Peter loved Jesus but he blew it every time. It was humbling.

Jesus even went to so far as to say that Peter would deny him 3 times.

Never!!

It wasn’t much later that soldiers, the servants of the high priest and others came to arrest Jesus. Jesus had just told them to get a sword and now this.

Peter might have just wanted to prove how much he loved Jesus, so he took out his sword and struck the servant. Jesus told him to put his sword ahead, then Jesus healed the man.

Peter was confused and embarrassed. Didn’t this prove his love? That he was willing to go to battle and even die for his rabbi? Hadn’t Jesus just told them to get a sword?

Certainly he proved he wasn’t going to deny him. It seemed the test was over and he somewhat passed the test, although he failed.

But then Jesus was arrested. And all the disciples ran off.

Peter snuck into the courtyard to warm himself by the fire and follow the proceedings. It was there that he was identified.

Peter denied knowing Jesus.

After the third time, the cock crowed.

A Bible researcher discovered that this wasn’t an actual rooster. But it was the cockcrow of the trumpet that sounded the changing of the guard for the morning shift. It was called the “cockrow.”

Regardless, the cockcrow sounded and Peter realized he had done exactly what Jesus said he was going to do – deny him three times.

Peter. Was. Devastated.

In his friend’s darkest moments, he kept blowing it. First when he cut of the servant’s ear, then when we ran away with the others, and lastly in the courtyard where he flat out denied Jesus.

You would think Jesus would give up on Peter. To label him as a lost cause. He just fumbled too much to be trusted with something so great.

But actually failure is oftentimes the best qualifier. It brings knowledge and humility.

And Peter was humbled.

We will read in the book of John where Jesus both confronted Peter for his betrayal and in the same breath, restored and commissioned him. There was grace, forgiveness, restoration and purpose.

There is great hope for those who love well but keep stumbling.

Don’t give up.

Just keep following Jesus.

—–

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.  On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”  He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,  “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,  but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”  And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?  Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.  And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.  A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.  The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”  And he went outside and wept bitterly.