Jesus Speaks Gently to Peter at the Tableby Stephenoch
22:62Luke 22:62
And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
After his third denial with cursing and swearing to hide that he was a follower, Peter left the judgment hall where Jesus was on trial before Annas and Caiaphas. The crowing of the cock and the sorrowful, pitying look of Jesus brought back His warning and Peter's boastful promise, piercing his heart with the sense of his failure and his Master's suffering. He went out alone to Gethsemane and threw himself down where he had seen Jesus in bloody-sweat agony, weeping bitterly over his sin with a broken heart. That weeping was sincere repentance that broke his self-confidence, began his conversion, and fitted him to be humbled, self-distrustful, and able to strengthen his brethren. The look that broke him held no anger but pardon and compassionate love, and he was fully forgiven and restored to feed the flock, even being named specially in the resurrection message. His fall warns that even the instructed can deny the Lord through self-trust and fear of scorn, yet encourages the fallen that repentance brings forgiveness and fresh vigor to rise and overcome.
Setting and Sequence
And Peter went out, and wept bitterly follows his third denial, when to deceive his accusers and convince them he was no disciple he denied with cursing and swearing that he was a follower, hiding his discipleship because he feared for his life. That hasty, cowardly denial took place during Jesus' trial in the judgment hall before Annas and Caiaphas with the other temple dignitaries in their own council room. It was early in the morning, as Jesus was hurried amid insult and mockery to the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest and endured coarse accusation, sneering questioning, reviling and abuse while condemned and humiliated in a mockery of an examination.
At the cock's crow Jesus, though some distance away, turned and looked upon Peter, and that look pierced his heart. The crowing and the turning brought back Jesus' warning spoken in the upper chamber, Peter's boastful promise of loyalty that though all men would be offended yet he never would, and his three denials, and brought the anguish of the suffering Master vividly to mind. That look was without anger, and its pity and sorrow awakened his conscience and brought him to recognize the shame and full guilt of his betrayal.
Pierced and melted at once, he fled the judgment hall alone and heartbroken to Gethsemane. With blinding tears he prostrated himself on the very spot where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in great agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores, remembering that he had slept while Jesus prayed those fearful hours. There his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son, as he fell on his face and wept bitterly, overwhelmed and stricken by what he had done so that he wished he could die. His denial amid that mockery and abuse had added to Christ's anguish, piercing the heart of Jesus with a keener pang than His enemies could inflict when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Causes of the Denial
Peter's fall was the collapse of self-confident boasting after faithful warning of his defect of character. He presumptuously affirmed a constancy superior to the other disciples and declared himself willing and ready to follow his Master to prison and to death, insisting he would never deny Him. When the storm of opposition came and Christ stood condemned and humiliated, the very time to show bravery and fidelity, Peter repeatedly denied his Lord while the disciples forsook Him and fled. Such confidence and professions of loyalty cannot keep a person faithful under trial, for self-confidence tempts Satan to tempt and proves the ruin of the one who trusts in himself rather than distrusting self and trusting only in the wisdom of God.
His self-love and self-assurance had overwhelmed his love for Christ. He had sincerely promised to follow even to prison and death, but he did not see the danger within himself until circumstances exposed his natural weakness and the natural elements of his character under testing. His confidence proved his ruin, and strength came only where he had been weak.
He hid his identity and placed himself among Christ's opposers. There he tried to conceal that he was a follower by acting indifferent and joining the persecutors' mockery, though he was sorrowful at Jesus' suffering and angry that Jesus submitted to abuse. That effort to conceal his true feelings put him on Satan's ground and made him vulnerable to temptation.
Though he would have fought bravely for his Master, fear of scorn, ridicule, reproach, suffering, and public pressure made him cowardly. His turning from Christ under fear warns that those ashamed of Jesus under scorn have not counted the cost and may turn toward His persecutors instead of enduring trial for His sake. Denial comes not only under direct danger but when ridicule frightens, and disguising faith to escape suffering or scorn is itself denying the Lord.
He was overcome by the devil's temptation, for Satan desired to sift him as wheat and an evil spirit took possession of him so that he did not know what spirit he was of. Christ in true friendship and compassion had warned him of the sifting, which he resented in self-sufficiency, yet Christ prayed that his faith would not fail and watched over him through it. Satan could not sift him without God's permission, and he fell under the arts of the wily foe.
