This Is One of Them

by Terry Wane Benton

"As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and *said, "You also were with Jesus the Nazarene." But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." And he went out onto the porch, and a rooster crowed. The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, "This is one of them!" But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too." But he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about!" Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep" (Mark 14:66-72).

He entered an environment that was hostile to followers of Jesus. It was by a fire not far from where the Jewish leaders were trying Jesus in their kangaroo court. A servant girl openly said of Peter, “This is one of them!” Imagine how Peter felt, knowing that he could now be exposed to personal abuse and embarrassment. A little while earlier he would have fought carnally to protect Jesus, but now, Jesus is in the official custody of a corrupt court trying to find a reason to justify a desired death sentence for Jesus, whom they have predetermined to be a troubler to their corruption. Peter cannot swing a sword here. His go-to response is a denial of knowing Jesus, denial of any association with this hated man.

What if the company you work for becomes “woke” and determines that Christians are hateful troublers to their woke agenda of pushing all kinds of moral perversity and daring Christians to say anything or even identify their association with Jesus? What if someone said of you, “This is one of them”, would you feel like Peter on this occasion or more like the better version of Peter in Acts 4-5? He was embarrassed with himself earlier but now feels honored to be recognized as associated with Jesus. When they say regarding you, “This is one of them!”, you must be ready to say, “I am very honored to be recognized as a servant and disciple of Jesus, and I wish all knew Him!”