Scripture John 21:15-19
Quote from basketball great Michael
Jordan: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost
300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot
and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is
why I succeed."
BEGIN with Peter facing Jesus for his
failures.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon
Peter,
"Simon son of John, do
you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
"Feed my lambs."
"Simon son of John, do
you truly love me?"
"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
"Take care of my sheep."
"Simon son of John, do
you love me?" DON’T
ANSWER THE 3rd TIME –
(come back to it at the end before he answers a 3rd time and then
realizes that Jesus was not asking because he didn’t trust him, but because he
did trust him and wanted Peter to once again trust himself in kingdom work)
With these questions, the Lord was
putting his finger on a very tender wound in Peter’s heart. Peter’s failure on
the night of Jesus’ trial had been simply horrible. In the hour of his Lord’s
greatest anguish, Peter had denied even knowing him. This sin shook Peter to
the core of his being. That scene is always thought to take place because Peter
denied Jesus 3 times – I suggest it is more because he FAILED Jesus 3 times and
3 times within each failure during those last hours before Jesus was crucified.
3x3
failures during Jesus last day
3 times he denied knowing Jesus and 3
times in a 24 hr period he had failed. 1) the time everyone remembers when
people were sure they had seen peter with Jesus and he denied even knowing him
3 times. 2) the night before in the garden when Jesus said stay awake with me
and pray – 3 times Peter fell asleep. 3) Earlier at the last supper, when Jesus
was washing the disciple's feet Peter failed Jesus 3 times – He questioned
Jesus’ action, he told Jesus that he couldn’t do it, he challenged Jesus to do
even more.
Peter failed him 3 times in his last 24
hours and within each time he failed him 3 times. That is not to mention
Peter’s additional failure that night when he cut off the ear of the high priest’s
servant and Jesus healed the man, Peter not realizing he was interfering with
God’s will.
The scripture for #1 Matthew 26:63-75The night before: Matt 26:33-35 Peter said, "Even if all fall away on account of you,
I never will." Jesus
answered, "I tell
you the truth, this very night, before the rooster crows,
you will disown me three times." But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will
never disown you."
The next morning:
Then the high priest stood up and said
to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is
this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent. The
high priest said to him, "I charge you under
oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you
will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming
on the clouds of heaven."
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you
have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered. Then they spit in
his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"
v69 Now Peter was
sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. But he denied it
before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
v71 Then he went out
to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth." He denied it again, with an
oath: "I
don't know the man!"
v73 After a little while, those standing there went up to
Peter and said, "Surely
you are one of them, for your accent gives you away." Then he began to call down
curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"
Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter
remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me
three times."
And he went outside and wept bitterly.
The scripture for #2 Mark 14:32-42
Mark 14:32-42
They went to a place called Gethsemane,
and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took
Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and
troubled. "My soul
is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them.
"Stay here and keep watch." Going a little farther, he fell
to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this
cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Then he returned to his disciples
and found them sleeping. "Simon,"
he said to Peter, "are
you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you
will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Once
more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found
them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to
him.
Returning
the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has
come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us
go! Here comes my betrayer!"
John 13:5-10
Jesus poured water into a basin and
began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped
around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
"Lord, are you
going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You
do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."
"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my
head as well!"
Jesus answered, “A
person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.
And you are clean.”
When else did Peter fail Jesus? Just
after he proclaimed Jesus as the Christ the son of the living God.
Matthew 16:15-23
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed
are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my
Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will
build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he
warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.
From
that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and
teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised
to life.
Peter
took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me,
Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of
God, but the things of men."
FORGIVING
& REINSTATING PETERHe had no idea how weak he really
was. He had imagined himself boldly standing before the Sanhedrin side by side
with Jesus, come what may. But that night, as Jesus was doing that very thing,
Peter couldn’t even stand before a servant girl.
That night, Peter-The Rock had crumbled
into a pile of useless stones. He was not who he thought he was. Peter had
never been less confident in himself.
So when Jesus questioned Peter’s love
for a third time that morning, Peter grieved that he might have lost the Savior’s
trust. He had failed. But he did love him. All he could do was appeal to Jesus’
omniscience:
“Lord, you know everything; you know
that I love you.”
And Jesus did. In fact, later Peter
realized what Jesus had done in that painful conversation. He had not doubted
Peter’s love at all. Rather, he had allowed Peter to confess his love for every
wretched failure he had made on that dreadful night. Falling asleep,
questioning the foot washing, and denying even knowing him. Amazing grace.