Associating with people he should have avoided exposed him to temptation to say or do what he otherwise would not. Those who lure the righteous to yield may then despise them. His failure to heed Christ's lessons and to stand right with God in his trial led to the denial, whereas learning those lessons would have made him stand firm, and clinging to old habits and practices leads to denying Christ and losing the blessings of following the Lord.
His earlier ardent zeal was not conversion. Quick and full of zeal, asserting he would suffer and die for his Lord, in Gethsemane he raised the sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. He had been made a co-laborer with Christ while not yet a perfect man, accepted as a disciple so he could keep learning from divine teaching to correct wrong ideas of what Christian character is. Through being overcome he at last learned to distrust and watch himself closely with jealous distrust instead of feeling self-sufficient and self-important, improving every opportunity to learn.
Nature of True Repentance
The bitter weeping expresses the depth of grief over failure, a broken and repentant and remorseful and agonized heart. Remembering the suffering of Jesus and his own failure broke pride. The look pierced the heart and brought the anguish of the suffering Master vividly to mind, while the denial added to the anguish of Christ as He was mocked and abused.
The tears mark true contrition of soul and sincere repentance for great sin, like the publican's, with self-confidence broken. With blinding tears he made his way alone to Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in great agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores, remembering that he had been asleep while Jesus prayed those fearful hours, his heart breaking as his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son. The crowing of the cock reminded him of the warning, and the compassionate and loving look assured pardon and mercy and expressed forgiveness rather than hopelessness. His contrition led to fresh surrender to his Saviour and reconversion.
His fall revealed the natural elements and weakness of character under testing despite confident promises of faithfulness. Yet his repentance was genuine, and strength came where he had been weak, and light came from his failure. He was watched over and prayed for through the sifting, which Satan could not do without God's permission.
His sorrow was genuine and lasting, for he did not minimize his denial or return to his former self-confidence. True repentance brings deep sorrow for sin, not a quick boastful claim of salvation. Though his sin was forgiven, the humiliating fall was never forgotten, and he knew that only Christ's grace could overcome the weakness of character that had led to it, finding nothing in himself to boast of.
He left that garden a converted man, humbled and committed afresh. Conversion began at the sorrowful look that broke his heart and was completed after repentance, proving that true conversion comes after repentance. His earlier ardor was quick and full of zeal, asserting he would suffer and die for his Lord, and in Gethsemane that zeal led him to raise the sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, yet that zeal was not conversion. After repentance he was converted and prepared to strengthen his brethren, made patient and controlling his hasty quick temper and mouth under the sanctifying influence of truth through prayer and lifelong persevering untiring overcoming.
His fall taught lessons that could be learned only through failure and made him a better man. The Lord permits His children to fall so that if they repent of wrongdoing He helps them stand on vantage ground, and Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial as fire purifies gold. If the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall bring repentance. That repentance is shown in humble fervent prayer that saves the soul from death and in confession and restitution that hide a multitude of sins.
Christ's Forgiving Look
Jesus turned toward Peter with a look of sorrowful regret, reproof, pity, compassion and pardoning love, holding pardon, mercy and forgiveness rather than anger, hopelessness or oppression. That look was without anger yet full of sorrow, and it held up a spotless life and unstained purity of character as the pattern to be looked upon. When set beside Peter's later bold acknowledgment, the one look of pity and sorrow stands as reproof opposite approbation and blessing, with being filled with the Holy Spirit as the token of that approval.
That tender look melted Peter at once, broke and pierced his heart, and awakened conscience, love and loyalty. It brought back the warning spoken in the upper chamber and his own zealous boast that though all would be offended he never would, so that he recognized the shame of his betrayal and understood his sin with self-confidence broken. Its message of pardon gave him hope and assurance of pardon and mercy, and with Christ's assurance that He had prayed for him it saved him from despair.
Jesus dealt tenderly and patiently with Peter in his fall, continuing to minister to and plead for the fallen sinner to win him back and not abandoning one who has fallen. He had prayed for him beforehand, holding him up in friendship and watchful care. His sorrowful, reproving gaze from some distance away reached Peter even amid denial with cursing and swearing to deceive accusers from fear for his life.
Peter's bitter remorse and repentance were understood by angels, accepted by God, and forgiven. The angel's tender instruction to tell Peter the news of the resurrection showed tender concern for him in his special despondency among the followers. The resurrection message specifically including him assured him that his Lord still remembered and loved him, and he received it as a sign of forgiveness after praying in Gethsemane for forgiveness as never before.
