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Jesus’ Resurrection: Peter’s Reconciliation
by
Pastor Dave Strem
Used by
permission
It was a foggy morning. The fog was just beginning to lift
as the sun was beginning to rise and Peter and the
disciples had been fishing all night and caught
nothing. They were frustrated. And then on the shore
stood a solitary figure. Jesus showed up and that
changed everything. It changed the fish story. More
importantly, it changed Peter. Peter had denied Jesus
three times. Jesus had met with Peter and the disciples
in the upper room, but it wasn’t until this scene on the
lakeshore that Peter knew that his relationship with
Jesus was ‘Ok’.
Isn’t it great that God’s Word reveals real men with real
struggles. They are not white-washed historical
figures. They are men with failures so that we will
know how to deal with our failures, we will know how to
return, how to get straight, how to get back on board.
The book of Mark is the gospel that Peter inspired because
it was written by Mark under Peter’s guidance, so it
gives Peter’s insights, his specifics into what happened
and that is why it tells us how he started drifting. In
Mark chapter 14, we will see what caused Peter to
drift. Then we will read 1 Peter and see what he has
learned that made him into a mighty warrior for Christ.
While eating the Passover meal, the Last Supper, Jesus told
His disciples what was soon to happen. Mark 14:17-28
says: In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve
disciples. As they were sitting around the table
eating, Jesus said, ‘The truth is, one of you will
betray me, one of you who is here eating with me…. It is
one of you twelve, one who is eating with me now. For
I, the Son of Man, must die, as the Scriptures declared
long ago. But how terrible it will be for my betrayer.
Far better for him if he had never been born!…. All of
you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will
strike the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered.’
But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of
you to
Galilee and meet you there.’” Peter heard what Jesus said and
declared his loyalty. “Even if everyone else deserts
you, I never will.” Jesus turned to him and said,
“Peter, I tell you the truth. Today, yet this very
night, before the cock crows two times, you will deny me
three times.” But Peter insisted , “Jesus, you’re
wrong, even if I have to die with you, I will never
disown you.” The others also pledged their loyalty.
Peter was an aggressive individual. He brimmed with
self-confidence. Peter meant what he said to Jesus. He
fully intended to stay by Jesus’ side. The problem is
that he tried to do it in his own strength. Jesus is
quick to recognize this. He warns Peter, “You are going
to deny me three times in just a few minutes. You are
going to desert me.” Self-confidence is the
first step in drifting away from God because we think we
can handle everything on our own. “I have come a long
way, I can deal with this. Jesus, let me make you proud
of me how much power and how much strength I have, how
mature I’ve grown. I can figure this one out on my
own. I’m not a kid anymore. I want to do it myself.
God, go help those other people. They need it more.” 1
Corinthians warns us that when we think we are
spiritually strong we need to be careful because we are
ready to fall. Proverbs promises that a proud attitude
leads to ruin. The problem is thinking yourself to be
more than you are. Building yourself up and pushing God
out. We slowly but surely edge God out of our lives.
Not because we hate him but because we do not think we
need Him. We leave Him out of our family life. Pretty
soon we edge Him out of every important area in our
lives. Our self-confidence deceives us.
When Jesus is arrested, What does Peter do? He attempts to
fulfill his promise to Jesus with a sword. He is
willing to risk his life in a sword fight for Jesus.
But that is not what Jesus wanted. How does a man who
was willing to draw a sword to show his loyalty, desert
that very person minutes later? Obviously, Peter was
willing to risk his life for Jesus’, then why the
desertion?
Remember, the gospel of Mark was written by Mark under
Peter’s guidance. We find an interesting reference in
Mark 14:51-52 that does not appear in the other three
gospels. Peter must have wanted it included for a
reason. “There was a young man following along behind,
clothed only in a linen nightshirt. When the mob tried
to grab him, they tore off his clothes, but he escaped
and ran away naked.” That young man must have been
humiliated. Humiliated! Just the sound of that word
frightens us. Peter saw what happened to that young man
and he wanted no part of it. “That is not going to
happen to me,” he might have thought. Frightened and
running from humiliation, he ran into a little servant
girl, a teenage girl, who cowered him into denying Jesus
by simply saying, “You were one of those with Jesus, the
Nazarene.” Just then the first rooster crowed a warning
to Peter to deny Jesus no more. Peter soon denied Jesus
two more times. And then the rooster crowed a second
time. “And [Peter] broke down and cried” (14:72).
