Good Friday – Peter’s Denial of Jesus 

There are a lot of facets that we can dive deeper into about Good Friday – of all that Jesus endured, becoming our sin on the cross. It is truly the foundation for our faith as believers, living on the other side of the finished work on the cross. Jesus experienced much that day: betrayal, torture, and humiliation just to name a few. Today, the Lord put on my heart a specific part of today – Peter’s denial. It is the well-known bible story of how Peter denies Jesus three times before the rooster crows on the day of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion.

Matthew 26 documents this event. Just hours before, Jesus told Peter this was going to happen. Peter responds back to Jesus in Matthew 26:33, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” Yet, only a few verses later in Matthew 26:74 it documents that a third time to someone “[Peter] began to curse and swear, saying I do not know the Man!” (NKJV) Peter went from defending his love and commitment to Jesus to denying he knew Jesus multiple times.

Personally, how many times have I told Jesus the same? “I will never desert you,” I will never deny you,” “I will never leave your side.” But in the face of trials and hardships and temptations, my own flesh deceives even me, and I find myself on the other side of sin. Of unbelief, lack of trust, even straight-up rebellion and disobedience. Sometimes I think we try to put those ugly parts of our heart away in a box of religion, trying so hard to never face the hard reality that at times, we too are like Peter. 

But Peter’s story doesn’t end there. Peter didn’t experience a single punishment from Jesus, even when he abandoned his best friend in his darkest hour. Instead, on the other side of the cross, Jesus welcomes Peter back with open arms when he meets his disciples on the shore after the resurrection. Peter comes running back to Jesus, not away, this time confessing once again three times his love for Jesus. Jesus once again tells Peter to follow him, restoring him to a place of intimacy beside Jesus’ side. (John 21)

Romans 2:4 says, “…God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance” (NIV)

It’s His kindness that leads us back to Jesus, it’s his open arms of unending forgiveness that invite us back to restoration. When our flesh gets the best of us, when we too reject Jesus in our humanity, Jesus will meet us with open arms if we come back to Him. That is the unending mercy that we get to experience from our God. Jesus died for us to become reconciled to Him, so that we may experience full forgiveness from Him.

So today, on Good Friday, let us remember this great loving-kindness and mercy that we get to experience from Jesus. That in our moments of fault and sin, Jesus still welcomes us back having paid the price to bridge that gap. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice, thank you Jesus that we can live in your great mercy and kindness!