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Luke 22:31-34 - Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

"Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." And he said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!" Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me."


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In verse thirty-one, Jesus said, “Simon , Simon , behold! , this Satan he asked for yourselves to have sifted like as this grain ;” Here, it is vital to connect the dots, such that the manufactured pause presented in Scripture with headings placed between breaks in text, makes it easy to ignore how the prior section ended with the holiest of names: “Israel.” When Jesus first met Simon bar Jonas, he told him he would be called “Peter” (the Rock). Now, Jesus not only said “Simon” twice, he followed that name with a capitalized “Satan,” where the Greek word “Satanas” means “Adversary,” or “Devil,” which can be seen as a direction to the self-ego Jesus found, while searching the souls of his disciples-apostles. After Jesus talked with his ‘children’ about feeling the power of Yahweh’s Spirit within and thinking that was individual “greatness” – a selfish attitude – Jesus found “Simon” still harboring such singular importance within the group. The name “Simon” means “He Who Hears,” so when Jesus said “Satan asked for your souls,” so he could “sift” through them, to see which ones were chaff, not seeds, Jesus wanted “Simon” to “behold!” The “Devil” is calling your name to me. That says Jesus was warning Peter to not stoop down to his worldly name, but rise to that of “Israel.” To reach that higher state of being, he needed to become the cornerstone “Rock” that was Jesus.


In verse thirty-two, Jesus continued, saying literally, “I now prayed concerning of yourself , in order that not you might not have failed this belief of yourself ; kai you , ever having turned back , you strengthen these brothers of yourselves .” In this, Jesus having “prayed” for “Simon” says “Simon” had indeed been ignoring the lesson of Jesus being merged with their souls, as them becoming Sons of Yahweh – each of their “Father.” The “soul” of “Simon” (“yourself”) was keeping it open to temptations of personal “greatness.” Jesus’ “prayer” was so “Simon” would not “fail” Jesus and Yahweh, turning away from them to “serve” “this belief in his own soul” (“yourself”). The importance is then Jesus saying that all depended on “Simon” (“you”), as his soul was the lord over his body of flesh; but that was a weakness that allowed “Satan” to play with his brain. Thus, for Jesus to call the name “Simon” twice, he was able to “turn back” or “return” the soul of “Simon” to a focus on Jesus; and, that “strengthened these brothers,” where all were spiritually related as “sons” of the “Father.”


This self-ego that Jesus had spotted in the soul of “Simon” is then displayed by “Simon” speaking boldly. He is shown to say literally, “This now he said to himself , Lord , behind of yourself prepared I am kai into guard kai towards death I journey .” In this, the separation of the capitalized word “Kyrie” becomes divinely elevated to a statement of “Simon’s” seeing himself as an equal to Jesus. While “Simon” addressed Jesus as his “Lord, Master, Sir,” the fact that he would say anything at all to Jesus – his Teacher – says “Simon” retained himself as his “Lord” (he was not an “Israel”). So, the use of “eimi” says “Simon exists as Lord over his being.” The “greatness” he felt made him boldly pronounce, “I am prepared,” with the importance of that preparation to be to replace Jesus as leader of the group, if he come under “guard” (in “prison”) or “towards death.” “Simon” was not saying he was strong enough to keep “watch” over the safety of Jesus, nor prevent his “death,” but his self-ego was prepared to take over being “Lord,” because that was the road his soul was “journeying.” To importantly say, “towards death I go” says “Simon’s” soul was resisting a commitment to Yahweh, meaning he was refusing to take the road to salvation.


After this was said to Jesus, he then responded; but notice how “Simon” turns to “Peter.” Jesus can be seen as literally saying, “This now he said , I mention yourself Peter , not will address now rooster , as much as three time of myself you should disown <not> remembering .” Here, it become important to see how both statements in this series are begun by a capitalized “Ho,” which divinely elevates an article (read as “This”), so it sates both men spoke what Yahweh wanted the “brothers” to know. Here, the divine words Jesus spoke said what the Father wanted said. Jesus “mentioned Peter,” as “Simon,” which was his normal soul in a body of flesh’s name. He said the unmarried soul (“Simon”) was being “prayed” for, to become the soul of “Peter” (“yourself”). Rather than then say that Jesus knew about a fowl crowing, he addressed “Simon” as a “rooster,” who was crowing how great he was, “guarding Jesus until death.” Those self-proclaimed “rooster” crows would be found to be worthless, after “as much as three times” Peter would “disown” his soul from having Jesus present within. The brackets surrounding “not” says “Simon” will say he does “not” have any association with Jesus, while “not remembering” his past at that time. Then, after the “not” denials, his ”memory” would return.

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