Moments with my First Love [UNDER REVISION]

MOMENT 11: I Am Peter!

Do you remember the day when you asked Jesus what He wants for you to do?

Do you remember the time you told Him that you want to follow Him wherever it may be?

Do you remember the moment you promised Him that you will lay down your life for Him?

Diba, that was the time when you are a newly Born Again Christian. That was when you are still so in love with Jesus Christ. That was when you are always eager to pray, to read the Bible and to go in every church gatherings.
That was when you are still on fire.

Take a look at this scenario stated in the Bible:

Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward."

Peter said to him, "Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

Jesus answered, "Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times." -John 13:36-38

Honestly, I have read this passage over and over again. I have heard this verses many times in preachings and sharings in our church. And sometimes, I hear it used in some preachings online. Whenever I hear this, I always have this feeling towards Peter... "Grabe naman yan si Peter! Nag-promise promise pa siya kay Jesus. Lakas ng loob niyang sabihing susunod siya pero kinain niya lang mga salita niya.."

(What's wrong with Peter? He promised Jesus that he will go after Him. He was so sure while promising. He was too confident. But he only have eaten what he promise. He didn't even fulfill it.)

But the moment God touched my heart and spoke through this verses, I was suprised. I was shattered. I was brokenhearted.

I saw myself in Peter.
I am this Peter.

I am this Peter who once asked Jesus where He is going.
Jesus here is the same Jesus today that says, "You cannot follow where I am going now but you will follow afterwards."
Jesus means to say that He knew already what will happen later on. Jesus knew already that along with His suffering on the cross, you are not yet going after Him.

I am this Peter.
I am this Peter who told Jesus that I will lay down my life for Him.
Jesus here is the same Jesus today that will tell us that truly, we will deny Him three times before a cock will crow.

Jesus means to say that He knew already what will happen later on.
He knew already that time will come that we will deny Him in our lives no matter how much we are so sure while we are promising this to Him.

Do you see yourself in Peter?
Do you reflect your attitude towards God in the life of Peter?

Read the previous chapters in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John... You will see how Peter, together with other disciples, followed Jesus whenever he goes and in every work that he have done. But no matter how intense, no matter how personal is our encounter with Jesus, time will come that our weakness will be seen in us.

Peter encountered Jesus personally. He was with Jesus. He had a bonding with Him. He had seen Him face to face. Yet, Peter still failed in his promise with Jesus. How much more to us that we cannot see Jesus with our bare eyes? It is only our faith in Him.

In Matthew 26:36-46, the moment when Jesus went in Gethsemane with His disciples to pray, it was three times that He went back to His disciples and found them sleeping instead of praying with Him. Of course, one of them is Peter. He was mentioned in verse 40.

The three times rejection to pray with Jesus, which is in private, is the same with three times denying Him in public.

But if we take a look on the following chapters, what happened after Jesus and Peter conversation?

Luke 22:54-62
Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance.

And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.
Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, This man also was with him.
But he denied it, saying, Woman, I do not know him.

And a little later someone else saw him and said, You also are one of them. 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. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

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.
And he went out and wept bitterly.

What Jesus foretell Peter happened.
What Jesus knew eversince happened.
But take a look!

At the third time that Peter denied Jesus while he was still speaking, the cock crows. When he's not yet done speaking, he's not yet done denying Jesus at the third time... THE COCK CROWS.

Do you know what the cock's crows means? The cock crows as the sign of new day. It is an announcement that the sunrise will shine for another day.

Even though Peter denied Jesus, God is so gracious. So merciful. That He gave Peter a new chance immediately!

You see? IMMEDIATELY.
Peter is not yet repenting that time! He already had given a new chance!

We denied Jesus not just by saying we don't know Him. No. Not only like that.

We deny Jesus when we speak something bad towards other people as if we do not know that there is Jesus who will be hurt.

We deny Jesus when we do something as if we do not know that there is Jesus watching us.

We deny Jesus when we sin against His law and when we sin towards our fellow as if we do not know His righteousness.

We deny Jesus by sinning.

But even if we are not yet realizing our sins, even if we are not yet repenting like Peter, God has already given us a chance to repent. A hope that we could still come to Him. A new life to change for His glory.

We should just confess our sins to Him. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Remember: Jesus didn't leave heaven and live here on earth in the form of human and choose to be crucified on the cross for righteous people. But for you and for me and for the world, who are sinful.

Jesus came for you to give you a new life in Him. Jesus came for you to give you an eternal life in your future life to come. Only if you accept Him and believe in Him as your Lord and Savior.

Jesus is not a God of three-time chances. He is a God of all chances.
Don't waste the chance that He is giving you. He is waiting for you to come to Him. Believe in Him. Surrender your life to Him.

Like Peter, God will use you mightily and effectively for His glory. Just turn to Him.

Let's Pray? :)

Dear Jesus,
I praise you for who you are. You are so good to me. You are merciful. I admit that I am a sinner. I admit the times that I kept on denying you through my words and through my works. I ask for your forgiveness Lord. Cleanse my heart Lord and help me live a surrendred life to you.
Thank You for this chance. I pray for Your guidance as I live for everyday in your will and righteousness. I cannot do this on my own.
In Jesus' Name! Amen.

Shalom!
Glory to God alone! :)