The start of a new year invites us to think through changes we would like to see in our lives. Yet it often only takes a few days for these hopes to be dashed as we seem unable to make or work towards the changes we want to see. The feeling of hope and optimism we had to start the year shifts to feelings of failure and maybe even despair.
As I was studying the book of 1 Peter for sermons around the new year, I realized that a figure in the Bible we should look to and remember when we have that sense of failure is the Apostle Peter. His life and example is one that can help us not only remember we are not alone in our failures but also not rejected by God – and that although we may continue to stumble in different ways, God thankfully meets us in those moments and guides us forward.
Peter’s Spectacular Failure
When you read the gospels, you get the sense that Peter was the kind of person who was not afraid to speak his mind and maybe even say things without thinking. He was the one who boldly confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, but then quickly tells Jesus that he should not suffer (Matthew 16:13-23). When Jesus walks on water, Peter is the one who gets asked to join him – and then takes his eyes off of Jesus and starts sinking (Matthew 14:22-33). At the Last Supper, Peter is the one who first refuses to let Jesus wash his feet and then when Jesus says he must, he then asks for a complete bath (John 13:1-11).
Later on that same night, though, Peter says something even more bold and that paves the way for an even more spectacular failure. He makes the claim that he will lay down his life for Jesus (John 13:37) and that he would never fall away from following Jesus (Mark 14:29). Jesus’s response to that bold declaration is that Peter will fail in this resolution, stating that Peter would deny Jesus three times – which is exactly what happens. This spectacular failure was not the end of the story for Peter though.
Jesus’s Sympathetic Restoration
John 21 recounts the specific way that Jesus seeks out Peter and restores him. This event occurs some days after Easter and Jesus’s initial resurrection appearances to the disciples. Peter has gone fishing, which has led some scholars over the years to wonder if Peter thinks his calling as an apostle has ended because of his failure. Others tag along this fishing trip and it proves unsuccessful as they caught nothing, which is pretty remarkable for a trip with a trained fisherman like Peter. I can’t help but wonder if this lack of success would only add to Peter’s sense of failure, thinking that nothing is going right for him. He has failed a friend. He has failed in his faith. He has failed in his work. He could easily be thinking of himself as a complete failure.
And then Jesus comes, unrecognizable at this point, and offers Peter and those fishing with him advice that leads to a great catch of fish. Peter then recognizes it is Jesus and goes to meet him. This leads to a conversation in which Jesus asks Peter the question “do you love me?” three times and three times affirms his call to help lead his people. Asking the question three times and affirming this call three times seems very intentional in light of Peter’s threefold denial. The threefold nature of these words shows that Jesus is aware of Peter’s failure but also that his failure is not the end of the story for him. Peter continues to have the special calling that Jesus gave to him when he called him as an apostle.
While these words were primarily for Peter, helping him in the midst of his failure, these words are also for us. They show us that when we fail to follow through on the promises we make to God or the bold intentions we have for Him, He has not rejected or banished us. Rather than letting our failures define us, we should remember that Jesus finds us in the midst of our failures and speaks to our hearts.
Not only does it invite us not to let our failures define us, it also encourages us to get back at the tasks that we have been called to do. If we have made a resolution and broken it, we can start again the next day. New Year’s Day is not the only day in which we can seek to make changes; we can make changes on January 8 or January 9 or June 1 or whatever day it might be.
Peter’s Subsequent Mistakes
I also think it is good to remember that this encounter with Jesus after his spectacular failure did not mean that Peter never stumbled or messed up in the future. Acts 10-11 recounts how God had to use a special vision to teach Peter the reality that God saves people from a non-Jewish background without the need to keep the Jewish law. Galatians 2 recounts a time in which the Apostle Paul had to confront Peter because Peter’s actions were not in accordance with that belief. Peter thus would continue to fail in different ways, but accepted and heeded corrections and rebukes to get back on the right track. He wasn’t afraid to admit he was wrong but sought to grow in those areas. May those actions also be examples for us, helping us acknowledge when we stumble but not dwelling in failures while learning and walking in obedience because of the love and grace of Christ.
Above all, may the life and ministry of Peter remind us that while we can’t keep all of our promises and resolutions, God can and does. We may stumble, but He will not. And because of that truth, we can turn back to Him every time.
Questions about the Bible or theology? Email them to Pastor Brian at Theology@WeAreFaith.org. You can also email to be added to the list that receives weekly emails with our blog posts.
