It was without a doubt the absolute worst day of Peter’s long and storied and challenging life. As you are about to hear in this PODCAST, we’re talking about one particular Saturday — the day after the crucifixion.
The day after Peter had denied Jesus three times before Jesus’ accusers. The Saturday before the very first Easter Sunday.
And since for the precious and beloved people at Safe Haven, I happened to give this message on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Thus, we would do well to consider exactly what was going on and why during that singularly fateful day.
A very dark day in otherwise dazzling life of Peter.
You talk about an epic fail, a spectacular fall from grace, a stunningly unpredictable turn of events, and crash and burn of mind-numbing proportions… Here’s a quick thumbnail of how Peter’s not-so-Good-Friday developed, leading up to his Horribly-Bad-Saturday before Easter.
A day Peter no doubt spent cowering in a corner…
- Disgusted by the arrest of his rabbi;
- Devastated by execution of his hero, mentor, friend;
- Demoralized by the death of his dream of freedom from the oppressions of Romans;
A man whose faith was now in a free-fall. If there was any faith left in the man to fall.
The week leading up to Peter’s Not-So-Good-Friday and Horribly-Bad-Saturday began the Sunday before, Palm Sunday, with the event we commonly call the Triumphal Entry.
Jerusalem swelled to overflowing by the multiplied thousands upon thousands of pilgrims streaming into the Holy City in preparation for Passover. Every person in the place was there in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from four hundred grueling years of oppression by the Egyptians, AND in feverish anticipation of what they hoped and prayed was their imminent deliverance from the brutal, barbaric, and oh.so.bloody occupation by the Romans.
Messianic fervor was always at its highest in the week leading up to Passover. You can understand why. Freedom was in the air.
But in this podcast, I don’t want you merely to understand why. I want you to feel why.
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God bless you as you listen.
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Dewey Bertolini 
Just finished listening to your last 2 podcasts of March, and they were just what I needed, as I was wrestling with my unthought through response to an acquaintance, who had just been introduced to my Japanese Buddhist friend and bluntly asked her what church she went to. She then followed that question with the statement addressed to me, “We will have to convert her, won’t we, Yvonne.” Without forethought, I immediately responded with a loud “No!” and an outstretched hand held up between her and my friend. The lady registered shock, and I followed up my statement with comments that I understood how she felt about wanting to share her joy, but this was not the time or place.(We were in a restaurant) She quickly began to tell my friend about all her Japanese friends and acquaintances and the conversation progressed nicely.
Now here was my problem. On the way home, I wondered if my vehement “No!” would be considered denying my Lord. I prayed for forgiveness. But I was still troubled. I think, if I understood your comments, that I truly did not mean it to deny Jesus, I was just reacting to what I considered a rude comment. Thanks for making it possible to hear your messages. It’s almost as good as being there, as I can imagine your expression as you share your thoughts. (And I can also imagine seeing my family there listening intently.)
God bless you, Dewey!
In Christ’s love,
Yvonne Hanson