We don’t grasp how amazing Peter’s story is
There may be no more astonishing example of the amazing grace and mercy of God than Peter.
You may be thinking, what’s more amazing than the Lord choosing Paul, a persecutor of the church, to be an apostle? But Paul didn’t already walk with Jesus for three years and witness all His miracles, like Peter did. Paul didn’t walk on water, like Peter did.
Peter denied the Lord after all of that!
After all that, Peter publicly stated that He had no relationship with Jesus, and he did it with stunning, blasphemous vehemence.
Matthew 26:74 says “he began to curse and swear.” That doesn’t mean he used cuss words; it means he swore it like an oath. He invoked a curse on himself. He basically said, may God strike me dead if I’m lying.
That God didn’t do just that, right there and then, is already astonishing grace. But that was just the beginning of His mercy.
Why Peter didn’t fall away
Right after Peter’s third denial, Jesus looked at him. How many of us have shuddered when imagining that look?
If you have kids, how do you look at them when they’ve done something wrong? Is it a look of disapproval? Of scolding? Of disappointment? Of anger? Have others looked at you like that? How much worse would you imagine it after your closest companion denies that he even knows who you are? And on top of that, Peter did that to the Son of God.
I’m sure many people project that onto the Lord’s look at Peter.
But this isn’t the first time Jesus “looked” at Peter. A form of the same Greek word is also used in John 1:42 — when they first met. “Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, ‘You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas (which is translated, A Stone).”
It was a look that expressed possession. You belong to Me, Jesus told him then. Your identity is in Me.
I believe it was the same look that fateful night. Peter belonged to Jesus, and nothing was going to snatch him out of the Shepherd’s hand.
As Peter said, I’m not with Him, Jesus said, I’m with you. As Peter said, I don’t know Him, Jesus said, you are Mine.
After that, Peter “wept bitterly.” That describes an uncontrollable wailing, in anguish and despair. Peter was overwhelmed by his crushing guilt.
Around the same time, another disciple who forsook Jesus, but then regretted it, hung himself. What was the difference between Peter and Judas? What would keep Peter from succumbing to his guilt like Judas did?
Earlier that night, Jesus told Peter that the devil had asked for him, to sift him like wheat (Luke 22:31). “But I have prayed for you,” Jesus said, “that your faith should not fail; and when (not if) you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
When the devil wants Peter, and Jesus wants Peter, who do you think wins? The Lord’s answer to the devil was no, you can’t have him. It was a decisive claim, and Peter was kept by the authoritative intercession of the One he would deny.
But it gets even more astounding.
That curse Peter called down upon himself? Just hours later, Jesus took it upon HIMself.
Jesus bore the curse Peter invoked while denying Him. Jesus bore the wrath that Peter deserved for denying Him.
Earlier in His ministry, Jesus said He would deny those who denied Him. But instead of Jesus forsaking Peter, it was Jesus who was forsaken in his place.
Behold and ponder the magnitude of this mercy.
Night and day
Just as incredible was the effect Peter’s redemption had on him.
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On that night, Peter sat down by a fire, not wanting anyone to know about Jesus.
On Pentecost, the fire of the Holy Spirit made Peter stand up and tell everyone about Jesus.
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On that night, Peter was cut to the heart.
On Pentecost, thousands were cut to the heart and saved through his preaching.
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On that night, Peter didn’t want anyone to know he had been with Jesus.
In Acts 4, when the Sanhedrin saw his boldness, they realized he had been with Jesus.
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On that night, Peter denied what he had seen and heard.
In Acts 4, he said, “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
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On that night, Peter was ashamed of the name of Jesus.
In Acts 5, he rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
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If the Lord can forgive Peter, He can forgive anyone. If the Lord can use Peter, He can use anyone. No matter what we’ve done.
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