Connect the Dots

We recently got Jacob a connect-the-dots coloring book to help him with learning his ABC’s and counting. He went through the entire book connecting the dots in a single day, fast learner I guess!

The events of Jesus life on the night of His betrayal are familiar to us all—maybe too familiar. Take a moment and connect some of the dots with me as it relates to Jesus and Peter.

• 1 – Jesus tell his disciples one of them will betray Him. they all said (including Peter), “Surely not I, Lord” (NIV).
  
• 2 – On the Mount of Olives Jesus told them that they would all abandon Him Peter spoke up and said, “Even if everyone else abandons you I never will” (GW).
  
• 3 – Jesus tells Peter that he would deny even knowing Him that very night. Peter responds, “Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never say I don’t know you” (GW).
  
• 4 – Jesus took Peter, James and John and told them that His soul was overwhelmed to the point of death. Jesus asked them to keep watch and pray with Him. I’m sure they all said they would (and especially Peter).
  
• 5 – “When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, ‘Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire’.”
  Matthew 26:40-41 (MsgB)
  
• 6 – Jesus returns to pray and again comes back to find them sleeping as before.
  
• 7 – Jesus was arrested, betrayed by Judas just like He had said. Peter follows at a distance and entered the courtyard. While there Peter denies knowing Jesus three times, even calling down curses upon himself, just like Jesus said he would.

Peter was confident that he would remain faithful to Jesus, but he did the very thing he said he would not do. Why? Did you connect the dots with me? Peter denied Jesus because of his lack of prayer. Jesus encouraged him to pray so that he wouldn’t wander into temptation. The hour of Peter’s temptation came that very night and he was unprepared to stand up against it.

How about us? We too deny Jesus when we give into temptation and willingly sin; we do the very thing we said we would not. How are we to overcome? Connect the dots; we need to pray. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.