April 3: Right Intentions
♫ Music:
Day 41 - Monday, April 3
Title: PETER DENIES CHRIST
Scripture #1: John 18:12–18
Then the guard, with their captain and the Jewish officers, took hold of Jesus and tied his hands together, and led him off to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year. Caiaphas was the man who advised the Jews, “that it would be a good thing that one man should die for the sake of the people.” Behind Jesus followed Simon Peter, and one other disciple who was known personally to the High Priest. He went in with Jesus into the High Priest’s courtyard, but Peter was left standing at the door outside. So this other disciple, who was acquainted with the High Priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter inside. The young woman at the door remarked to Peter, “Are you one of this man’s disciples, too?” “No, I am not,” retorted Peter.
In the courtyard, the servants and officers stood around a charcoal fire which they had made, for it was cold. They were warming themselves, and Peter stood there with them, keeping himself warm.
Scripture #2: John 18:25–27
In the meantime Simon Peter was still standing, keeping himself warm. Some of them said to him, “Surely you too are one of his disciples, aren’t you?” And he denied it and said, “No, I am not.”
Then one of the High Priest’s servants, a relation of the man (Malchus) whose ear Peter had cut off, remarked, “Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
And again Peter denied it. And immediately the cock crew.
Poetry & Poet:
“The Via Dolorosa”
by Michael Stalcup
Like Peter and like Satan we correct you
and let you know that there’s a better way:
a crown without the cross where they reject you,
an Easter with no Holy Saturday.
But you insist, so we, puffed up with pride,
all pledge to journey with you to the end,
in jail or death to suffer by your side.
And for a little while we pretend
until the rooster crows and we awake
to find that we’ve rejected you as well,
your Way of Suffering too much to take—
and so you walk alone. Three times you fell
beneath the ceaseless burden of our pride,
daring the death we said you shouldn’t have died.
RIGHT INTENTIONS
As someone who’s professed faith in Christ for more than three decades now, it’s still difficult to wrap my heart around the gospel reality that the road to glory is through suffering. Especially with the comforts of modern living, why wouldn’t anyone choose the path of least resistance?
Today’s passage is so important that it was included in all four Gospel accounts, and has been commonly utilized as an important lesson against abject fear. It has been used to inspire people to never disown Jesus so blatantly in the public sphere, especially from the criticism of strangers. But remember, Peter was the first disciple to recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Matt. 16:16), and he never intended to deny Jesus (John 13:36-38). It’s easy to criticize Peter in this situation, and if we consider the way the Romans responded to rebels, Peter’s self-protective posture might even be reasonable.
Peter’s fear and weakness are important aspects of this narrative, but I don’t think that captures what’s going on underneath. Peter thinks he knows better than Jesus, who should be putting on a crown without the cross. His denial is not that far off from Judas’ betrayal, as both did not seem to face the reality that Jesus’ way seems contradictory to all their expectations of a king. It’s this ceaseless burden of our pride that is underneath.
Denial is commonly seen as making intentional choices that oppose God, and it is that. However, denial is also rooted in choosing things for God that are not part of his will. Sometimes we think we know what God wants, and when we act accordingly, we’re actually actively denying him.
Artist Vincente Manansala’s depiction of a bright, light rooster juxtaposed with a dark, intense man rightly imagines our Bible passage today. When the rooster crows, Peter immediately realizes that Jesus’ words were always true (John 13:31-38), and even if he didn’t want His kingdom to be built through a cross, that was God’s will. Peter’s actions in our passage today were not isolated examples of denial, but they exposed the heart of denial he’s been living in.
Take a few minutes meditating with our song today. You’ll quickly notice that it’s from musical theater, so place yourself in the biblical scene as the song helps narrate the passage. What stands out about Peter’s posture? How do you relate with Peter? Where might you be denying Jesus even though you have all the right intentions?
Prayer
Most merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name.
Amen.
–––Book of Common Prayer
Mike Ahn
Assistant Dean of Chapels & Worship
Host of The Biola Hour
Biola University
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Translation of the Bible for the 2023 Lent Project:
J.B. Phillips New Testament Translation of the Bible
J.B. Phillips (1906-1982) was well-known within the Church of England for his commitment to making the message of truth relevant to today's world. Phillips' translation of the New Testament brings home the full force of the original message. The New Testament in Modern English was originally written for the benefit of Phillips' youth group; it was later published more widely in response to popular demand. The language is up-to-date and forceful, involving the reader in the dramatic events and powerful teaching of the New Testament. It brings home the message of Good News as it was first heard two thousand years ago.
https://www.biblegateway.com/
About the Artwork:
Man with Rooster
Vicente Manansala
1963
Watercolor
58.4 x 78.7 cm
Utilizing watercolor’s transparent quality to deconstruct and reassemble the images of a man and a rooster into interweaving planes of color, artist Vicente Manansala adapts the tenets of cubism to portray Peter's denial of knowing Christ. Despite his emphatic declaration of loyalty and fidelity to Jesus, it was only after Peter’s third denial that the rooster’s piercing cry served as a spiritual wake-up call reminding Peter of his fear and weakness.
