THE PASSAGE
Luke 22:54-62; Acts 4:8-13
Luke 22:54-62; Acts 4:8-13
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
What does a devastating failure look like? Some would include on the list:
What does a devastating failure look like? Some would include on the list:
- The resignation of an American president in 1974.
- The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
- The loss of thousands of lives on 9/11 in 2001.
For others, devastating failure is defined by something far more
personal:
personal:
- A bad business decision
- A divorce
- An abortion
Failure has been very personal for me. My mom died suddenly in 2010. Just 18 months later, my dad, who had been sick for years, was taken to a hospice home. I stayed with him constantly, but thinking he would live a few more days, I slipped away while he was sleeping to attend a banquet. He died while I was gone. I wanted to be with him when he passed—but I wasn’t. I regret my decision to leave, but there’s not a single thing I can do to change it.
Peter’s life has shown us, however, we are not doomed to live with the regret of our failures.
Luke 22:54-62
54Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. 56But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. 58And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. 59And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. 61And 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. 62And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
KEY WORD
Galilaean (Luke 22:59)—Galilee was a region in the northern part of Israel. Jesus was from Nazareth and Peter from Bethsaida, both towns in Galilee.
Peter was a rough-and-tough, blue-collar worker from Galilee, a region in northern Israel. He made his living around boats, nets, and fish. He had a strong accent (Mark 14:70), a strong personality, and a strong will. He was temperamental and prone to making big promises. To be sure, Peter was rough around the edges, but Jesus saw the leader he would become.
When Jesus began His ministry, He handpicked His team. Peter, also known as Simon, quickly became a leader and spokesman for the disciples. Over time, he became convinced Jesus was the long-awaited “Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16), but along with the other disciples, he remained confused over what that meant. Peter wanted Jesus to be a Messiah who exercised strength and power over the Romans and restored Israel as a nation.
When Jesus predicted that His followers would abandon Him, Peter brashly declared that even if everyone else abandoned Jesus, he would boldly stand his ground. He would even die for Jesus (Mark 14:27-31). Bold and brash Peter would soon eat those words.
Hours later, Jesus was arrested, and Peter saw Jesus in a different light. Jesus, the Messiah who had been so brilliant and articulate when challenged, now stood silent before His accusers. Perhaps in that moment, Peter saw his own aspirations of earthly prominence
and power vaporize like a mist. Everything was happening so quickly, and Peter was surely both confused and fearful. The man who had drawn a sword earlier in defense of Jesus now cowered in front of a small group and denied even knowing Jesus—not once, not twice, but three times. Peter felt like a devastating failure. When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus’ words. Immediately remorse kicked in, and Peter wept bitterly.
and power vaporize like a mist. Everything was happening so quickly, and Peter was surely both confused and fearful. The man who had drawn a sword earlier in defense of Jesus now cowered in front of a small group and denied even knowing Jesus—not once, not twice, but three times. Peter felt like a devastating failure. When the rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus’ words. Immediately remorse kicked in, and Peter wept bitterly.
What are some ways we deny Jesus today?
DIGGING DEEPER: The account of Peter’s denial... exemplifies Jesus’ knowledge of the future. God’s Son had known all the time what would happen. Nothing had caught him unprepared. All was taking place as he foretold (Luke 22:31-34). This should have given Luke’s readers confidence in the truth both of Jesus’ Christological claims as well as his teachings. Although Luke did not record Peter’s swearing and cursing, he did record Peter’s threefold failure in his temptation. Satan indeed has violently sifted him (v. 31). Because Peter did not arm himself with prayer (vv. 40,46), he found himself denying his Lord. Yet Luke wanted his readers to know that Jesus had prayed for Peter (v. 32), and because of this his failure would not lead to a complete disavowal of Jesus. His bitter weeping (v. 62), however, revealed that Jesus’ prayer for him would lead to his turning and strengthening his brothers (v. 32). Luke’s readers should have resolved not to be caught as unprepared as Peter but by prayer and endurance to bring forth fruit (8:15; 21:19).—Robert H. Stein, Luke,vol. 24 of The New American Commentary,gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), 567.
How do you typically respond when you feel like you’ve let someone down?
Acts 4: 8 -12
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
KEY WORDS
of Nazareth (Acts 4:10)—The hometown of Jesus, Nazareth was located in the region of lower Galilee about halfway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee.
head of the corner (Acts 4:11)—The Greek words translated head of the corner refer to the
first stone or to the final stone in a building project—commonly called the cornerstone.
first stone or to the final stone in a building project—commonly called the cornerstone.
In Acts 4, we see a completely different Peter. What changed?
- Restored. After His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with His followers, teaching them more about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). During that time, He talked with Peter along the shore of the sea of Tiberias (Galilee) and called on him to express his love for Him by feeding His sheep. Peter had denied Jesus three times, and now Jesus questioned Peter three times about his love, and called him three times to feed His sheep (John 21:1,15 -19). Peter had failed three times, and three times Jesus called him right back to serve Him.
