JESUS CAN MAKE OUR FAILURES, RIGHT: JN.13:33-37 10-20-07
How many times have we ever needed a 2nd chance? I’m sure just about all of us some time are another could have used a 2nd chance to do something or another.
In the message today we’ll see how that Peter denied ever-knowing Jesus. He stated that he would even lay his life down for Jesus, and Jesus said to him that before the roaster crowed that peter would deny Him three times.
And of coarse it happened just exactly the way the Load said it would. But I want us to notice that Jesus didn’t turn from loving Peter, Jesus; we might say gave Peter another chance, as He does with all His children. And even to lost sinners.
I don’t know about you but he certainly was gracious to me and extended His mercy and grace to me many many times.
Let us keep in mind that the disciples didn’t have the gospel account to read as we do today, it’s possible that we might have been just like them.
To Jesus disciples it looked to them that Jesus had failed, Peter, and the rest of the disciples, were expecting something different.
They were expecting an overthrow of the Roman bondage and a new kind of kingdom.
They were going to be with Jesus all the way, and be His mighty men as Jesus took control and set up His rule.
But to them it appeared to have all failed, He didn’t conquer the Rome rule. And Jesus was even executed.
The disciples didn’t realize that this was all in Gods great plan, they as of yet didn’t understand that Jesus was to pay the sin debt at His 1st coming, they never considered are understood that He was to come a 2nd time to set up His Kingdom.
And so as Jesus was bound and led away the disciples scattered.
Peter was setting at the fire of sinners and warmed himself as they led Jesus by, we all know the story, how Jesus looked on Peter as Jesus was being led away. And then we read that peter ran out and wept bitterly.
But what we learn out of this is that there are three stages that many of us often go through for Jesus to make us better servants for Him.
*It seems that a lot of times we have the preconceived notion that nothing can tear us down because we feel that we’re so super strong in the things of God.
Listen as I read today’s text found in JN. 13: 33-38
this conversation occurred before Judas’s betrayal, listen as I read:
JN. 13: 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come;
36Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. 37Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. 38Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
And of coarse this happened as Peter warmed himself at the fire of sinners
Peter overestimated his ability.
He is arrogant. He has a certain belief in his own strength.
So much so, even if the rest of the disciples were to fall away, never would he, he thought. He was going to stay with Jesus no matter what.
Peter found himself surrounded by the Lord’s enemies there at the fire.
All of sudden, he realizes that he can’t stand true to his earlier boast.
All of Jesus’ followers had forsaken Him.
They proved…that the thing we do not want to do is the very thing that we do a lot of times.
And Peter, who said that he would not fall away, did follow Jesus…from a distance.
Now listen what happens to him… remember the Lord Jesus had told him earlier that he would deny Him 3 times before the roaster crowed.
Luke 22: 54Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
55And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.
58And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
59And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
61And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 62And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
I’m sure Peter felt like a complete failure. He had been a member of Jesus’ inner core group we could say.
He had seen miracles that the others had not.
He had even seen Jesus in the glory of the transfiguration, with Moses and Elijah.
He had had all these advantages. Yet when Jesus needed him most, he denied the Lord.
Peter was devastated by his own inability. And the text tells us that he wept bitterly.
It was probably the worst day of his life.
It broke his heart, for he had violated the trust of the One he loved the most.
He had just promised that when all the others fell away, he would be there.
And he was not.
Peter teaches us that most of us don’t know how sinful we are.
We think more highly of our abilities than we ought, so…we are shocked when we fall. We prefer to be shocked when someone else falls. That is much easier.
Peter had no one else to blame. He had denied Jesus. He had betrayed Him.
BUT JESUS MAKES SUCCESSES OUT OF FAILURES:
Now we read the account of Jesus love and compassion for Peter after Jesus was raised from the dead.
John 21:15-19 1After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, [twin] and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
3Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
[Fishermen usually worked in their light undergarments not underwear). Peter evidently put his outer garment on so when he reached land he would be properly clothed albeit soaking wet.
Normally people take unnecessary clothing off before going swimming. Peter’s somewhat irrational behavior seems to be another indication of his strong desire to get to Jesus quickly.
I want us to notice that every opportunity Peter has he gets close to the Lord? The other men sit in the boat and wait until they got to shore. But not Simon Peter. He can’t wait. He wants to be close to his Lord.]
8And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) [about 100 yards] dragging the net with fishes. 9As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16He saith to him again the second time, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” He saith unto him, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” He saith unto him, “Feed my sheep.”
17He saith unto him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.” Jesus saith unto him, “Feed my sheep.”
18Verily, verily, I say unto thee,* “When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.”
19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, “Follow me.”
Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny Him & fail.
Luke 22: 31And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
Jesus saw beyond the problem to Peter’s heart. It was because of Peters failure along with all other peoples failure that Jesus had gone to the cross.
It was for his sin.
The great thing about this is that God doesn’t wait until we are cleaned up and acceptable to love us and care for us.
Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. Jesus knew that Peter was going to fail. And now he was bringing him back.
Jesus wants us to know that there is nothing that can separate us from His love. If Jesus didn’t love Peter, they would not have even had this conversation
But Jesus was assuring peter that every thing is all right, I understand.
This was a divine appointment especially for Peter. Notice Jesus asks Peter three times if he loved Him.
He asks it three times to go along with the three denials of Peter.
Also let me say how Jesus asks these questions and Peter’s reply is significant, because they use different words for love.
Two of the words [love] we see here are agape love, which is the most powerful type of love, characterized by self-sacrifice.
The other word for love is phileo, which is a deep affection as a love between family and siblings. It is intense, but it is not as powerful as agape love.
So really Jesus’ first question is, “Do you agape[love] me more than these?”
Jesus asks this question, because Peter had said that he would outlast the rest.
But he did not.
Peter doesn’t boast anymore.
His response to Jesus was, “You know that I phileo [care deeply] you.”
He can’t say anything more or higher within himself, And he was not going to lie.
He was not going to say that he had the agape kind of love after he had denied Jesus.
He obviously did not have that kind of love for Jesus, and he is careful not to promise more than he ought to.
For Jesus knows the worst about us and still loves us.
He knows the best about us when others don’t.
He knows what we can and can not do.
Jesus again asks the question, “Do you agape me?” {do you love Me enough to sacrifice yourself for Me? and peters answer is the same, Lord thou knowest that I phileo Thee. { I care deeply for Thee}
Peter had to own the hurt.
we cannot grow from failures until we acknowledge our failures. That is to own up to them and learn from them.
And Peter has certainly been to school.
Jesus asks peter one more time.
But the question this time is different. Jesus asks Peter, “Peter, do you phileo me?” –do you really care deeply for me? -
Peter grieves at its asking, on this third time, Jesus comes down to Peter’s level.
This third time distressed Peter, and he had to feel guilty that Jesus changed it, from [agape, to phileo love] he had to recognize that it was grace.
Peter confirms his love for Jesus. Now more that ever, Jesus is on Peter’s heart.
There will be no more denial or betrayal.
Now is the time for service. Peter would show his AGAPE love for Jesus as he is crucified upside down when the time comes.
