Some people, including myself, enjoy watching college football. What do you tend to wear when your team wins? A shirt or a hat maybe? What do you wear when your team loses though? You'll go out of your way to wear your team's colors. One time my team lost to our biggest rival, and the next day I made sure to wear my team's colors because I'm not ashamed of my team.
In Matthew 26, Peter wasn't wearing his team Jesus t-shirt. In verses 33-35 Jesus predicts that Peter would deny him three times before the rooster crows. Peter honestly says that he would never do something like that and that even if they were all made to stumble, he would never do something like that. Jesus says, "Yes. Yes, you will."
Sure enough in verses 69-75, just that happens. Jesus has been captured to be put to death. Peter cut a guy's ear off and he's scared of what might happen to him. When someone asks if he knew him, he said, "No." Again someone says, "surely you're one of his apostles!" He promised he didn't know Jesus. Later, people asked him saying, "You are one of them! Your accent betrays you." Peter swore and cursed saying the didn't know him. Then the rooster crowed.
This may seem hopeless for Peter, but this isn't the end of his story. John 21:15-17 says, "So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep." He got his team Jesus shirt back! Peter denied Jesus three times, but now he got the chance to confess him three times. You all know what Peter did after that, all the great work he did.
Why would you be ashamed of the gospel? Are you afraid of people? Remember Romans 8:31, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Why be afraid of people when God is with us.
Do you think you're alone? Romans 12:5 says, "so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." Just think of all the siblings in Christ you have. You're never alone.
Maybe you don't trust God. Romans 14:8 says, "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s." Whether we trust God or not, our life is in His hands. I would trust Him.
I know what I think. Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." I'm not ashamed of be a Christian. Are you?
