Matthew 26:67

 Matthew 26:67 says, Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,  The people who had recently welcomed Jesus into the city now began to beat Him and spit on Him.  People too often claim to accept Jesus as their Savior, and when He doesn't turn out to be everything that they hoped for, they turn their back on Him.  Verse sixty-eight adds, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?  Not only did the people physically abuse Jesus, they began to mock Him, implying that when He had been prophesying that He had not been telling the truth.  We can either accept what Jesus said as the truth, or we in effect are mocking His word.  Verse sixty-nine declares, Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.  Peter was now sitting outside the palace when a young woman stated that he had been with Jesus.  After we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord today, would people be able to tell by the way that we live our life that we have been with Jesus?   Verse seventy says, But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.  Peter made his first denial of Jesus, telling the young woman that she did not know what she was talking about. Verse seventy-one adds, And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.  Peter moved physically a little  farther away from Jesus, and was once again accused of having been with Jesus.  It was not the physical distance that was the problem, but the spiritual one that was.  Verse seventy-two adds, And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.  Peter denied Jesus for the second time, this time a little more firmly than the first.  Sometimes, if we begin to deny Jesus, our denials may become even more emphatic if we have not known Him spiritually as our Savior and Lord.  Verse seventy-three declares, And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee.  Though Peter had attempted to further distance himself from Jesus, he was accused for the third time of having been with Jesus, and was told that his speech betrayed him.  Peter's physical speech may have identified him as a follower of Christ, just as a persons words today may, but like Peter at that point, they may not have accepted Jesus spiritually.  Verse seventy-four adds, Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.  For the third time. Peter denied knowing Jesus, this time cursing and swearing as he did so.  Immediately, the cock crowed.  Verse seventy-five proclaims, And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.  Peter had evidently been so focused on himself that he had forgotten what Jesus had told him was going to happen, but when the cock crowed, he remembered and wept bitterly.  When we finally accept Jesus. we should weep bitterly at the fact that we had denied Him before.