When I think of failure in the Bible, Peter is the first person who comes to mind. When Jesus asked him “do you love me?” Peter responded, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You” (John 21:16). Yet, when Jesus asked him to watch and pray, Peter fell asleep and was asked, “Are you sleeping? Were you not able to watch for one hour?” (Mark 14:37). At one point, Peter became so self-assured that he exclaimed, “Even if all will be stumbled, yet I will not!…Even if I must die with You, I will by no means deny You!” And then it happened. Peter went and denied the Lord—not once, not twice, but three times in one night! This was Peter’s condition as a fallen human being. He was a person who loved the Lord and yet failed, stumbled, and committed the deep sin of denying Christ’s name.
As such a sinner, shouldn’t Peter have been forsaken by the Lord, dropped as a disciple, left behind, and been prohibited from drawing toward the Lord again? No! According to the Bible, Christ’s reaction to Peter’s sin was quite the opposite. There are two words in Mark chapter 16 that show us Christ’s heart toward Peter after he denied Him three times—“and Peter”. Though simple, these words carry weighty significance and reveal God’s heart toward man.
After His resurrection, the Lord sent an angel who told three women, “But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee. There you will see Him, even as He told you”(Mark 16:7). The “and Peter” in this verse is so sweet because it denotes that Christ remembered Peter even in his failure. Despite Peter’s recent sin, Christ specifically mentioned his name to encourage Peter to return and draw near to Him. Christ’s intention behind His words “and Peter” was to turn Peter away from his sorrowful introspection and back to Himself. How wonderful that Christ would mention Peter specifically, even after Peter’s sin! How wonderful is it to have a Christ who remembers you and calls you specifically, despite your failure.
We don’t like to admit it, but as Christians, we are all modern day Peters. However, after reading the words “and Peter”, be encouraged because the same Christ who said “and Peter” is also calling you back to Himself today. Every day, we are sinning, failing, and stumbling, but every day Christ is saying, “and you”, “and you”, “and you”. He is specifically calling each one of us out of our failure and back to Himself. So, rejoice that we have a Christ who calls us even after failure, and run toward Him when He calls your name.
- L.O.V.E. and Moving On - June 8, 2016
- Burdened and Burdening - April 1, 2016
- And Peter—A Lesson in God’s Heart For Us - February 26, 2016
“As Christians, we are all modern day Peters.” Yes! We fail but the Lord is able to work in us if we give Him an opening. Lord, You know that we love You.