Peter was willing to die for Jesus but he was not
willing to risk humiliation for Him!
Notice a second thing about Peter. Look at Mark 14:32-41.
Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to pray with Him
during that agonizing time in the
garden of
Gethsemane as Jesus anticipated the suffering that would
soon be His. “My soul is crushed with grief to the
point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” Three
times He pleaded with them to pray with Him and three
times they slept instead. The second cause for Peter’s
fall was neglect. They had a full day. They had a full
meal. Jesus had already talked a long time. It is dark
and it is late. They did not know what was going on,
but Jesus did and Jesus compelled them, “This is
important, pray with me.” But they neglected it. Doing
the right thing is usually hard. It requires effort.
It requires more energy than just doing enough to get
by. It is difficult to consistently do the right thing.
We have to make sure that we have the energy to do the right
thing and not get fatigued by doing the wrong things.
We must learn to prioritize and discipline ourselves.
Fatigue is often the precursor to moral and spiritual
defeat. Fatigue should be a warning light in our
spiritual lives. When you get fatigued, you are going
to be tempted to drift away. It lowers your defenses.
It makes you vulnerable to temptation. So when fatigue
comes, beware and recharge your spiritual batteries.
You do not get recharged by reducing your involvement,
though. You get recharged by increasing your input.
You do not stop the outflow, you increase the input. If
you are running out of gas, you do not just pull over to
the side of the road and stop. You go to where the gas
is. If you are running out of gas, you do not just turn
off the motor, you go to where the gas is. If you are
running out of spiritual energy, you do not stop
ministry, you do not stop involvement, you do not leave
the family of God, you go to where the gas is. You get
refueled, you get refilled, you get connected with them
again. I have seen Christian after Christian pull back
because they want to get refueled but they do not do
anything to take in and so they end up drifting farther
from God.
Verses 53-54 describe yet another reason for Peter’s fall.
It says: “Jesus was led to the high priest’s home where
the leading priests, other leaders, and teachers of
religious law gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed far
behind and slipped inside the gates of the high priest’s
courtyard. For a while he sat with the guards, warming
himself by the fire.” Notice how Peter followed at a
safe distance. He stayed back. He let the current of
events pull him along. Do you try and follow Jesus at a
safe distance? Just far enough that nobody really
notices?
People respect men and women of convictions who are not
afraid to graciously live by godly standards. Not
flaunting it, not being preachy, but genuine, humble,
steadfast faith. Proverbs 29:25 teaches that fearing
people is a dangerous thing. It is a dangerous trap.
Fearing people means that they become god in your life.
You are looking to please them, to serve them, you are
letting them guide and guard what you say and do. If
you cater to the world, you are going to end up drifting
from God.
I want you to notice that Peter does not just keep his
distance. Look at where he is. He blends into the
crowd and enjoys the benefits. He sits by the guards,
the guards who arrested Jesus, those who chained him,
those who perhaps even drug him down that road. He is
by their side warming himself at their fire. Jesus is
being tried. He is going to be condemned to death and
Peter is there at the enemy’s fire warming himself.
There is something wrong with this picture. It is a
picture for us, almost a parable, about what can happen
in our lives. If you get seduced by the world’s
campfire, you are going to end up getting burned by it.
It happens subtly. Peter did not even notice.
We follow Christ for a number of years and we look at our
lives and we see someone else around us that we went to
college with and we think, “Well, how did they get so
far ahead of me? They have got more stuff and more
recognition. They have got more influence and more fun
things. I am a Christian. God is on my side. I should
have those things. I deserve those things. I want
those things.” We start redirecting our time, our
energy, our finances toward achieving, toward getting
those things. We get sucked into the world’s economy,
the world’s values, and the world’s priorities and
forget who our Lord is. And suddenly, you say, like
Peter, “I do not know the man.”
