Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me.” (Matthew 26:31) Jesus warned His disciples that, in the chaos surrounding His betrayal and execution, they would 26:33). Yet we know he ended up denying that he even knew Jesus. If that can happen to Jesus’ first century disciples, who personally witnessed His miracles and His ministry and His character, what does that mean for us? Research from the Pew Foundation indicates that in 2007, 78 percent of Americans claimed to be Christian. Just seven years later, that percentage dropped to 70 percent. In that same period, those claiming to be unaffiliated rose from 16 percent to 23 percent. Our culture is experiencing seismic shifts that can be traced to a variety of reasons. But the reality is, a week doesn’t go by without my hearing about some man who fell away from his Christian faith. No one plans to have a crisis of faith, but it happens. In our own strength, all of us are susceptible. 46 Monday—December 4•No One Thinks He Will Fall Away all “fall away.” Peter responded, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matthew Tuesday—December 5•Spirit Is Willing / Flesh Is Weak “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) Jesus told His disciples they would all fall away from Him in the confusion and disillusionment surrounding His trial and crucifixion. If you read Matthew 26, you’ll find that Peter rejected that possibility, and so did all the other disciples. Then they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, and when Judas arrived with soldiers to arrest Jesus, the Gospel notes that “all the disciples deserted” Jesus (Matthew 26: 56). In between those two events, Jesus asked His disciples to pray for strength in the face of great temptation. Jesus lived with them for more than three years. He knew their human weakness. Jesus told them, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Most of us associate falling away with some horrible sin, like idolatry or sexual immorality. I propose these are not reasons why men fall away. Rather, these failures happen because men fell away. When we fail to remain alert to our enemy and to rely on Jesus’ supernatural power, we leave ourselves with no defense outside of the flesh. And as Jesus said, “The flesh is weak.” WEEK Week 9 Many years after these events recorded in Matthew 26, Peter wrote, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8–9). Explain how this warning might relate to Peter’s experience surrounding the events of Matthew 26. How does it reflect Jesus’ admonition to “watch and pray”? Daily Reading: Hosea 1:1–3:5, 1 John 5:1–21, Psalm 124:1–8, Proverbs 29:5–8 WEEK Week 9 In your own words, define what it means to “fall away” from faith. Daily Reading: Daniel 11:36–12:13, 1 John 4:1–21, Psalm 123:1–4, Proverbs 29:2–4
20514 Man in Mirror
To see the actual publication please follow the link above