Dinner with the Denier

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This week we are going to drop in a private conversation that Jesus is having in the midst of his last meal with his friends before death. This is another one of those settings where Jesus is with his closest of friends, those who he has spent the most time with, and he knows he is about to leave them, and his heart is very heavy.
There are many powerful and important teachings during the Last Supper. We could talk about the institution of Communion, Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit, his declaration in about being the only way to salvation, or the teaching of the vine and the branches, all powerful and important pieces of his teach, but today I want to look at a small piece of conversation that Jesus has with Peter, because we can easily glance over it, and miss some pretty important truths if we are not careful.
So, Jesus and Peter have this little aside conversation in 31-34 and inside of these verses are 3 deep truths I want us to consider today.
1- Jesus is not the only one fighting for you- We often talk about how Jesus is pursing us and died for us, and Jesus wants us- but he is not the only one. Satan has a vested interest in your life, too. Paul wrote in that there is a war going on- he calls it a wrestling match. Jesus says to Peter “Satan demanded to have YOU” now, there is a different tense of “you” used in v31 and v32- in v31 the word you is collective- we would use the word “yall.” Jesus is talking about all Christians, all followers of Jesus he demands to have us. This is not a cordial negotiation or a deal, he is interested in kidnapping the people of God. This same Peter would go on to write in that the Devil is a roaring lino who prowls around looking for someone to devour. Lions do not negotiate for their dinner- they do not approach a gazelle's mother and ask for permission to eat their young, they wait and pounce when least expected. Jesus is completely aware of this and wants to protect Peter and others. Remember, friends, the Devil is real and has a real desire to ruin the Kingdom of God. He wants to destroy all that God calls good, and wants to capture as many of God’s people as he can.
2- Jesus prays for you and strengthens you- But there is good news! Jesus’ response to the plot of the Devil is relayed to Peter. “But I have prayed for you” says Jesus. We see one of the prayers that Jesus prays for us in . Jesus prays for our protection and our strength, we do not fight this battle alone, no we have the warrior, Jesus on our side. Think about this for a moment, the King of the World, the one that all things were made for and by prayed for you the night before his death, he prayed for you throughout his ministry. But wait, there’s more. tells us that Jesus’ praying has not concluded. No, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God right now praying and interceding for his people.
3- Jesus is faithful even when we are not- This may be the most fascinating things about this exchange between Jesus and Peter. So, Jesus looks at Peter and says “when you turn back to me, strengthen your brothers.” Peter says “NO WAY!, I am not turning my back on you!” and Jesus responds- “Yes, yes you will...” Think about this for a moment, Jesus is 100% aware that Peter is going to fall away and deny him- 100%, yet Jesus does not give up on Peter.
Let me ask you a question, if you knew your best friend was going to gossip about you and spread lie about you, would you still be their friend? How about all of you that run or own a business, if you knew that the employee that you are about to hire was going to embezzle money, would you still hire them? Probably not, right? Not Jesus. Jesus is fully aware that Peter is going to deny him and leave him all alone, and Jesus’ response is grace. Jesus, by human standards, has every right to dismiss Peter, to be mad at Peter, to turn the tables on Peter and deny Peter before Peter has the chance to deny him, but that is not what Jesus does.
In fact, Jesus does that exact opposite, plus some. Not only does Jesus continue to love and accept Peter, he assigns him a leadership position- this is like taking the person you know is going to embezzle from you and making them a manager with keys to the safe! Jesus says to Peter, when you turn back strengthen your brothers.
Do you know why that is? I’ll tell you why I think Jesus does this, and it connects to “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but God knows the heart.” You know, friends, we are really good at justifying our on actions in our minds. We can make lists that are a mile long with reasons why we do the things we do, and many people can convince themselves, and sometimes others, that even the worst actions are right. I am sure that when Peter stood in front of his accusers the next day, that in that moment he saw no other way than to deny Jesus. Some might even say he was right- what else was he going to do? Die alongside of Jesus?
reminds us that God sees our hearts. Now, I know we often use this Scripture to talk about when someone’s heart is wrong- we almost use this Scripture as a threat- GOD KNOWS YOUR HEART! We tell them, and I do believe that is true. However, what if this exchange between Jesus and Paul reminds us that Jesus not only knows our hearts when our hearts are wrong, but Jesus knows our hearts when they are right.
Here’s what I mean, Jesus knew Peter, and we often focus on what Peter did wrong- he got angry and cut of the soldier’s ear, he sank in the water, he denied Jesus- but let’s not forget that Peter also was a missionary to a huge group of people, he was the only one to get out of the boat, and the first disciple to publically confess that Jesus was God’s Son. So, getting ready for his lowest moment, Jesus reminds him- I know you Peter, and you are not the moment that is about to happen.
Jesus knew that Peter’s heart was after him, Jesus knew that Peter desired to serve him and Jesus knew that Peter loved him- that is what Jesus was choosing to focus on in that moment. Yes, Peter was about to have his most colossal mess-up but as I have said a million times, you are not your worst decision or your worst moment. Instead, you are forgiven because of the mercy of God.
When God was about to create man, according to a Jewish legend, He took into His counsel the angels that stood about his throne. “Create him not,” said the angel of Justice, “for if Thou dost he will commit all kinds of wickedness against his fellow men; he will be hard and cruel and dishonest and unrighteous.” “Create him not,” said the angel of Truth, “for he will be false and deceitful to his brother-man, and even to Thee.” “Create him not,” said the angel of Holiness, “he will follow that which is impure in Thy sight, and dishonor Thee to thy face.”
Then stepped forward the angel of Mercy (God’s best beloved) and said: “Create him, our Heavenly Father for when he sins and turns from the path of right and truth and holiness I will take him tenderly by the hand, and speak loving words to him, and then lead him back to Thee.”
I wonder how Peter felt after his denial, what was going through his head? I bet he was beating himself up pretty good- at least I would have been.
In
We could all learn something from this exchange. This is how big God’s grace is- he forgives Peter before Peter denies him and then charges him to a leadership position, that may friends is way beyond common wisdom. But says it best “Mercy triumphs over judgement.” God is a God of judgement, Jesus is a righteous king, but above all of that mercy wins. That is what the blood of Jesus is all about. Radical forgiveness.
But wait, there’s more. After all, the point goes on beyond “I sure am glad God forgives me and knows my heart” it has to go one step further for the people of God. Consider when Jesus tells us “Be merciful as your father is merciful.” This mercy is not just something we are called to accept, this mercy is something we are called to model. I have talked with most of you that have teenagers and most of the time at some point of one of our conversations we have said something like “they are a good kid, they just made a dumb decision” that is really good logic, but somehow we lose that logic for adults. We live in a culture where people are looking for any reason to destroy one another- sometimes even bringing up dumb things they did 30-40 years ago. I am so glad God does not do that to us. If you have asked God for his forgiveness, there will never be a moment in your life when God will show a replay of your sins. After all, we are told that Love keeps no record of wrongs. That is the kind of mercy we are called to model, both for one another and for ourselves.
I wonder how Peter felt after his denial, what was going through his head? I bet he was beating himself up pretty good- at least I would have been.
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