Another Intimate Moment with Peter (Luke 22:31-34, 54-62)

Jesus did predict that Peter would deny Him three times, but that he would be restored to fellowship and service. Poor Peter. He followed the crowd when he should have been fleeing. If he would have gone his own way, he would never have denied his Lord. Jesus warned him about temptation in the garden. Yet he walked right into temptation.

As I watch Peter, I see him gradually moving into the place of temptation and sin; and his actions parallel the description in Psalm 1:1. First, Peter walked "in the counsel of the ungodly" when he followed Jesus and went into the high priest's courtyard. Peter should have followed the counsel of Jesus and gotten out of there in a hurry! Then, Peter stood with the enemy by the fire; and before long, he sat with the enemy. It was now too late and within a short time, he would deny his Lord three times.

The crowing of the cock reminded Peter of the Lord's words, and he went out and wept bitterly. Oh, but I see Jesus in complete control of the situation, even though He was bound and being harassed by the authorities. By controlling one bird, Jesus affirmed His sovereignty. How powerful is that? According to Genesis 1:26, god gave man authority over the fish, the fowl, and the animals. Peter had seen Jesus exercise authority over the fish and the animals; but now he recognized His authority over the birds.

However, this is the beginning of a new day! The cockcrowing was also an invitation to repentance. Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and this look of love broke Peter's heart. This scene reminds me of the verse in Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." What a contrast between Peter and Judas. Peter wept over his sins and repented, while Judas admitted his sins but never really repented. Judas experienced remorse, not repentance. When Judas went out from the Upper Room, it was night; but when Peter went out to weep bitterly, there was the dawning of a new day. It is the contrast between godly sorrow that leads to true repentance, and the sorrow of the world (regret and remorse) that leads to death. How wonderful it is that Jesus restored Peter and enabled him to serve with great power and blessing.

In the garden that night, I look and find both guilt and grace. Peter was guilty of resisting God's will. Judas was guilty of the basest kind of treachery. The mob was guilty of rejecting the Son of God and treating Him as though He were the lowest kind of criminal.

But oh how gracious I see Jesus was! Like King David, He crossed the Kidron, fully conscious that Judas was betraying Him. He went into the Garden of Gethsemane surrendered to the Father's will. He healed Malchus' ear. He protected His disciples. He yielded Himself into the hands of sinners that He might suffer and die for us.

That makes me think of the song....."Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all!"