Reading through the four gospels and hearing the different stories of the disciples with Jesus and the learning curve that they went through, you can definitely find a lot of relatability. But there is a very important reality that is often overlooked and that is, the disciples didn’t have the Holy Spirit until Jesus rose from the dead. The stories in Acts after the disciples received the Holy Spirit were quite different than the ones in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There is a recount in Luke 22 about Peter denying Jesus three times that spurred on this topic.
In Luke 22:31-34 Jesus says,
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Soon after this Jesus gets arrested and Peter follows him to the high priest’s home where he joins some people in the court to warm himself by the fire. It’s here where three different people over the course of a few hours look at Peter and make claims that he was a disciple of Jesus. And three times he denies it. Here is the recount of the third time Peter denies Jesus in Luke 22:59-62,
“About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.”
Peter without the Holy Spirit inside of him denies that he knows Jesus three times and the trigger for him to come back to his senses is this rooster crowing and Jesus looking straight at him. In and with the Holy Spirit inside of us the trigger to come back to our senses is immediate. We don’t have to, if you will (only as a metaphor) “deny Jesus three times”. Because in the middle of the first time the Holy Spirit gets your attention.
For example, there have been times when I have been driving down the road and someone cut me off and I quickly got hot and bothered. Immediately in the middle of the increase of my hot and bothered-ness a picture flashes through my mind of a time when I cut someone off. This picture came from the Holy Spirit. This picture was a trigger to bring me back to my senses. This picture is not meant to create guilt and shame for past actions, it is to create understanding and empathy so that I come back to a state of self control instead of being controlled by my emotions. This picture is the pathway to a different perspective.
So when we read these stories of the disciples and we can relate to their lack of faith, fear, and lack of understanding, never conclude that you are stuck in these things. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. He shows us the pathways into faith, hope, joy, peace, confidence, courage, purpose, vision, and identity. The more we choose to walk in these pathways the more we grow in maturity, skill and ability. Whenever you get a trigger to come back to your senses, it’s never to bring you into a state of shame and discouragement, it’s a pathway into thinking, feeling and acting in the ways of the kingdom. This is some of the benefits and power of the Holy Spirit.