And the Lord had a word for Peter. In
the future, there would be another opportunity to confess his love publicly in
the face of great cost. And then he said, “Follow me.”
Shame over past failures and sins can
haunt and inhibit us in many ways. And Satan seeks to steal and destroy our
faith by shoving our failures in our face. But Jesus intends to redeem us
completely.
When Jesus chose you to be his disciple,
he foresaw your future failures as sure as he foresaw Peter’s. We may not want
to believe that we could deny Jesus by engaging in a sin that contradicts
everything we believe. But Jesus knows what is in us. John 2:25 So he exhorts us
along with Peter to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” matt 26:41
And when we do fail, we must remember
what Jesus said to Peter before his failure: “I have prayed for you that your
faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32 Peter was going to sin — miserably. But Jesus
had prayed for him. Jesus’ prayer was stronger than Peter’s sin, and it’s
stronger than our sin too. “He is able to save to the uttermost those who
draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for
them.” Hebrews 7:25
Peter’s failure did not define him. And
ours will not define us. They are horrible, humbling stumbles along the path of
following Jesus, who paid for them all on the cross.
And Jesus specializes in transforming
failures into rocks of strength for his church.
Peter’s failures and sin reveal Jesus Character… and thus God’s
Character. And, therefore, how God relates to us in times of weakness, sin and
failure. He is good and patient!
1. Peter doesn’t understand the Parable of
the 4 Soils but is confused. (Just like us) Jesus instructs him in the meaning
of the parable without rejection Matt 15:16
2. Peter and the other disciples
misinterpret Jesus words about “Yeast of Pharisees and Sadducees” and think
that Jesus is talking about “bread” (Just like us) Jesus repeats the phrase
until they understand. Matt 16:1
3. Peter & another other disciple try
to keep the children and babies away from Jesus. Jesus is indignant, but
instructs them with a little child in their midst Mark 10:13
4. Peter fails to “continue” to walk on water.
Jesus catches Peter and instructs him, maybe a little discipline but no
rejection Matt 14:22
5. Peter, filled with selfish ambition
(outright sin), argues with the other disciples about “Which one of us is the
Greatest!” Jesus instructs them all with a little child. Jesus doesn’t have a
meltdown and get frustrated at them. There is no rejection. Jesus instructs
them. – Mark 9:33, Mark 10:35, Luke 22:24
6. Peter speaks up in a Holy moment on the
Mount of Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah appear to talk to Jesus about
His departure (or death). No one is talking to Peter. But he suggests it is
good that he, James, and John are there so that they can build 3 shelters for
Jesus, Moses, and Elijah Matthew. It is absolutely ridiculous! There is no
rejection, even from the very presence of the Father in the cloud. But there
is instruction: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.
Listen to him!” 17:4 & Mark 9:5
7. Peter speaks for Jesus, without
consulting Him, and commits Jesus to pay the 2 Drachma tax. When Jesus finds
out… He doesn’t reject or even correct Peter, but He instructs him. Matthew
17:24
8. Peter resists the single greatest reason
Jesus became a human: to atone for the sin of the human race. Jesus severely
rebukes Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you
do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
However, note, Jesus does NOT reject Peter and doesn’t even demote him from
leading the church.
9. Peter is completely overwhelmed by his
sin, self-discovery of his own weakness and quits the Apostolic Team and goes
back to the only work he feels he can do… fishing. John 21 (Until Jesus
restores him)
10. Peter pulls back from the Gentiles &
Paul in fear when some of the circumcision group arrive in Galatia – Galatians
2:11
John 21:15-19
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon
Peter,
"Simon son of John, do
you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
"Feed my lambs."
"Simon son of John, do
you truly love me?"
"Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
"Take care of my sheep."
"Simon son of John, do
you love me?"
Peter
was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He
said,
"Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
"Feed my sheep."
"I tell you the truth,
when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when
you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death
by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
Let’s help each other with encouragement – not
condemnation. (Susan Debolt’s prom dress)
Dorothy Law Nolte's, "Children
Learn What They Live,"
·
If
a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
·
If
a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight
·
If
a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
·
If
a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
·
If
a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive.
·
If
a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself.
·
If
a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilty.
But...
·
If
a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
·
If
a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
·
If
a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
·
If
a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
·
If
a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love.
·
If
a child lives with friendship, he learns joy.
·
If
a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
·
If
a child lives with recognition, he learns to have goals.
·
If
a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
·
If
a child lives with honesty, he learns truth.
·
If
a child lives with sincerity, he learns to have faith in himself and those
around him.
·
If a
child lives with love, he learns that the world is a wonderful place.
No comments:
Post a Comment