Who Was Peter?

As we worshiped together on Sunday, we explored the question “Who was Peter?” We looked at Peter through the windows of faith, failure, forgiveness, and future glory. As we reflect on the love of Christ in restoring Peter, let’s explore two aspects of God’s forgiveness.

Peter was the outspoken leader of the Twelve. He made a grand confession and witnessed great miracles. He made big promises, but on that fateful night, by a charcoal fire, Peter repeatedly denied even knowing Jesus. Under pressure, the rock cracked. What would Peter do? Where would he go? John 21 reminds us of the source of forgiveness. The passage illustrates, not just how we respond to our failures, but how Jesus does. The risen Christ goes looking for Peter and finds him where He originally found him: in a boat fishing. Seeing Jesus, Peter abandons a miraculous catch of fish (and a perfectly good boat) and jumps into the water to swim toward his Lord. Peter’s plunge reminds us: if we have faith in Jesus, not even our greatest failures should keep us from running toward the One who ran toward us. When we fail, do we remember that Jesus Christ is the only source of forgiveness? Can we say, as Peter did on another occasion, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68)? Where else to do we go looking for the forgiveness that is found in Christ alone?

The passage also reminds us of the setting of forgiveness. When Peter makes it to shore, he discovers that Jesus has prepared a charcoal fire. The setting would surely take him back to his moment of shameful failure. This might seem like a cruel reenactment, but the Lord takes us through the pain of our sin—not around it—to experience His forgiveness. Jesus, who delights to eat with His weary, failing sojourners, transforms the setting from a fire of failure to a fire of fellowship. He meets us in our frailty and transforms our failures into moments of forgiveness that grow our faith. When we fail, do we realize that the setting of our sin is the very place where the Lord intends to meet us with His life-transforming grace?

As sojourners, the Lord is teaching us that He often does His most amazing work when we fail. Our sin can humble us, but a sweeter humility comes when we are humbled by the grace of God. The forgiveness of Christ teaches Peter to shift his confidence from his undying love for Jesus to Jesus’ dying love for him. The love of Jesus redefines and recommissions Peter for the road ahead. As Brent reminded us on Sunday, “Failures will lead to future glory if faith and forgiveness have their way with us.” As we consider our failures—past, present, and future—what would it look like for faith and forgiveness to have their way with us?