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Fake Friends
Jesus knew the pain of unreliable friends, as Peter denied Him thrice despite being forewarned. And yet, Jesus remained loyal, accepting the cross out of love. His unwavering friendship offers an eternal assurance of love, loyalty, and forgiveness, contrasting the faltering nature of human alliances.
Matthew 26:34, 72
Do you have any fake friends? Friends who act one way part of the time, but then at other times seem like completely different people. Friends who you want to believe will stick up for you and have your back no matter what, but then always seem to turn their back on you when they’re around other people. If that’s you know that Jesus had friends like that too.
On the night that Jesus was arrested and put on trial, one of his closest friends, Peter, turned his back on Jesus. That night, three different times, people came up to Peter and asked him, hey, didn’t I see you hanging out with Jesus? And out of fear, Peter denied it each time, saying, I don’t know what you’re talking about. In fact, by the third time this happened, Peter was so upset that people kept associating him with Jesus that the Bible tells us
Again Peter denied it with an oath and said, “I do not know the man.” (Matthew 26:72 EHV)
Now you might be thinking, if that was my friend, well, we would no longer be friends. But Jesus had a different answer. You see, just hours before Jesus told Peter that this was going to happen. Jesus, he looked Peter dead in the eye and he said,
“Amen I tell you: Tonight before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.” (Matthew 26:34 EHV)
And yet even knowing what Peter was going to do. Jesus still chose to go to the cross. Jesus. He knows what it’s like to get let down by your friends. He knows what it’s like to have friends who don’t always have your back, or pretend not to be your friend when they’re around others. He also knows that, well, we don’t always act like the best friends either. But no matter who you are or what you’ve done. Jesus chooses to be your friend and he is loyal to you because he loves you.
Jesus, he didn’t need to wait for Peter to deny him to determine whether or not he would be Peter’s friend, because he already knew what Peter was going to do. Jesus, he knows what it’s like to be let down by your friends. He knows what it’s like to have friends who don’t always have your back, or pretend not to be your friend when they’re around other people. He also knows that we don’t always act like the best friends either. But no matter what you’re going through or what you’ve done, Jesus still chooses to be your friend and he is loyal to you because he loves you.
Jesus. He didn’t need to wait for Peter to deny him to determine whether or not he would be Peter’s friend, because Jesus already knew what Peter was going to do. Jesus knows everything about you, and there is nothing that could ever cause him to turn his back on you. Jesus, he came into this world to be with you. He lived a perfect life, free from sin, and then died on a cross for your sin so that you wouldn’t have to. And then he rose from the dead to prove to you that he would never leave you.
Yes, it’s hard when we have friends that don’t always have our backs. But Jesus does. And you have a true friend in Jesus. A friend who loves you. A friend who is loyal to you. And a friend who forgives you. Amen.