- Empowered. Jesus didn’t leave Peter to serve alone. To all believers, He has given His Holy Spirit. The very Spirit of God was now living in Peter, empowering Him to feed the sheep and proclaim Christ.
We clearly see in Acts 4 Peter’s transformation from failure. Peter was “filled with the Holy Ghost” (v. 8) and now spoke boldly about Jesus to the same powerful religious leaders who had sought Jesus’ death! When asked how he and John had healed a lame man (v. 7), Peter could have simply said, “God did it.” But Peter wanted them to know exactly how God did it—and he held nothing back.
Peter’s brief words presented here reflect a mini-sermon of what he had preached the day before in the temple (3:12-26). Every part of this sermon centered on Jesus. Far removed from his failures, Peter now proclaimed boldly about Jesus: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Peter boldly shared the gospel with the awareness that it was only the power of the Holy Spirit that could sustain him. He, of all people, knew he could never have confidence in his own strength. He had failed miserably, but Jesus had restored him completely. If Jesus can take a broken man like Peter and empower him for ministry as a witness of the gospel, then He can do the same thing with you. Christ’s forgiveness and grace cover all your sins and failures—every last one. If you piled all of your failures up on top of each other, they would still be smaller than the shadow of the cross of Calvary. Your sin is never greater than God’s grace.
Failure happens, but God also offers you forgiveness when you fail. When you are willing to repent and receive the grace of God, you will watch Him transform your hardest moment into your greatest testimony. If someone came to Peter and said, “I don’t think God would forgive me because of what I’ve done,” he surely would have said, “You think that’s bad? Let me tell you what I did!”
A story of failure can also be a story of God’s forgiveness, grace, and power.
What does Peter’s experience teach us about the Holy Spirit’s work in and through us?
Acts 4:13
13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Peter and John had healed a man who was born unable to walk (Acts 3:2-8). Peter proclaimed Jesus as the reason (4:10-12), and the religious leaders had nothing to say in response (v. 14). They did, however, notice three telling things about Peter and John:
1. They were bold;
2. They were untrained and uneducated (by the religious leaders’ definition);and
3. They had been with Jesus.
Peter’s given name was Simon, but Jesus gave him the name Peter, which means, “rock” (Matt. 16:18). He certainly didn’t act like a rock when he denied Jesus, but when given another opportunity, his true identity emerged. Empowered and emboldened by God’s Spirit, the rock stood strong in the time of testing. Everything Peter said that day pointed to Jesus. It was clear to the Jewish leaders that Peter knew Jesus. The leaders knew about Jesus, but Peter knew Him. His words, his actions, his boldness all reflected Jesus Himself. Surely Peter told his story on more than this occasion. Imagine hearing Peter tell how he lied not once or twice, but three times, when people had asked if he was a follower of Christ. Imagine leaning forward and focusing on Peter’s face, as he recalled the sound of the rooster crowing. Hear the inflection of Peter’s voice change to joy as he told how Jesus had lovingly restored him on the shore of Galilee and called him to a life of ministry, mission, and witness. I wonder if Peter cried when he told how Jesus forgave him after his failure. Maybe he shouted for joy when he recalled the grace shown to him. Either way, his failure was a part of his story.
But it really wasn’t a story about Peter at all; it was a story about Jesus—His forgiveness, His grace, and His power.
If you are a follower of Christ, you also have a story, that of your own encounter with Jesus. Your life is unique, and it contains unexpected turns, failures, defeats, and regrets. God will use the specific elements of your story to touch people’s hearts and point to the grace and power of Christ in your life. A testimony is like a fingerprint. No two are alike; each is unique to the person to whom it is attached. Your story is your own, and nobody can ever take it from you. But you can give it away, and that is precisely what God wants and intends for you to do. Tell it. Share it. Sing it. Write it. Live it. Use it!
Your failures can lead you to greater faith when you experience the forgiveness of Jesus. Tell your story—all of it—and let the Holy Spirit use your witness to bring others into the kingdom of God.
How can we support one another
in moving past our failures?
LIVE IT OUT
What steps can you take to continue the process of allowing God to redeem your failures? Consider these suggestions:
- Repent. Is there failure in your life? Don’t hide from it. Face it and be honest about it. Then repent and turn to Christ for forgiveness.
- Encourage. Write a note of encouragement for members in your group who might be struggling with past failures or with forgiving themselves. Talk about how God forgives completely and desires to use us. Consider specific ways God can use them in spite of their failures.
- Share. Write down your story, including both your failures and your salvation in Christ. Write your story in a way that does not glorify your failure but lifts up Jesus. Practice telling your story and share it with others as often as you can.
I can’t go back and redo the mistake at my father’s deathbed. You probably can’t go back and change any of your failures, either. But we can all choose to move forward in the wonderful knowledge that God is mighty and can redeem even our worst failures.
Have a blessed week!
In His Love,
David & Susan
