends, God will save us through his Son's life. And not only will we be saved, but we are also very happy now. We are happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of Jesus that we are now God's friends.

My brothers and sisters, one of you may wander away from the truth. And another person may help him come back to the truth. Remember this: Any person who brings a sinner back from the wrong way will save that sinner from death (hell). By doing this, that person will cause many sins to be forgiven.

Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles. He spoke loudly so that all the people could hear. He said, "My Jewish brothers and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me. I will tell you something you need to know. Listen carefully. "So, all the Jewish people should know this truly: God has made Jesus to be Lord and Christ. He is the man you nailed to the cross!" When the people heard this, they felt very, very sorry. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter said to them, "Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God will forgive your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you. It is also for your children and for the people that are far away. It is for every person that the Lord our God calls to himself." Peter warned them with many other words; he begged them, "Save yourselves from the evil of the people that live now!" Then those people who accepted (believed) what Peter said were baptized. On that day about 3,000 people were added to the group of believers.