Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you? I will lay down my life for you.”
Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” John 13:36-37
Peter the apostle is one of the most prominent characters in the Gospels, a rough and tumble man whose emotions often got him into trouble. And yet he was clearly one of the favorites of Jesus Christ, who loved him for his big heart. Peter's true name was Simon. With his brother Andrew, Simon was a follower of John the Baptist. When Andrew introduced Simon to Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus renamed Simon Cephas, an Aramaic word meaning "rock." The Greek word for rock, "petros," became this apostle's new name - Peter. He is the only Peter mentioned in the New Testament. His aggressiveness made Peter a natural spokesman for the twelve. Often, however, he spoke before he thought, and his words led to embarrassment. (Sound familiar? It sure reminds me of myself at times!)
Jesus included Peter in his inner circle when he took him, James and John into the house of Jairus, where Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark5:35-43). Later, Peter was among those same disciples Jesus chose to witness the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). The three were with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-42). I think it’s safe to say that Jesus and Peter had a very close relationship.
That being said, let’s look to the greatest booboo of Peter’s life and examine why Christ redeemed Peter and how that redemption gives us hope to this day. Most of us remember Peter for denying three times during Jesus’ trial, just as Jesus predicted he would. After his third denial, Peter began to cry bitterly. Peter’s response indicates he knew that Jesus understood his actions were impulsive and a reflection of his poor understanding of Jesus’ upcoming resurrection. Jesus KNEW that Peter would deny him, AND HE LOVED HIM ANYWAY. (Another example for us to follow.) Then, after his resurrection, Jesus took special care to rehabilitate Peter and assure him he was forgiven.
Jesus appeared to Peter after the resurrection, an account we often miss. (Luke 24:34), perhaps taking place before He appeared to the eleven in the upper room. Beside the lake, after the abundant catch, Jesus questioned Peter about his love but ended by commissioning him to be a shepherd of the flock.
At Pentecost the Holy Spirit filled the Apostles. Peter was so overcome that he began to preach to the crowd. Acts 2:41 tells us 3,000 people were converted that day. Through the remainder of the accounts in Acts, Peter and John were persecuted for their stand for Christ. Early in his ministry, Simon Peter preached only to Jews, but God gave him a vision in Joppa of a huge sheet containing all types of animals, warning him not to call anything made by God impure. Peter then baptized the Roman Centurion Cornelius and his household, understanding that the gospel is for all people.
Peter was a fiercely loyal man even though he made mistakes. Along with the other 11 disciples, he left his occupation (fisherman) to follow Jesus for three years, learning from him about the kingdom of heaven. Once he was filled with the Holy Spirit after Pentecost, Peter was a fearless missionary for Christ.
Like Peter, it’s pretty easy for us to believe that we are more faithful and courageous than we truly are. However, it isn’t until, like Peter, we encounter difficult and challenging moments that we discover the truth. Sometimes those moments reveal sinful and broken areas we have yet to identify and deal with. When we fail, there’s a huge temptation to give up. Many people have made tragic decisions and the shame of those decisions caused them to walk away from Christian community. But it is important to remember that failure isn’t fatal. Jesus is in the redemption business, and He doesn’t want us to let failure speak the last word in our lives. As He did with Peter, Jesus wants to heal us, restore us and invite us to recommit to following Him. And when we let Him, we might discover that our experience has made us stronger, wiser, and more compassionate than we would have been otherwise.