His failure did not lead Jesus to cast him off, but was followed by forgiveness and restoration to the Master's confidence. Christ forgave that sin as shown by the high commission to feed the sheep and lambs and care for the flock. That entrusting proved his sin forgiven, even though he could never forgive himself and his bitterness and contrition never lessened, so that when condemned to be scourged and crucified he counted it too great an honor to die as his Master had and entreated to be nailed with head downward.
Transformed Life Afterward
He rose from Gethsemane a converted man, humbled, calm and teachable, modest and distrustful of self rather than a proud boaster, with grace regulating his zeal so that he could care for the flock. The crowing of the cock and the sorrowful look had brought his boastful confidence, his denial, and the full guilt of his sin vividly to mind, leading him to deep repentance and to pray for forgiveness as never before. Though he felt unable to forgive himself, the resurrection message that specifically named him assured him that his Lord still remembered and loved him, and he received it as a sign of forgiveness. His self-love and self-assurance, which had overwhelmed his love for Christ when he sincerely promised to follow even to prison and death without seeing the danger within, were broken as circumstances exposed his weakness and taught him to recognize it. The Peter who denied had been impulsive, self-confident and boastful, but afterward, filled with the Holy Spirit, he was made firm as a rock, courageous yet modest in magnifying Christ.
His humiliation fitted him to pity the tempted, to sympathize with the weak and erring, to caution and warn the presumptuous, to help disciples in temptation and trial, and to strengthen his brethren. With blinding tears he had made his way alone to Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in bloody-sweat agony, remembering that he had slept while Jesus prayed those fearful hours, his heart breaking as his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son. Remembering Jesus' suffering and his own failure broke his pride, and he left the garden converted and committed afresh to his Saviour in true contrition, repentance, reconversion and fresh surrender. That contrition led him to surrender himself afresh and be converted, making him ready to care for God's sheep and lambs and to strengthen his fellow disciples.
His bitter weeping marked his fall as shameful, hasty, cowardly denial with cursing and swearing, wicked cowardice and apostasy that disowned Jesus' name and dishonored it in His hour of greatest need, leaving a stain. That denial was made before Annas and Caiaphas and the other dignitaries of the temple in their own council room. It came distinctly before his mind when he was brought as a prisoner before those very men in that very room the day after the cripple was healed, where his own trial gave him opportunity to redeem his former cowardice.
When brought again before the same men who had heard his denial, he distinctly remembered it and, filled with the Holy Spirit, resolved by that power to remove the stain by boldly honoring and exalting the name he had disowned, using the second trial as opportunity to redeem his cowardice. With holy boldness in the power of the Spirit he boldly acknowledged his Lord and exalted the name he had dishonored. Jesus who had reproved him with one look of pity and sorrow now approved and blessed him, with being filled with the Holy Spirit as the token of that approbation. That bold acknowledgment stands opposite the denial, for his noble, fearless conduct compares well with the appearance of Jesus when persecuted by His murderers, so that the people took knowledge that he had been with Jesus.
His bitter grief after openly and shamefully denying Jesus, contradicting his earlier claims of loyalty, was followed by conversion, and he later became a bold witness for Christ. His later penitence and humility were evident when Jesus questioned him about his love, for he no longer answered with boastful confidence, and he was better prepared to shepherd Christ's flock. He needed first to show that he sincerely repented before he could resume his apostolic work and regain his fellow disciples' confidence, having failed to witness in trial because he trusted in himself and denied with cursing and swearing.
Before his fall he was ardent, zealous and impetuous, and checks from the mild, patient beloved disciple John did not reform him, but after repentance and conversion a mild caution from John was all that was needed to check his ardor and zeal, while his zeal, boldness and energy remained needed for the cause of Christ to deliver from difficulty and silence enemies. Made a co-laborer with Christ while not yet a perfect man and still holding wrong ideas of Christian character, placed to keep learning from divine teaching, through being overcome by the devil's temptations he at last learned to distrust and watch himself closely with jealous distrust instead of feeling self-sufficient and self-important, improving every opportunity to learn.
He carried a sense of his cowardly denial throughout life in contrition and humility, never forgetting his humiliating fall, finding nothing in himself to boast of and knowing that only Christ's grace could overcome the weakness of character that had led to it. Though his sin was forgiven and he was entrusted with feeding the sheep and lambs, the bitterness of his sorrow and repentance never lessened, not even in prospect of the agonies of his own terrible death, and he could never forgive himself. When called to die for his faith and condemned to be scourged and crucified, remembering his denial, his only thought was that he was unworthy of so great an honor as to die in the same manner as his Master, considering it too great an honor to die as the Lord he had denied had died, so he entreated his executioners that he might be nailed to the cross with his head downward.
