Peter, Peter, Peter

Have you in your head or prayer said, “Lord, I love you more than anything.” How about, “Lord help me to walk in your path”? Maybe, “Lord, let be a reflection of you to others.” Have you said any of these things or something similar, then turned around and failed? Maybe you cursed traffic, lost your patience with someone, or any myriad of sins?

I Can Only Imagine

Imagine you were the right-hand man of Jesus during his ministry; you were Peter. In Luke 22, Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” You’re thinking no way, and then you deny Him. How devastated was Peter?

What’s important here is that Jesus did not abandon Peter. Jesus did not turn His back on Peter or cast him out into the night. Jesus said nothing after prophesying Peter’s failure. Now Fast Forward, Christ has risen from the dead as He had told the apostles He would. Peter is standing before the Son of God, the God-man Peter had denied. Jesus loved Peter no less. Peter was the first to pronounce Jesus the son of God, “Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 16-17 ESV).

Restored

Peter had put his faith in Jesus. Peter knew Jesus was the Messiah and had professed it by mouth. Standing before the resurrected Jesus, having denied him, Peter was restored by Christ. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? “He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”

Jesus was doing two things here. First, Jesus was reminding Peter of the denials and his failure, and Jesus was reminding Peter that it was through Jesus that Peter was strong. Jesus was reminding Peter to rely on the strength of Christ. The second thing Jesus was doing was prophesying Peter’s death. A death that would occur because now Peter would not deny Christ but go to his death in the name of Jesus. Peter would have the strength of Christ and the faith to know that in his death, he would not die but rejoin Christ in His kingdom.

Listen to a Brother

In our brother Jimmy’s post “Hold On,” Jimmy made two important statements.

1) God is your strength. (Psalm 46:1-3)

2) When you mess up, confess your sins to the Lord, and He will forgive you. (1 John 1:9)

Brother Jimmy reminds us that when we place our faith in Christ. He is our strength. Christ knows, like Peter, we will mess up. We get on our high horse and proclaim we are mighty Christians, and we fall flat on our faces, rightfully so. God hates a braggart. However, Christ knows we will mess up, and as Brother Jimmy pointed out when we repent our sins like Peter, Christ restores us.

We remind you of these things because we all do them, even the best of us, evidenced by Peter Bar-Jonah. Have heart, we have assurances of the love of Christ, and the New Testament reminds us of them. Love others as Christ loves you, for His love is unending. There is no greater love in this world than the love of God. Peace to you, my Brothers and Sisters. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!