About the Artist:
Vicente Manansala (1910–1981) was a Filipino cubist painter and illustrator. One of the first abstractionists on the Philippine art scene, Manansala is also credited with bridging the gap between the city and the suburbs, between the rural and cosmopolitan ways of life. His paintings depict a nation in transition, an allusion to the new culture brought by the Americans. Manansala developed transparent cubism, wherein the "delicate tones, shapes, and patterns of figure and environment are masterfully superimposed.” The Honolulu Museum of Art, the Lopez Memorial Museum (Manila), the Philippine Center (New York City), the Singapore Art Museum, and Holy Angel University (Angeles City, Philippines) are among the public collections holding work by Manansala.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicente_Manansala
About the Music: “Peter’s Denial” from the album The Jesus Story - Ein Ostermusical
Lyrics:
Chorus:
Didn't I see you with Him?
Your face sure looks familiar
Were you with that man the soldiers took away
Male Vocalist:
No you’re wrong, I am not the one you saw.
I don't even know the man,
In fact, I just got into town today.
What have I done?
After all, he's done for me.
I remember the day He called me
away by the Sea of Galilee.
How his words were peace to me
How could I have denied His name?
Chorus:
I saw him with Jesus
I never forget a face
And there are others standing by who will agree
Male Vocalist:
I tell you I don’t know that man
It must have been someone else
There's a thousand men in the city
Who look like me
What am I doing?
How could I forget so fast
All the things that we’ve been through like the night
He rescued me from the stormy seas
And now that he needs me, I let him down
Chorus:
Surely you're one of them
Your voice gives you away.
How you tried to say that all of us are wrong.
Male Vocalist:
I swear that I don't know the man
Like I told you all along.
I don't know him.
I don't know him.
Now just go and leave me alone
He told me I’d deny him
Now I’ve done just what He said
Would be better now for me
If I were dead
(Rooster crows 3x)
About the Composers: David Baroni, Niles Borop, and John Lee
David Baroni is an internationally known Grammy Award–winning songwriter, singer, musician, producer, arranger, conference speaker, recording artist, and worship leader. Baroni has been a songwriter with Integrity Music, and is the president of KingdomSongs Inc. His songs have been recorded by Michael W. Smith, Don Moen, Selah, Bishop Paul Morton, Morris Chapman, Phil Driscoll, Debby Boone, the Imperials, Natalie Grant, and many others. His latest release is “The Wild and The Wonder.” He is best known for his thoughtful, well-crafted lyrics and prophetic, intuitive keyboard playing. David served on the faculty of the International Worship Institute for fifteen years and is a member of the Gate Community Church in Franklin Tennessee.
https://www.youtube.com/user/jazzprchr/about
Niles Borop (b. 1956) is a prolific songwriter of Southern gospel music. He also owns two music publishing companies: N B Music and Niles Borop Music.
https://hymnary.org/person/Borop_N
John Lee (b. 1952) is an American bassist, Grammy-winning record producer, and audio engineer. As a bassist, he has worked with Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Paquito D'Rivera, Gregory Hines, and Aretha Franklin, among many others. As a producer, Lee has produced over sixty albums and CDs, and as a recording engineer, he has recorded and mixed over one hundred albums and CDs. In 1984 Lee became Dizzy Gillespie’s bassist, touring and recording with Dizzy's Quintet, and his Grammy-winning United Nation Orchestra. In 1996, at the bequest of Dizzy's wife, Lorraine Gillespie, and the Dizzy Gillespie Estate, Lee became the director and bassist of the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars as well as the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. They have recorded five albums and toured extensively around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lee_(bassist)
About the Performers: David Hanheiser, Daniel Reinhold, and IJG Langen Gospel Choir
IJG Langen Gospel Choir is a part of the Internationale Jesus Gemeinde Church, an international church with vibrant fellowship in Christ with people from over forty nations.
https://ijg-erlangen.de/
About the Poetry and Poet:
Michael Stalcup is a Thai American missionary and poet living in Bangkok, Thailand. His poetry has been published in Commonweal Magazine, Ekstasis Magazine, Faithfully Magazine, Fathom Mag, Firewords Magazine, First Things, The Moth, PAX, Poets Reading the News, Presence, Sojourners, and elsewhere. He co-leads Spirit & Scribe, a workshop integrating spiritual formation and writing craft.
You can find his work at http://michaelstalcup.com
About Devotion Author:
Mike Ahn
Assistant Dean of Chapels & Worship
Host of The Biola Hour
Biola University
Mike Ahn oversees chapel programs, worship teams, the annual Biola Torrey Conference, The Biola Hour podcast, and serves on the pastoral care team. He is a graduate of Haverford College (B.A., History, ’01) and Talbot School of Theology (M.Div., Spiritual Formation, ’09; Ph.D., Educational Studies, ’22). If he could, he would have two In-N-Out cheeseburgers with chopped chilis, animal style fries, and a Pamplemousse LaCroix for every meal.