Do you remember the “Green Machine?” This toy was a childhood favorite of mine. It was similar to the “Big Wheel,” but much cooler! Well, I can remember going to ride it one day and it seemed to simply fall apart. I was puzzled. I would later discover that my siblings had decided to play with it in my absence. So, they took a spin on it at the same time. Unfortunately, their combined weight was too much for this plastic toy, and it broke into a few pieces. The solution they resolved to was to glue it back together and deny any involvement in its demise. The plan was faulty and truly did not succeed for very long. The pressure of owning their actions caused a brief denial of their connection to the recent destruction.

We are prone to denying our actions, our connections, our thoughts, and our words. This is why we can easily identify with Peter and his 3 denials of Christ. The scene in Matthew 26 and Luke 22 must have been pretty scary. Jesus was arrested under the cover of darkness and in the absence of the crowds that so often surrounded Him. He was soon thereafter questioned by the high priest and Pilate. The people were getting stirred up, public opinion was swaying in the wrong direction, and then Peter is recognized as “one of them.” The gig was up! Peter was identified and his gut response was denial of any connection to the disciples of Jesus.

Public opinion and peer pressure can be very powerful things! As bold and brash as Peter had already been seen to be, he chose to deny his true identity. What about us today? Do we deny our identity in Christ? We are children of the King! In Christ, we are redeemed, forgiven, free from bondage, holy, and loved beyond measure! To live in this position, we must choose to yield to Jesus. Let’s look at the account of Peter’s denial:

1st Denial

Luke 22:56 – A “maid” confronts Peter as being one of them and he says “Woman, I know Him not.”
Matthew 26:70 – Calls the one doing the confronting a “damsel” and Peter says, “I know not what thou sayest.”

2nd Denial

Luke 22:57 – Says “after a little while another saw him” and Peter says “man, I am not.”
Matthew 26:71-72 – Says “after he went out to the porch” he was confronted and then Peter “denied with an oath.”
- This denial was more emphatic and direct.
- He moved to the porch to get away from the first confrontation only to be confronted by another.
- It included a step downward with the use of an oath (swearing by the name of God). Peter had forgotten or chose to ignore the Lord’s forbidding the use of an oath in common speech back in Matthew 5:34.
- Peter referred to his beloved master, the One to which he had recently pledged his allegiance, as “the man.”

3rd Denial

Luke 22:59-60 – An hour passes and then a man “confidently affirms” Peter was one of them. Peter responds with, “Man, I know not what thou sayest.”
Matthew 26:74 - Peter “began to curse and swear.”
- There is no place to hide from those who can identify him
- It always takes more of the same to cover up wrong choices. For Peter that meant he would go from a simple denial to cursing and swearing.

The account of Peter’s denial of Christ during the Lord’s trial is a familiar one; however, more accurately, it is a frustratingly familiar one to us personally. We have all been there…haven’t we? We will sing “The Goodness of God” and “Give Him Glory.” We will also sing “Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me” and we will rehearse to “delight ourselves in the Lord” (Ps. 37:4). It is at that those moments that we feel as though we are on top of the world! We are ready to fight the enemy and see victory through Jesus Christ! We would never turn our eyes away from Jesus and wander away…BUT…we do. “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” Frustrating. Upsetting. Discouraging.

I must choose to yield to Christ! But how? I’ve made the decisions. I have walked the isle at the invitation times. I have tried my best! What can I do when faced with temptation, so that I will not deny Christ? WRONG QUESTION! I believe the better question to ask is: What ought I be doing before I am ever faced with temptation so that I live in a position of yielding to Christ? Here are 3 steps needed to yield to Jesus:

1. Stand with the Right Attitude - Humility

Matthew 26:33-35

Peter makes a bold statement. “I would never leave you Lord…even if everyone else has split the scene!” That is a good desire and commitment, but we must remember, that given the wrong circumstances and choices – anyone can fall!

Many have looked at the struggles of others and uttered the words, “I would never ___________________”

Be tempted with alcohol or drugs
Be tempted with immorality or gambling
Be tempted with gossip or spreading discord
Be tempted with lying, stealing, or cheating
Be tempted with covetousness, jealousy, envy

Prov. 16:18-19. Instead, we must consider a different response, like: “By God’s grace, I want to stand…but I need the Lord to do so!”

2. Cultivate Right Habits

Luke 22:39-46 --- Here are the habits Christ had for Himself and for His disciples!

22:39 – “as he was wont”

…it was His habit, he chose it. Could it be possible we are choosing something else (that may even be “good”), instead of choosing prayer?

22:40 – “Pray that ye enter not into temptation”

…it was His need, and our need today! It was not just His preference.

22:46 – “Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”

…it was His urgency. There were times that Jesus believed this habit was even more important than sleep!

3. Yield to the Right Power

Matthew 26:52-54 – We have the insistence that I will make this happen or make people listen…whether they like it or not! Although such determination isn’t always a bad thing, we must FIRST consider the Lord!

26:52 – Physical force isn’t always the answer

26:53 – Jesus had the power to call 12 legions of angels (approx. 6,000)

26:54 – Jesus yielded to the will of God the Father

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4 Key Conclusions:

The power of prayer doesn’t mean I always get what I want. The Lord’s prayer in the garden is a helpful example of this scenario.
The struggle of yielding is real (26:54).
Pain doesn’t mean God’s doesn’t love me…pain might actually be God’s confirmation of His love for me.
Following God’s plan is always best.

The strongest time to yield to Jesus is during the “good times,” however, yielding to Jesus is crucial for all times! Start 2025 with the resolution to yield to Jesus in the good, bad, and ugly times of life.