Now read 1 Peter chapter 5. I want you to see the lessons
that Peter learned. He did not stay in defeat. He did
not stay adrift. What does Peter say cured him? What
is his advice, or commands, to us. First, we are to
humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. The cure to
prideful, ego-centered self-confidence that edges God
out, is humble dependence. Knowing who we are and who
God is, is the first step to dependence on God.
Peter continues in verses 8-9a: “Be self-controlled and
alert! Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour, so resist
him, stand firm in the faith.” Faithful diligence,
self-controlled, alert. The devil is prowling. Peter
knows firsthand what defeat feels like. Peter is
calling all Christians to focused devotion. “Focused
devotion”—lets look at those key words. To be focused
on something you have to give it your undivided
attention. To be focused on Christ you have to look at
Him and what He has done. It implies mental focus.
Devotion speaks of the heart. We are to give our hearts
to God through Jesus Christ. With all our mental and
emotional energies our central core is to be focused on
Christ Jesus. Our devotion to God is focused for us
through Jesus Christ! If we focus our mental energies
and our heart’s longings on Christ and His purposes, the
roaring of Satan will not paralysis us with fear. And
it was fear that felled Peter!
If you are adrift in your faith, What do you need to do?
First, you need to recognize that you are drifting.
Admit that you have drifted from better days. Peter
admitted it with his eyes when he saw Jesus in that
courtyard. When he denied Jesus that third time Jesus
turned His head to look Peter in the eyes. And Peter
was ashamed. But unlike Judas, who ran from his guilt
by committing suicide, Peter faced his guilt and
accepted the forgiveness of Jesus.
Secondly, you must realize that God wants you to return to
Him. God wants you back. After what we have done,
after our unfaithfulness, He still wants us back.
Isaiah tells us that the Lord longs to be gracious. The
only thing stopping Him is the unrepentant human heart.
Does that include you?
Thirdly, we must remember that our sin has already been paid
for. Can you imagine God the Father looking down upon
the crucifixion scene and seeing Jesus hanging on that
wretched cross suffering unspeakable pains of body and
spirit and saying, “It is not enough! You need to do
something more.” The Father was infinitely pleased and
satisfied with what was accomplished at
Calvary.
The door of redemption and reconciliation was swung wide
open for all who will receive it for themselves. Your
sins are paid for, all you have to do is repent and
accept it for yourself!
Peter’s fear was conquered. Never again was he ashamed to
name Jesus Christ as his master and friend. Look at 2
Peter 1:1-2. “This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave
and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to all of you
who share the same precious faith we have, faith given
to us by Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, who makes us
right with God. May God bless you with his special
favor and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our
God and Lord, better and better.” F. B. Meyer says this
concerning Peter’s last day: “After reducing Rome to
ashes by the conflagration that his wanton cruelty had
kindled, Nero cringed before the passionate resentment
of his subjects, and in his endeavor to divert it from
himself, imputed the hideous crime to the Christians.
In his search for victims he scoured the empire,
striking first and hardest at the most illustrious and
well-known Christian leaders. Among these Paul was
certainly one, and Peter was almost certainly another.
“What befell them in Rome is
not chronicled by inspiration. Dionysius, Bishop of
Corinth in the second century, states that Peter and
Paul suffered martyrdom at the same time; and Jerome, in
the fourth century, attests that Peter was crucified and
crowned with martyrdom, his head being turned earthward
and his feet in the air, because he held that he was
unworthy to be crucified as his Lord was. Such was the
death that he experienced at Rome. By such an
exodus—for that is the Greek word—he passed out from
this world to the bosom of the Redeemer, whom he had so
ardently loved.” Crucifixion is a humiliating way to
die. There is nothing dignified about it. Yet, Peter
consented to be crucified upsidedown. Peter was
always willing to die for Jesus Christ, but he was not
always willing to be shamed for Him. Peter’s love for
Jesus changed that! To top of
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