The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” John 18:17
Imagine how disappointed Peter must have been with himself the second those words left his lips.
This was Peter’s first denial. He had been hanging out with Jesus for three years, eating and camping, watching Him heal people and cast out demons. He saw Jesus’ Glory on top of that mountain. He was in Jesus’ inner circle. I’m sure Peter would have considered Jesus his best friend. And yet right there, Peter denied Jesus and tried to disassociate himself from Him for the first time since they’d met, three years earlier.
It’s easy, at least in my mind, to read this from a theological standpoint and think, “Peter, you just denied God.” But all theology aside, imagine your best friend, in that scenario. Maybe it’s your husband or your wife; the person you care about more than anyone else in this world. I want you to put yourself in that situation with them. Imagine refusing to be associated with your wife or completely disowning your husband or your best friend. Think for a second about the turmoil that would have gone on inside of your soul if that had happened to you. Peter denied Jesus like that three times.
But, Jesus beautifully redeemed Peter and gave him a chance to take it all back. He fed Peter breakfast around a fire (which, I’m sure, was very reminiscent of the night of his denials). Jesus then asked Peter three times, “Peter, do you love me?” and Peter was able to answer His God three times, “You know I love you, Jesus.”
The beautiful thing about God is that when we sin against Him, if we have a contrite and repentant heart, He forgives us and redeems us! Once He does that, nothing can separate us from His love.
“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
Redeemed,
Billy
Posted in A Word from the Pastor