Session 11

Does fear drive you to deny Jesus?

From Mark: A 6-Week Devotional

At some point, we’ve all been in a state of denial. We try doing things we did 10 or 20 years ago because we’re in denial about our aging bodies. We live in denial about calories and tell ourselves one extra scoop of ice cream won’t stop us from losing a few extra pounds.

Whether we’re ignoring the truth about calories or the state of a relationship, denial is often driven by fear — fear of missing out, fear of getting older, fear of what other people will think.

Jesus knew the time would come when Peter would deny knowing him. And even though Jesus warned Peter that this would happen, Peter still found himself in a courtyard swearing he did not know Jesus (Mark 14:54).  

Peter saw Jesus perform miracles and loved Him deeply. Peter never fathomed he would deny knowing Jesus, but fear drives us to do things we never thought we would do.

Jesus welcomes us back, no matter how far away from Him we walk.

Peter feared the suffering and ridicule that might come with being associated with Jesus. If we’re honest with ourselves, we often do the same thing. We become afraid of what others may think or say about us, so we keep quiet when friends make fun of Christians. We fear our association with Jesus might cost us a promotion at work, so we stay silent about our faith in the office.

Just like the rooster’s crow reminded Peter of a time when he was closer to Jesus, Jesus calls us back as well. His invitation may come through promises in the Bible, a prayer answered or a phone call from a friend. Jesus always welcomes us back, no matter how far away from Him we walk.

Reflect:

• Are you denying knowing Jesus in any area of your life? What’s one fear that might be driving your denial?
• What kind of support system do you have in place to help you fight through those fears?