MANAGING FEAR 4—PETER AND JESUS

January 25, 2026

Joe finished his series on fear today. He had talked about Elijah, Moses, Gideon and today he will discuss Peter and Jesus. To summarize, the concept of fear has two polar opposite components—general fear (which we need to have to some extent for survival) and fear of the Lord (an awe and reverence for our omnipotent God). Both can exist simultaneously, but if we focus on fear of the Lord to overcome general fear, we often can accomplish God’s will for us. In fact, fear of the Lord supplants general fear. The apostles have some fear of the Lord, they were raised with it but they have difficulty recognizing the Lord in front of them, with all His power and might. Peter is certainly guilty of this, his fear overrides his reverence for the Lord, but he is courageous enough to continue trying. Peter had spent days/weeks/years with Jesus and witnessed many miracles, yet his faith took a back seat to his fear. Instead of the coaxing given to Gideon, Jesus confronts Peter. Possibly because Peter learned best this way but also because future Christians would be similar and can reflect on the tough Jesus as still offering salvation.