Peter's Encounter
Peter's Encounter
MARK 14:26-31
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
MARK 14:66-72
66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
MARK 14:66-72
66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
The first person we meet beneath the cross of Jesus is Peter, his closest disciple. Peter boldly promises to follow Jesus no matter the cost! But by the end of the night, he denies Jesus publicly, three times. After all that boasting, Peter fails spectacularly. But this story brings us to the heart of the Christian gospel, and how Jesus meets us in our failures.
Jesus is not surprised by our failure
Peter’s failure wrecks him because he had such a high opinion of himself—he did not think it was possible for him to fall like this. He believed the other disciples could deny Jesus, but not him. So when the rooster crows after his third denial, Peter is devastated. Maybe you can relate. You’ve broken promises to the Lord you thought you’d always keep. You have done things you swore you never would. Now, all you can imagine is Jesus shaking his head, saying I expected so much more out of you.
But Jesus is not shocked by our failure. That’s because his opinion of us was never as high as ours! Jesus tells his disciples ahead of time they’re going to fail! He knew about it before it ever happened! In fact, he knew about all their failures on the day that he first met them, and called them to be his disciples anyway. Our relationship with Jesus is never dependent on our performance, but on his committed love to us.
When we fail, Jesus never thinks, I can’t believe you could do something like this! Of course we can! Jesus was never under the false impression that we are strong and faithful! When he called us, he knew we brought nothing but sin, weakness, and inconsistency, and our only hope was his grace. This does not mean our sin is no big deal to Jesus, or that our sin carries no consequences. But when we fail, we do not throw our relationship with Jesus into crisis. We simply show for the billionth time what Jesus has always known—we can’t go one step without his mercy!
But Jesus is not shocked by our failure. That’s because his opinion of us was never as high as ours! Jesus tells his disciples ahead of time they’re going to fail! He knew about it before it ever happened! In fact, he knew about all their failures on the day that he first met them, and called them to be his disciples anyway. Our relationship with Jesus is never dependent on our performance, but on his committed love to us.
When we fail, Jesus never thinks, I can’t believe you could do something like this! Of course we can! Jesus was never under the false impression that we are strong and faithful! When he called us, he knew we brought nothing but sin, weakness, and inconsistency, and our only hope was his grace. This does not mean our sin is no big deal to Jesus, or that our sin carries no consequences. But when we fail, we do not throw our relationship with Jesus into crisis. We simply show for the billionth time what Jesus has always known—we can’t go one step without his mercy!
Jesus is eager to forgive our failure
There is more to Jesus’s message: “You will all fall away … But when I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” On his way to the cross, Jesus’s greatest concern is to reassure his failed friends how eager he is to forgive them! “Tonight,” Jesus says, “you will betray me in ways you never thought possible. You will abandon me to save your own hide. You will break every promise you ever made to me. After all that, your conscience will destroy you. You will think it’s over between us, that I’ll never want to see you again. So I’m telling you before it happens: it will not be over. I’m going to die for you to pay for the sins of this night, and then I’m going to rise from the dead. Then I’m going to Galilee, the place we first met. I want to see you there. I’ll receive you, I’ll forgive you. I’ll restore our relationship completely.”
There is no more important message for our own hearts this Easter week. Before I ever fail this week, there is a mighty and merciful Savior who has already shed his blood to cover my sin. He is not only able, but eager to forgive you! Jesus wants you to know ahead of time the next time you fall flat, he will not forsake you. This changes everything!
There is no more important message for our own hearts this Easter week. Before I ever fail this week, there is a mighty and merciful Savior who has already shed his blood to cover my sin. He is not only able, but eager to forgive you! Jesus wants you to know ahead of time the next time you fall flat, he will not forsake you. This changes everything!
Jesus has a purpose in our failure
Before this night, Peter had big dreams of all the great things he would accomplish for Jesus. Jesus had nicknamed him “the Rock,” and said he would use Peter to build his church (Matthew 16:16). But then this night comes. Peter sins shamefully, and everyone knows about it! All those dreams vanish. Even if Jesus forgives Peter, how can he use him?
Yet Jesus has a purpose, even in Peter’s failure. When Jesus called Peter, it was just the beginning of a long process of making him all that Jesus wanted him to be. Like a true master carpenter, Jesus has the wisdom, skill, and patience to take a rough piece of lumber into his hands and fashion it into something beautiful and useful. Jesus is doing this in Peter’s life even on this night. Peter was always a sinner—he just was not as aware of it as he needed to be! So Jesus uses this public fall to expose his ongoing sin and need, humble him, and make him more thankful for God’s mercy and more patient with others. Instead of Peter’s failure destroying God’s purpose for him, Jesus uses it for Peter’s good and for God’s glory. Before his fall, Peter could not be trusted with great responsibility in God’s Kingdom; he is far too proud, too self-reliant, too harsh toward others. The Peter who is devastated by his own sin, then humbly restored by Jesus on resurrection morning—that’s a different story. That’s why Luke tells us Jesus adds, “But when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
(Luke 22:39)
That gives us such hope as we remember our own failures, doesn’t it? If I belong to Jesus, then even my failure will not destroy his plan for me. Instead, my Savior will somehow turn even the worst parts of my story for my good, and for his glory. When he says, “All things work together for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), he really means all things. What a Savior!
This week, will you trust Jesus with your failures? Trust him to forgive your sins, and to redeem even the most painful parts of your past for his glory.
Yet Jesus has a purpose, even in Peter’s failure. When Jesus called Peter, it was just the beginning of a long process of making him all that Jesus wanted him to be. Like a true master carpenter, Jesus has the wisdom, skill, and patience to take a rough piece of lumber into his hands and fashion it into something beautiful and useful. Jesus is doing this in Peter’s life even on this night. Peter was always a sinner—he just was not as aware of it as he needed to be! So Jesus uses this public fall to expose his ongoing sin and need, humble him, and make him more thankful for God’s mercy and more patient with others. Instead of Peter’s failure destroying God’s purpose for him, Jesus uses it for Peter’s good and for God’s glory. Before his fall, Peter could not be trusted with great responsibility in God’s Kingdom; he is far too proud, too self-reliant, too harsh toward others. The Peter who is devastated by his own sin, then humbly restored by Jesus on resurrection morning—that’s a different story. That’s why Luke tells us Jesus adds, “But when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
(Luke 22:39)
That gives us such hope as we remember our own failures, doesn’t it? If I belong to Jesus, then even my failure will not destroy his plan for me. Instead, my Savior will somehow turn even the worst parts of my story for my good, and for his glory. When he says, “All things work together for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28), he really means all things. What a Savior!
This week, will you trust Jesus with your failures? Trust him to forgive your sins, and to redeem even the most painful parts of your past for his glory.
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Article by Eric Smith
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church
Senior Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church
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