Peter was, I think, the Apostle that we can all most easily relate to. There were times when he seemed to have it all together, and there were times when his mouth wasn’t big enough to hold the foot he just stuck in it.

Peter could get it right one moment and wrong the next. At Caesarea Philippi, he boldly stated that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, but a few minutes later, he rebuked the One he had just called the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah. His daring to step out of the boat onto a stormy sea was both impulsive and impressive. None of the other disciples were bold enough to do that, but all too quickly, he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink. Peter was humble enough to acknowledge his shortcomings, admitting that he was a sinful man, but brash enough to think he would never deny Jesus, even if everyone else did.

Peter appeared willing to back up his bravado when he pulled a sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest’s servant, but his bravery took an almost immediate wrong turn. You have to give him credit; at least he followed Jesus to the home of Caiaphas. He didn’t abandon him, as the others did, except for John. He was there. Was he looking for an opportunity to free Jesus?

But when push came to shove, as they say, Peter failed to stand for Jesus. The man who, just a few hours earlier, had sworn he would never deny Jesus not only denied Him, but did so three times, and then the rooster crowed.

Some believe this was not an actual rooster. Without proper research, they try to apply what they deem a spiritual revelation to an actual physical event. They even go so far as to say the Jews didn’t have chickens, which is not correct. They also miss the fact that cock fighting was a popular sport among the Romans, a sport they carried to all the nations they conquered.

At a moment when Peter could have stood up for Jesus, he failed. This is not a bash Peter post, but rather a challenge to each of us. Almost every day, in some form or another, we have a chance to stand for Jesus. How do we respond? Never before in my lifetime has the American culture tried to mock and silence the voice of the Christian as it does today. Peter repented after he saw his failure and became the leader Jesus said he would become. He didn’t allow what he could have done differently to keep him from doing what was right. His impact on the world is almost unprecedented.

Our realm of influence may be much smaller, but it is just as important. So, when the opportunity comes, tell somebody about Jesus.