Pride Comes Before the Fall
Read the Text: Mark 14
Memorize the Text: Now concerning that day or hour no one knows – neither the angels in heaven nor the Son – but only the Father (Mark 13:32)
Consider the Text: Mark 14:27-31, 66-72
In Mark 14, Jesus warned Peter that he would deny Christ three times before the rooster crowed twice. Peter’s response to the warning came from pride and indicated that he was too faithful to deny Christ. As the story unfolded, we find that Peter fulfilled Jesus’ warning and fell prey to disobedience in denying Christ. This event reminds us of the importance of recognizing that spiritual pride precipitates failure.
Peter’s response taught us how PRIDE BLINDS US FROM OUR ABILITY. Peter allowed pride to blind him from his ability to disobey the Lord. He lived in a state of blindness that kept him from seeing his ability to fall or fail. His pride served as a blinder that would not allow him to see the reality, even when Jesus provided the warning.
Pride works in a way that keeps us from recognizing the threats to living obediently before the Lord. It causes us to miss seeing the potholes because we fail to perceive reality. Pride blinds us by forming a barrier that detaches us from honestly understanding that we can fail in following Christ. Instead, we can approach life in a manner of hearing the warnings of the Lord through his word but believing that we would never fail.
Peter’s response taught us how PRIDE PROVIDES A FALSE SENSE OF STRENGTH. Peter declared with boldness that Jesus was wrong and that he would never deny him. Peter went as far as to state that he would due before such a denial would occur. The pride that Peter experienced provided a false sense of strength. He felt strong enough spiritually to overcome any temptation or hurdle before him.
Pride continues to work in our lives today in the same manner. It has a way of providing a false sense of spiritual strength. When this occurs, we believe that we are able in our ability to overcome any temptation and hurdle faced. We attempt to live by our merit and ability instead of living in total dependence and commitment to Christ. Thus, pride leads us to live in a false sense of strength and ability.
Peter’s journey toward denying Christ taught us how PRIDE DRIVES THE COURSE OF DISOBEDIENCE. The pride of the self drove Peter to deny Christ on three occasions. The existence of pride caused a fear that claiming allegiance to Jesus would cost him greatly. The funny thing about pride is how the self becomes the dominant aspect of life, and as a result, one will do whatever is necessary to preserve the self. In this passage, Peter allowed his pride to drive his course of disobedience.
We allow pride to motivate us as well. We let pride tell us that we can overcome when we falter in our journey and then allow it to guide us to further failure. Pride has a way of causing us to spiral out of control because we seek to maintain status in the eyes of the world and preserve our image. Thus, pride guides us down a path of disobedience.
Peter’s hearing of the rooster taught us how PRIDE LEADS TO A COMPLETE WRECK. As Peter denied the third time, the rooster crowd came to his senses concerning his disobedience. He recalled the words of Jesus and became grieved over his actions. Peter hit the bottom of his prideful spiral, and his life became a wreck. He lived in the sense of shame before the Lord.
When we allow pride to dominate our life, the same reality occurs. The spiral ends with an all-out wreck of shame and guilt before the Lord because of failure to serve him and obey him. Living in pride leads to a place of demise because the foundation of life becomes grounded on the self instead of the Savior. Thus, we find ourselves headed toward a wreck at the end of the pride spiral.
When we think about Peter’s denial of Christ, we should take time to evaluate our lives. We should analyze what we rely on in our lives and investigate where pride exists. When we discover pride, we should seek repentance from the Lord and return to the journey of following him. Pride tempts everyone at some point and is a reality that believers must strive to keep in check.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
