January 19, 2025
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“From Failure to Faith: Peter's Story of Redemption”
Jesus named Peter "The Rock" long before his name reflected his character. He doesn't just see us for the mess we are when we first come to Him; He sees who we will become in Him.
Things we know about Peter:
- He sometimes demonstrates great faith (examples include walking on water and confessing Jesus as the Christ).
- He often speaks without thinking (examples include rebuking Jesus and at first refusing to allow Jesus to wash his feet)
- He means well, but like all of us his good intentions don't always translate into proper action.
Luke 22:31-34
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Luke 22:54-62
54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly
After denying Jesus, Peter’s heart is shattered, and he is consumed by a storm of guilt and regret. He must have thought about it constantly after he did it. That moment must have stuck with Peter like a scar etched deep into his soul, a constant reminder of his failure.
Peter doesn't know what else to do, so he goes fishing. The conversation he has with Jesus (before he realizes who He is) is remarkably similar to the conversation which he first met Jesus.
John 21:15-19
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
Jesus' question to Peter, "Do you love more more than these?" could have a double meaning.
1) He is asking Peter if he still thinks he loves Jesus more than the others love HIm (see Mt. 26:33). He is moving Peter to a place of humility and recognizing his need for God.
2) He is asking Peter if he loves him more than these "things." They just caught a massive amount of fish, and it would be a great way to re-launch his career as a fisherman. Jesus wants Peter to be all-in as the leader of the early church.
Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus gives him a chance to confess his love for Him three times. It's an act of grace.
“Jesus Christ asks each one of us, not for obedience primarily, not for repentance, not for vows, not for conduct, but for a heart; and that being given, all the rest will follow.”
-Alexander Maclaren
A Prayer to Trust in Jesus:
“God, thank you for loving me even though I’ve rebelled against You. I confess that I’m sinful. I’m so grateful that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all my sins. Right now I turn away from my sins and I turn to You. I’m putting my full trust in Jesus to rescue me from my sins. Thank you for forgiving me and washing me clean on the inside. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
