John 18:25

John 18:25 says, And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself.  They said therefore unto him, Are not thou also one of His disciples?  He denied it and said, I am not.  Peter had moved away from the door of the palace where Jesus was taken to the fire to warm himself.  Peter may have been disappointed that Jesus wasn't fighting back.  He was ready to fight but not to ready to lay down his life for Jesus without trying to destroy those he saw as enemies.  We as followers of Christ may be ready to destroy His enemies physically, but we are called to love them.  This has not changed since Christ died on the cross.  Peter again denied being one of Jesus' disciples.  If we are confronted with a dangerous situation because we are followers of Christ, how will we react. Too often we deny, or at best just don't profess, being His followers if the situation just makes us uncomfortable.  Like Peter, we may look to our physical needs and deny our relationship to Christ.  Verse twenty-six adds, One of the servants of the high priest, being His kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the Garden with Him?  Peter had confronted the man with a sword and physically harmed him, but now he was confronted only with words.  We may stand the test during times of a threat, but if we are acting on our own power instead of God's, we may falter at the least of threat.  Sometimes it is easier to make what we see as a heroic stand than it is to follow in service to God daily.  Then verse twenty-seven adds, Peter then denied again, and immediately the cock crew. Peter had made a declaration of undying devotion to Jesus, but he was basing it on his own strength, still not understanding Who Jesus was.  If we make claims about our faith in God, it must be based on His strength and not our own.  Jesus told Peter he would deny him, and he did.  Unless we are fully committed to following Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, we too are in danger of denying Him, either by words or actions.