Day 3: Peter

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Luke 22:61

Everyone needs a Peter in their life. If you’re ever in a pinch, or need someone to back you in a conflict, then Peter is your guy. Fiercely loyal and overly zealous for the cause of righteousness, Peter was the man who volunteered to walk on water with Jesus (Matthew 14:28), promised that he would follow Jesus into death (Luke 22:33), and cut off a man’s ear with no hesitation after Judas’ betrayal (John 18:10). And yet, for all his passion, Jesus declared that Peter would betray him also, denying their relationship in front of the accusatory crowd. Jesus’s prophecy must have been an awkward and offensive moment for both Peter and the rest of the disciples during the Last Supper, and yet, before the cockerel crowed three times, Peter denied he ever had anything to do with Jesus. At one point even swore to convince his accusers (Mark 14:71). The shame and guilt that overcame Peter when he locked eyes with Jesus after his denial must have been indescribable.

Peter wasn’t a hypocrite. He was scared. Up to that point, he had seen miracles. He had spent three years walking beside the messiah and basking in all the excitement that it brought. His life had never been in such jeopardy before, and for the first time, he saw that all the persecutions and horrors that Jesus had spoken about before were one hundred per cent real. Few people really know what that tense moment would have felt like, and it is easy to talk big during peace. We only know who we truly are during crises. This was Peter’s. It was time for the big talker to be humbled.

When Jesus returns, after rising from the dead, Mary and family are told by the angel in the empty tomb to specifically “tell [Jesus’] disciples and Peter” that he has risen (Mark 16:7). Isn’t that wonderful? Later on, when Jesus finally appears to Peter face-to-face, there is no judgement, but he tells Peter to follow, asking him three times if he still loved him. Jesus was giving him another chance to correct his mistake of the past; the three denials before the cock crows are now three firm affirmations.

Two disciples betrayed Jesus that night, and only one of them lived to tell the tale. What separated Peter from Judas was his willingness to face the wrong he had done, and the sincerity of his heart. He wanted to be better, that was why he didn’t cower when Jesus appeared to him, in fact, as soon as he realised that Jesus was on the shore, Peter jumped out of his boat and desperately half-swam towards him (John 21:7). On the flip side, Judas only wanted to assuage his guilt. We should take note of Peter’s response to his shortcomings. Hiding away from Jesus will do no good; when we let ourselves down, we need to flock towards him for help.

Jesus is always standing on the shore, patiently waiting. It’s up to you to wade towards him, back to where you were before.