Some time ago I made a large mistake and it almost cost me everything I had. When I spoke to my youngest son he said, “Dad just promise me, that you will get back on the horse and ride again.” My son was only telling me what I have told so many, life is all about falling down, getting up, dusting yourself off, and going again.
Micah 7:7-10 Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me. 8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.
9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.
10 Then she who is my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me,
“Where is the Lord your God?”
My eyes will see her; Now she will be trampled down Like mud in the streets.
While Jesus was eating the last Supper meal with His disciples, he told Judas that he would betray him. Then Jesus told Peter that he would deny him.
Matthew 26:20-25 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”23 He answered and said, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.”
Luke 22:31-34 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day until you deny three times that you know me.”
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders…So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)
Remorse is a deep feeling of guilt and sorrow. Feeling sorry for yourself. Guilt keeps you in bondage and increases the power of sin. Guilt is something you can feel within yourself but never allow others to know the reason for your guilt. The power of sin is in its secrecy.
Peter reacted completely differently and did not run away or let shame destroy his life. He hung around the disciples and especially the disciple whom Jesus loved. When Peter denied Jesus a third time, he knew he had blown it, and that he had failed.
Luke 22 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
After Peter had denied Jesus, he like Judas was sorrowful but His sorrow led to repentance and he went back to join the other disciples.
The day Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty she went first to Peter and the disciple Jesus loved and told them. Peter and the disciple ran to the empty tomb. John 20:4
So many when they have sinned do not run to Jesus. They run away. They go into hiding and many lose their faith. They leave the body of believers. If you have sinned run back to Jesus as fast as you can.
Acts 3:19-21: "Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."
John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
It is in the heart of the Father not to condemn anyone or lose anyone to corruption
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
The truth of the good news of Jesus will lead to repentance. You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. Repenting is turning from your old way of thinking, worldly, sinful thinking, and embracing the word of Christ by faith.
The Greek word metanoia “repentance,” a change of mind, a change in the inner man. Our thinking must be changed (transformed) from the old worldly, thinking into new, Spirit-led thinking. Which will result in our actions changing.
Romans 12:2 and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The most wonderful truth of the word of God is that God’s intent is to reconcile us all back to Himself.
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
Jesus went to all of his disciples where they were and reconciled them back to himself. They did not really believe it yet. I think they had become discouraged, Jesus the one who would be King, their leader was now dead. I am sure they were fearful and not sure what to do next.
So, they went back to what they knew well, fishing. Although when Jesus first called them, He told them that He was going to make them fishers of men.
John 21:1-17 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So, they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Jesus Restores Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, 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 all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Firstly, fishing was not what they were supposed to be doing, so they had no success, no Fish
Secondly, Jesus appears and says “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” How did the fish only swim on the right side of the boat and not the left side?
Thirdly, when Peter heard it was the Lord, he did not wait for the others. Remember he was the one who denied Jesus. He knew Jesus well enough to know that Jesus did not condemn him. He swam ahead to get to Jesus first.
Then fourthly, when they reached the shore, Jesus had a fire with fish already laid on it. Jesus provides beyond our own ability to provide for ourselves. He is our source of all things. He then gave them bread and fish. (Remember the little boy with five loaves and 2 small fish)
Jesus then speaks to Peter after they have eaten breakfast.
How many times did Peter deny Jesus? Three Times.
Three times Jesus restores Peter back to the calling that was given to Peter when Jesus first met him.
It is the same circumstance where Jesus found Peter for the first time, fishing and catching nothing.
Luke 5:1-11 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”
9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
It is possible to fail and make mistakes. We can make very bad decisions when we are emotionally down.
Failure is not the end of the road, giving up is the end of the road.
Shame is a combination of failure and pride. Pride makes us hide away like Adam. Or go fishing like Peter. But Jesus will look for you and call you by name. Jesus is in the restoration ministry.
Hebrew 6:18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
I want to encourage you today, to run for refuge. Jesus has paid for our mistakes and has already forgiven us. Let Jesus Christ restore you today. Amen
