Luke- Week 23- Day 3

(54) Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
(55) And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
Luke 22:54-55

Explanation:

So the people that came to arrest Jesus did their works of darkness. They “took him, and led him.” They went to the official residence of Ciahphas, the high priest. Annas was there, too, who had been the high priest before and was father in law of Ciaphas.
We know that most all of the disciples scattered and abandoned Jesus. This was, at least in part, the temptation that Jesus asked them to pray about, and that He knew they would face. They all denied him, at least at that level, because of a fear of what would happen to them. Peter had overconfidently tried to attack those who came to arrest Jesus, and had somehow averted arrest himself. Perhaps because of Jesus’ miraculous healing of that man.
Peter followed here, but notice what it said about his following in verse 54.

(54) Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
Luke 22:54

We do know that John followed Jesus and even went into the palace of the High Priest himself.

And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. (16) But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
John 18:15-16

Peter’s overconfidence in his following of Jesus showed up in the passover meal. Jesus told him that he would face a challenge, and Peter made an incredibly confident statment.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: (32) But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. (33) And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. (34) And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Luke 22:31-34

Peter’s overconfidence showed up when he began to attack those arresting Jesus. It is almost as though He had something to prove, and had not believed Jesus when He had said this was all a part of God’s plan.

Here Peter is following, but his disbelief has lead to him following “afar off”. The physical distance is understandable, but this disbelief had lead to a distancing of himself in his allegiance to Christ. He had said he was willing to go to prison and to death. Now he is scared even to be associated with him.

Application:

We need to be wary of spiritual overconfidence as well. We need to be careful about disbelief in our lives. Why? Because a lack of faith often leads to distance between us and the Lord. Scripture puts it this way: