Recap
of 3/17/13 (John 18:24-19:3):
1. John (as the
synoptic gospels do) records Peter’s failure.
Peter’s denial of Jesus engenders a wide array of reaction as the
following quotes show:
-“I feel inclined to spend some time on Peter, because he
has such a great place in my heart. He
is so much like the rest of us, and we’re so much like him.” (Mitchell)
-“The Lord never said to Peter, ‘I’m sorry, but because
you failed Me, I just can’t use you anymore.’ No, He appeared personally to
Peter after His resurrection, and He elected Peter to preach the first sermon
on the Day of Pentecost. There has never
been a sermon like it! Thank God for a
Savior and a Lord like that. He will
always take you back!” (McGee)
-“The essence of the matter was that it was the real
Peter who protested his loyalty in the upper room; it was the real Peter who
drew his lonely sword in the moonlight of the garden; it was the real Peter who
followed Jesus, because he could not allow his Lord to go alone; it was not the real Peter, who cracked beneath
the tension and denied his Lord. And that is just what Jesus could see. A tremendous thing about Jesus is that
beneath all our failures He sees the real man.
He understands. He loves us in
spite of what we do because He loves us, not for what we are, but what we have
it in us to be.” (Barclay)
-“Since all men fail and even many noted Christians
stumble greatly, the record of Peter’s denials (and his subsequent restoration;
cf. Ch. 21) is of great pastoral comfort.” (Blum)
2. Jesus had
predicted Peter’s recovery at the “Last Supper” according to Luke 22:32 when he
told Peter that when he returned he should strengthen his brothers.
3. Peter had to
fail so that he could succeed. For his
future usefulness to God he had to: now his limitations, to know God’s
forgiveness, and to know the wideness of God’s mercy and grace.\
