Easter was nearly a month ago and I haven't blogged in ages, but Peter's role in the Easter story still has me thinking...
Not long before Jesus was arrested, he predicted that one of his main guys, Peter, was going to deny him. That in itself is hard to swallow. I can't imagine being wrongly accused, arrested, and then one of my closest friends won't claim me. But what if I was Peter? If one of my friends is in the news, accused of something... will I stand by them? Or run away for fear of guilt by association?
Either way, Jesus is calling Peter out on it. And of course Peter thinks Jesus is crazy. No way would he deny Jesus. That's the crazier part to grasp when you're reading it. But have you ever been in that situation where you were so sure of something and then you found yourself in the middle of temptation or in a state of fear and you caved? I try not to even drive by Bojangles these days to avoid caving. Resistance is harder than it sounds when you're in the middle of temptation.
But even more than denying your BFF and even more than denying him after he warns you... Jesus told Peter, "But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers." (Luke 22:32)
I love this verse because it shows so much about who Jesus is...
1. Jesus knows Peter is going to deny him and yet he's still pleading in prayer for him. Sometimes I've really struggled with prayer, but it's so reassuring to me to know Jesus was still praying even when he knew the outcome wasn't going to change. Sometimes I can't change the outcome, but I can pray for the impact the outcome is going to have.
2. Jesus knew Peter was going to turn back. Peter denied Jesus three times... not just once or twice... but three times! Even after he was warned. And not only did Jesus take him back, he knew he would come back without Peter even asking. There's nothing too big to keep us from turning back.
3. Jesus told Peter to strengthen his brothers once he turned back. Sometimes we get caught up in our failures and think God couldn't possibly use us. We're trained to clean up our resumes or we won't get hired. If the potential employer finds out about the employment gap or sees that questionable social media stuff, we may not get the job. God doesn't work like that. He doesn't even look at your employment history. He's already hired you! Peter is going to deny Jesus three times... and yet God is going to use him to strengthen his brothers. It's not over when you mess up.
How can you use your denial or your weakness or your mess up to strengthen your brothers or sisters? Don't let your mess up be an excuse for more messes, but turn to Him and let that mess make you stronger.
