John 21:15-19 ESV
John 18:17, Luke 22:57, Matthew 26:69-70 (Peter denies knowing Jesus 1st Time)
John 18:25, Luke 22:58, Matthew 26:71-72 (Peter denies knowing Jesus 2nd time)
John 18:26-27, Luke 22:60, Matthew 26:73-74 Peter denies knowing Jesus 3rd time)
Matthew 26:33-35, Mark 14:29-31, John 13:37-38 (Peter’s Bold Promise)
Forgiven
Peter had not had a good week.
In the upper room, Jesus told His disciples a lot of things they didn’t understand.
That wasn’t because they weren’t listening.
It was because they didn’t have context for what was about to happen. None of the disciples had the ability to understand or predict what would happen in the Garden of Gethsemane on Thursday night.
No one could have imagined that Jesus would be arrested, tried, convicted, and sentenced to be crucified the next day.
It was unfathomable.
Jesus healed the sick. He fed the hungry. Jesus defended women and blessed the children. Seriously, He raised the dead back to life. No one else even came close.
How could Peter and the other disciples begin to imagine that Jesus would be crucified?
When we look at Peter’s last hours before the crucifixion, the thing we remember most about him is that he denied Jesus three times. Jesus even predicted that outcome.
The catch is, when we look back to Thursday night before the crucifixion, we see that in all four Gospels Peter followed where Jesus was taken from a distance.
Following the arrest, Peter was not hiding in the Garden of Gethsemane.
He didn’t go home.
Only in the Gospel of John do we learn that Peter and another disciple (unnamed) were following behind the crowd that seized Jesus.
No other disciples had followed Jesus to see where he had been taken. Only Peter (and in one account one other disciple) even attempted to go see where they took Jesus.
We can point fingers and find fault in Peter’s denials, but we cannot say that Peter didn’t care. He DID care. That’s why he followed behind to find out where they were taking Jesus.
He cared enough to personally investigate where His Lord had been taken.
Understand, I’m not saying Peter was blameless. He sure wasn’t perfect.
So, neither am I.
I would only hope that if I would have been there, I would at least have had the courage to follow behind to see where the men had taken Jesus.
I would hope I would have enough courage to BE with Jesus.
Even though I, too might have denied knowing Jesus, I would only hope that I at least showed up.
So, three times Peter denied knowing Jesus.
I don’t know him.
Nope, not me.
Who me? Uhhh, no.
It’s interesting that Peter was the only disciple Jesus singled out saying he would deny Him three times before the rooster crows.
It’s notable that Peter was the one who stated he would never fall away from Jesus in Matthew 26:33-35 and in Mark 14:29-31. In John 13:37-38 we have an account that tells us that Peter promised he would lay down his life for Jesus. Peter was SO sure that he would never mess up.
He was SO VERY SURE.
Isn’t that often when we miss the mark?
That’s what Peter did. He showed up but he missed the mark.
So, the conversation Jesus had with Peter Post Resurrection in John 21:15-19 tells us, “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, 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 a second time, “Simon, son of John, 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 John, 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
1st Time: Jesus said, do you love me more than these? Feed my Lambs.
2nd Time: Jesus said, Simon do you love me? Then Tend my Sheep.
3rd Time: Jesus said, Simon do you love me? Then FEED my Sheep and Follow me.
Jesus forgave Peter and gave him another chance three times. More than that, Jesus reiterated who Peter would become. Was Peter perfect? No. Was he forgiven? Yes.
In the end, Peter was the Rock upon which Jesus built the church (Matthew 16:18). He learned he wasn’t perfect. Peter came to a point where he knew he was fallible. Peter was humbled three times, but he did follow and he did rally.
When push came to shove, Peter was the rock who fed the sheep after Jesus ascended to heaven.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Follow
Ask God who He is calling you to BE. In your own way as God leads, feed the sheep.
In God, Deborah
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