Sermon # 7 - The Unchanging God And Changing Man Series

Peter’s denial and Jesus’ response

We read in Luke 22:59-61, And about an hour later another man insisted strongly, "There isn't any doubt that this man was with Jesus, because he also is a Galilean!" But Peter answered, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about!" At once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter (GNB)

When Peter was identified as one of the disciples of Jesus, Peter denied thrice that he did not know who Jesus was, or what they were talking about. After this happened when the rooster crowed, Jesus turned around, and looked straight at Peter.

Just imagine a situation where you send someone to a friend with a recommendation from yourself, and if that friend told that person whom you sent that they do not know you, I am sure you will never even want to look at that friend again, and will want to have nothing to do with them.

Not so with Jesus, for even in His moment of deep pain and anguish, He took time to look back at Peter with love in His eyes.

If we were to write down all the things that we have done against the Lord all the times we hurt Him and displeased Him, we will realize that we are not worthy for Him to even give a second look at us. God is faithful, He does not lie, and His love His unchanging and that is why He still keeps watch over us with His loving eyes.

Let us examine all those places where we have hurt the Lord or denied Him or missed out on being His witnesses. We must confess our sins, and ask the Lord to pardon us. God is ready and able to fulfill all of His promises that He has made to us.

When Peter met Jesus for the first time, Jesus changed his name from ‘Cephas’ to Peter which comes from the Greek word ‘Petra’ which means ‘rock.’ God made Peter a firm rock.

God is able to do that for us too, and to change all of our unsteadiness to make us firm, and established in Him. It is only the grace of God that we are part of His church, and that we are able to freely worship the Lord, and have this relationship with Him. Think about the grace of God and His faithfulness that has protected us, and kept us safe in spite of all the perils that surround us. We have received all of His love, and yet we are often unfaithful to the Lord. Let us decide to change, and be faithful to the Lord who is faithful to us.

There are two important points that we observed from the life of Peter. Firstly, though Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him, He took Peter along to pray with Him, though Jesus was going through tremendous agony and sorrow. The Lord wants us to pray, and spend much time with Him. Secondly, even when Peter denied Him Jesus looked on him with love. Remember that even when we denied the Lord many times, He never turns His face away from us, but looks on with love toward us. God’s face is never turned against His own, but always looks us with favor.

We read in Hosea 14:4, The LORD says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.(NLT)