Peter: An Inconsistent Disciple Series

Simon Peter probably grew up as a rough talking fisherman. Being with Jesus for three years had transformed him. But now under pressure he slipped back into old habits and he swore, “I don’t know him.” Peter was cowardly and inconsistent at this time. But is there anyone here who can’t identify with him?

The final scene in this day of Simon Peter is outside the courtyard where there was GENUINE REPENTANCE.

Luke’s gospel describes it like this in Luke 22: 60b – 62, “Just as he was speaking the rooster crowed and 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.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

The word Luke uses to describe Jesus’ glance is the same word used in John 1:42 to describe the way Jesus looked at him at their very first meeting. Andrew brought Peter to Jesus and Jesus looked at him intently. He looked at his heart. It’s the same word Jesus used when he said, “Consider, (look at) the lilies of the field.” It means to see with your mind—to understand.

So, this gaze of Jesus wouldn’t be one of contempt or condemnation. It was a look of understanding and caring, maybe some disappointment.

Jesus looked at Peter and he realized Jesus had heard his denial and profanity. He was mortified. I find it interesting that Simon Peter didn’t feel guilty until he saw Jesus. Then he realized the horrible mistake he’d made, and he felt awful.

You can disobey Christ and not feel guilty for a while. You come away saying, “That was fun. That worked for me. That’s not so bad. Everyone else would have done the same thing.”

During that period of disobedience, you may not want to come to church, you may avoid Christians, you may be repulsed by the Bible and quickly surf by the religious stations. In John 3:20 Jesus said, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."

But one day you’ll come face to face with Jesus and His light will expose the depth of your darkness and you’ll feel guilt. In my favorite psalm in the Bible, Psalm 139, The Psalmist asked in verses 7 & 8, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

Peter had wandered away from Christ, but even in the enemy’s courtyard, Jesus was pursuing him and using a rooster’s crow to bring him back. The Lord loves you. Do you know how much He loves you?...too much to let you continue in sin without confronting it.

I read a book entitled The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience by Ronald J. Sider—Why Christians Are Living Just Like the Rest of the World. He writes, “Evangelical Christians say they believe in Biblical moral standards and the power of God to transform lives—yet recent surveys show that most are not living any differently than the rest of the world.” Studies of spousal abuse, giving patterns, drinking habits, cohabitation, divorce, racism, addiction to pornography show a scandalous percentage of evangelical Christians are violating biblical standards with barely a twinge of conscience.