OVERCONFIDENT FAITH: Peter fails Jesus three times.
- John 18:15-18, 25-27.
- Sometimes we have false confidence.
- We think too highly of ourselves or too lightly of sin or Satan.
- What was at the heart of Peter’s denials?
a. Fear of death?
b. There was a convenient way out (just lie)?
c. Social awkwardness?
- Could it in part have been the unfamiliar setting that jarred him?
- It’s worth noting that, while Peter fails three times here, most of the rest of the disciples aren’t here at all. They failed in one fell swoop early and never came back.
- It’s likely that John is the other disciple named, although it’s possible that it might be someone with more prestige, like Nicodemus, owing to the easy access to the court. If it’s John, we would presume that John’s father had a business that did was connected to those at the Temple. Alternately, it could be that John was of priestly descent on his mother’s side and had connections through that. It seems more likely that it is John here, especially considering his habit elsewhere of leaving himself unnamed.
WHAT WE LEARN FROM PETER:
1. Jesus knew it would happen.
- Matthew 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31; Luke 22:33-34; John 13:37-38.
- Luke 22:31 – ask to sift
2. It didn’t disqualify Peter.
- Matthew 26:24; Matthew 27:5-8; Luke 22:62; John 17:12; John 21:15-19; Acts 2:14-41.
- The big issue here is repentance.
- Sometimes we feel so distraught when we fail Jesus that we just want to go hide. That’s understandable, but Jesus isn’t done with us yet.
- I think it would be instructive here to look at the differences between Peter’s situation and Judas’ situation.
a. We know Peter was restored to useful ministry through his repentance.
- Luke 22:62 speaks of Peter weeping bitterly at his betrayal.
- John 21:15-19 tells of Jesus’ three-fold restoration of Peter after the resurrection.
- Acts 2:14-41 shows Peter boldly preaching the first sermon of the church.
b. We know Judas’ story ended without repentance.
- Matthew 26:24 tells us it would have been better if he hadn’t been born.
- Matthew 27:5-8 tells us that he committed suicide.
- John 17:12 tells us that Jesus only lost the one doomed to destruction.
- In looking at all these together, the statement that is usually made is that Judas did not repent while Peter did. In both cases, there are signs of regret of their actions (Judas taking the money back and even his suicide; Peter weeping bitterly). In Peter’s case, we do not have a specific passage that details his statement (or whatever it looked like) of repentance. What we do have as definitive proof is the passages that give us the end result. We are told that Judas was “doomed to destruction” and we see Jesus restoring Peter. We presume that repentance was the difference in the two situations (remembering that repentance is different from mere sorrow). The outcome statements are clear even if the pathway statements are left unspoken with regards to repentance.
- Looking at Judas vs. Peter is helpful because it leads to the big point here: a mistake does not render us disqualified.
- We are not in a “one and done” situation or even a “three strikes and you’re out” situation. Now, I don’t want to make this sound like it doesn’t matter what we do or that we should just go freely sinning and saying that our behavior doesn’t matter. That’s not what we’re called to.
- But it is true and important and hopeful that we are not disqualified because we falter. This is encouraging for all of us who are sinners, which is all of us.
3. Jesus anticipated Peter’s return.
- Luke 22:32.
- We can take the point that we made a moment ago a step further thanks to what Jesus says in Luke 22. There He anticipates the return of Peter, after predicting the faltering that Peter would go through.
- Of course, Peter didn’t believe that he was going to fail, but Jesus knew what was coming.
- I heard a statement a while back that isn’t precisely true, but has a good amount to recommend it: when God asked you to obey, He factored your stupidity into it.
- That statement is amusing, if a bit off. What I would say that it touches on that is worth holding onto is that God knows our weaknesses and struggles and temptations when He calls us.
- Thankfully Christianity is not a “one-strike” religion, as we noted a moment ago. Beyond that, though, God still believes that we useful beyond our mistakes and intends to do great things through us.
- Maybe talk about “my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
- Maybe talk about how our struggles will likely do more to draw people to Christ than our strengths.
WHEN WE FAIL JESUS: Failure is not final.
- John 18:15-18, 25-27.
- Be encouraged by Peter and his experience.
- Embrace the idea that God wants you back.
- Ways that we fail:
a. We fall into sin.
b. We fail to faithfully walk forward.
c. What we omit.
