Daily devotion – Peter
Every Easter, Peter and his denial of Christ three times is raised as part of the Easter narrative. It happened!
When in Israel we visit the courtyard where Peter sat warming himself by the fire outside of Caiaphas house where Jesus had been taken from Gethsemane and held as a prisoner. You all know the rest of the story – Peter that night denies knowing Jesus three times and then the rooster crows after his third denial. All just as Jesus said it would happen.
The Bible tells us that Jesus looked at Peter as He denied Him that third time – and Peter then ran off weeping into the darkness!
Often, we look at Peter’s denial in a condescending manner thinking that we would never have done what he did. We need to be careful. For this is exactly the place that Peter’s fall started. Remember he had said he would never deny Jesus, in fact he stated he would die for Jesus instead.
Have you ever denied Christ? Think carefully before you answer. For sadly, all of us have in some way shape or form. At times maybe openly but at other times simply by saying nothing!
I feel for Peter every time I sit in that courtyard in Israel.
But wonderfully our loving gracious God, knows our stumbling’s, our weakness. Back in the Garden of Gethsemane the disciples instead of praying with Jesus as He had asked them in His hour of need, slept on without coming to His aid as Jesus on this one occasion asked of them to.
But like the prodigal father welcoming back the prodigal son, when Jesus rose from the grave that first Sunday morning, He revealed Himself to Peter! How wonderful that meeting must have been for Peter!
Let us remember that our Lord loves us not for our goodness, or our capacity to achieve. No, He loves us simply because He is the God of love and His love for us is unconditional.
Easter is about the Cross and Christ’s Resurrection absolutely, but it is also about our forgiveness being wrought by He who loved us. Make Easter 2022, a time to not only celebrate Christ’s Resurrection but also a time to celebrate our redemption because of His great love and sacrifice for us.
Jhn 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
As Christ loved and forgave Peter, so too does He love us and forgive us as well – even when we stumble!