The Apostle Peter

“I do not know the man,” was a statement that Peter was convinced he would never make. In fact, Peter had promised Jesus that even if others fell away, he would never fall away. He proclaimed that he would die before he denied Jesus. Peter was committed.

Nevertheless, when he was called upon to stand up for Jesus, he failed.

Peter had three opportunities to answer correctly, but each time he answered, he distanced himself even further from Jesus. First, he acted as if he did not know what they were talking about. Next, he denied knowing Jesus with an oath. Finally, he swore and invoked a curse upon himself. Each denial resulted in Peter’s behavior becoming progressively worse as he attempted to convince the people that he did not know this man who was on trial.

What is shocking is to think that these denials came from the same Peter who had previously confessed Jesus as the Christ, the rock upon which Jesus would build His church.

Upon Peter’s third denial, the Words of Jesus rang in his hear, and he wept bitterly because he had broken his promise to Jesus. Peter was shocked! He could not believe that he had done exactly what Jesus said he would. He denied Jesus, not just once, but three times.

What happened? He was so confident that he would not fail. Yet, he stumbled at the moment of truth.

What caused Peter to stumble? Was it fear? Was it the people? We may never know exactly, but many of us can relate to Peter’s struggle. It is easy for us to judge Peter’s actions and wonder how could he deny the One who had invited him to follow him? How could he deny the One whom he had seen perform miracle after miracle? But before we go too far, we must all remember that we sometimes act like Peter.

Maybe it was at a friend’s home, or lunch with coworkers, or at a work activity, when the subject of Jesus came up, and we remained silent. We did not speak up because we were afraid of what others would say or think about us if we identified as a follower of Christ.

We live in a culture that is obsessed with fans and followers.

Fans keep their distance, they cheer on the sidelines, and they never risk it all for the team. Followers, on the other hand, are on the team and they are willing to suffer for the sake of the team. 

Unfortunately, many who profess Christ are really just fans who want a crown, rather than followers who take up their cross. Are you a fan or a follower?

Peter began his journey with Jesus as a follower, and his failure reminds us that followers are not perfect. Followers make mistakes. After Peter’s failure, he wept bitterly. I believed he cried because not only did he let Jesus down, but he also let the other disciples down as well as himself.

Notice, Peter did not wait for someone to tell him that his denial was wrong, he immediately acknowledged the depth of his denial.

The good news is that Peter’s failure was not final, and it was not fatal.

Peter was able to recover from his failure. While the other disciples did not believe the women when they reported that Jesus had risen from the dead, Peter believed, and he ran to the tomb. He had another chance to make things right, and he took it.

And then we see Jesus. He never forgot about Peter. He recognized Peter’s sincere repentance and took the time to appear to Peter personally. God’s plan and purpose for Peter’s life was not derailed by his failure. Peter became one of the boldest witnesses for Jesus in the New Testament, and he was used to build Christ’s church.

Jesus offered grace, forgiveness, and restoration to Peter, and he gladly accepted it. Are you in need of God’s amazing grace, his unlimited forgiveness, or his gentle restoration?

This week, I encourage you to ask God to show you the areas in your life where you have denied him or denied his power. Confess those areas to him and ask him to give you the courage to be a bold witness for him in every area of your life.

Dr. Cicely Jefferson serves as the Dean of the College of Business at Dallas Baptist University.