The Triue God: The Son VII

He denied knowing Him, but he was there---
The others fled for their lives from stark fear;
Peter was outside in the fire's flaming glare;
He couldn't see the trial, but he stayed near.
When the third challenged him, he fiercely swore,
To make the devial sound much more real;
At that moment Jesus came out the door;
His eyes pierced Peter, his bravado to steal!
Simon knew that the Son knew what he had done;
Instead of accusing, His look was sad;
Bitter tears seeped from eyes that ne'er had none;
A rooster crowed, sooner than it e'er had!
Peter melted away to hide his grief;
His cowardice was beyond his belief!

"Then Jesus told them, 'This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.' Peter replied, 'Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.' 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'this very night , before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.' But Peter declared, 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.' And all the other disciples said the same." (Matthew 26:31-35)

At the Last Supper Jesus told the disciples they would all fall away, quoting a prophecy from Zechariah 13. Peter, in his typical impetuous manner, denied that he would fall away, but Jesus said that before the rooster crowed he would disown Him 3 times. You see this taking place exactly as foretold in the poem. However, Peter did stay near Jesus after He was arrested, but the others did flee into hiding immediately after the arrest. The disowning did happen at the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where a travesty of a trial took place; Peter did flee and wept bitterly at his cowardice (See Matthew 26:69-75). After that, only one apostle attended the crucifiction; that was young John. From the cross, Jesus gave His mother to John for custody. Evidently Joseph was dead by that time. Jesus had brothers and sisters; one of them, James, became pastor of the first church in the world in Jerusalem. None attended the crucifiction that we know of. All the apostles were martyred preaching the gospel; John lived until 103 A. D., dying in prison on the Isle of Patmos, near Ephesus, the church he pastored and where Mary lived until her death.

Peter recovered and was restored to leadership of the apostles by Jesus (See John 21). He was much moe mature after this and a bold, confident leader. The close followers of Jesus during His ministry, including the apostles, numbered about 120. They waited together in a large upper room until Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection. He was in His new spiritual body; He appeared by walking through the wall. The scars of the nails and the spear that He received on the cross were already healed. He met with them several times and was seen by more than 500 persons over 40 days, after which He ascended to heaven. He became Christ, meaning anointed King of the universe with all authority and power. Jesus is God.