Jesus, the Magnificent Leader of Men
(I am picking the title here as a reference to this.)
I believe I’ve mentioned this episode before, but for some reason I thought of it again over the weekend and decided to repeat it. Consider this famous passage that occurred after the Last Supper:
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Of course, Jesus’ prediction comes true. Even though Peter had the courage to follow (at a distance) Jesus after He had been taken into custody (while the other apostles fled), nonetheless Peter eventually denied knowing Jesus when he was confronted about it:
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
For all of us who have remained silent when scoffers mocked things we hold dear–even in cases, Jesus–this should pierce our hearts.
But what I want to focus on is not Peter’s failure, but rather Jesus’ rehabilitation of him. For context, Jesus is making Peter the Rock upon which His church will rest. In just a short while, Peter is going to deliver a single sermon that wins thousands for Christ.
How is this possible? Peter is broken after his denial of His Lord. How can he possibly forgive himself for this failure and move on, serving the Lord?
Because Jesus fixes it, that’s how. After His resurrection but before His ascension, Jesus has this conversation with Peter:
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time,“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time,“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him,“Follow me.”
In isolation, this passage seems odd, and no doubt a critic could say, “Aha! Yet again, the God of the Bible is really insecure and needs to be constantly adored by humans.”
But of course, what’s really happening here is that Jesus is giving Peter the opportunity to affirm Him three times, to make up for the triple denial. Obviously this conversation isn’t for Jesus’ ego, it’s for Peter’s rehabilitation.
After all, Jesus has a job for him to do.
I don’t wish to avoid or belittle the subject of this piece, but it struck me that Peter sounds a little hippy-ish.
“But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.”
But yes, the symmetry of the three denials and three affirmations is plain.