Jesus Rescues Failures

Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. John 18:25-27

JESUS HAD TOLD PETER that Peter would deny him. But Peter didn’t believe him. After Jesus explained that he had prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail, his disciple had said with great confidence, “I’m ready to die for you” (John 13:37). After all, Jesus had given him the name Peter, which means “rock,” saying, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18). Peter believed he would stand strong.

But after Jesus was arrested, Peter discovered that he was not above denying the one he loved. Luke tells us he wept bitterly. And we feel the crush of his failure with him when we read the story.

Though Peter deemed himself a failure and went back to what he knew best —fishing —that was not the end of his story. A short time later, he looked up and heard Jesus calling to him from the shore. He sat with Jesus, eating the fish Jesus cooked him for breakfast as Jesus called him to feed his sheep. Clearly Jesus had not given up on Peter, despite his failure.

As our children make their way through this life, Satan is always ready to shove their failures in their faces. But Jesus is relentless in his pursuit of his children who have failed him and wonder if he’s had it with them for good. Jesus is the great restorer of those who fail but turn to him for forgiveness.

Lord, just as Peter’s failure did not define him, by faith we believe that our failures will not define us. Instead it is your grace and mercy that will define us, your restoration that will set things right, your commission that will get us going again.

But, Lord, the shame of failure is real. When shame sends ________ running away from you, go after him. Call ________ to yourself. Let ________ know that you are not finished using him, that his failure does not define him.