Warning and Encouragement
Peter's bitter going out stands as a warning that even one who knows Christ and has received much instruction and influence can falter through fear of people or desire for their approval. His collapse exposes self-confident boasting that presumptuously affirmed a constancy superior to fellow disciples and declared readiness to follow to prison and to death even after faithful warning of the defect of character. When opposition fell and Christ stood condemned and humiliated in the judgment hall wearing the shameful crown of thorns, the very hour demanding bravery and fidelity, Peter repeatedly denied his Lord while all forsook Him and fled. Such self-trusting, self-confident religious experience is unreliable and marred with defects, and the soul is safe only when distrusting self, trusting only in the wisdom of God, and being thoroughly converted. Peter was common human clay subject to ordinary temptation, not more than human and without foible, one of the recorded cases where men favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility were overcome by temptation and committed sin even as people strive, waver, and fall into error now.
The faithful record lifts the veil from the human heart and lays bare fault and folly as a lesson and warning to all following generations. Through God's grace the fallen can gain fresh vigor to rise above evil nature, take heart again, and conquer, which encourages desponding hearts not to despair but to renew the conflict, press on, and surmount obstacles in the way. The Lord permits His children to fall so that if they repent of wrongdoing He helps them stand on vantage ground, and Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial as fire purifies gold. If the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall bring repentance shown in humble fervent prayer that saves the soul from death and in confession and restitution that hide a multitude of sins, and the fall itself teaches lessons learnable only through failure and makes the fallen a better man. Peter's denial of his Lord did not exclude him from the Christian church or from learning through Christ's instruction what constitutes perfect Christian character, showing that failure need not end discipleship.
Denying Christ includes more than Peter's outward act, for refusal to live by known truth and rejection of received light is itself present denial. The same denial occurs when one links with worldlings, talks their language, denies received truth before unbelievers, voices Satan's sentiments, forsakes God, and exchanges Christ for Satan as leader while feeling no need of grace, under an evil spirit of which the denier does not know what spirit he is of. To cavil and doubt instead of humbling the heart before God, closing the soul to temptation and opening it to faith, laboring for souls, letting light shine, and building up and strengthening what remains is to act Peter's part in that denial. Breaking that spell requires diligent work for repentance, God's converting power, surrender of all to God, cleansing of soul defilement, dying to self, and determined effort to become a free man in Christ, meek and lowly and reconverted.
After his third denial with cursing and swearing to hide that he was a follower, Peter left the judgment hall where Jesus was on trial before Annas and Caiaphas. The crowing of the cock and the sorrowful, pitying look of Jesus brought back His warning and Peter's boastful promise, piercing his heart with the sense of his failure and his Master's suffering. He went out alone to Gethsemane and threw himself down where he had seen Jesus in bloody-sweat agony, weeping bitterly over his sin with a broken heart. That weeping was sincere repentance that broke his self-confidence, began his conversion, and fitted him to be humbled, self-distrustful, and able to strengthen his brethren. The look that broke him held no anger but pardon and compassionate love, and he was fully forgiven and restored to feed the flock, even being named specially in the resurrection message. His fall warns that even the instructed can deny the Lord through self-trust and fear of scorn, yet encourages the fallen that repentance brings forgiveness and fresh vigor to rise and overcome.
Setting and Sequence
And Peter went out, and wept bitterly follows his third denial, when to deceive his accusers and convince them he was no disciple he denied with cursing and swearing that he was a follower, hiding his discipleship because he feared for his life. That hasty, cowardly denial took place during Jesus' trial in the judgment hall before Annas and Caiaphas with the other temple dignitaries in their own council room. It was early in the morning, as Jesus was hurried amid insult and mockery to the palace of Caiaphas the officiating high priest and endured coarse accusation, sneering questioning, reviling and abuse while condemned and humiliated in a mockery of an examination.
At the cock's crow Jesus, though some distance away, turned and looked upon Peter, and that look pierced his heart. The crowing and the turning brought back Jesus' warning spoken in the upper chamber, Peter's boastful promise of loyalty that though all men would be offended yet he never would, and his three denials, and brought the anguish of the suffering Master vividly to mind. That look was without anger, and its pity and sorrow awakened his conscience and brought him to recognize the shame and full guilt of his betrayal.
Pierced and melted at once, he fled the judgment hall alone and heartbroken to Gethsemane. With blinding tears he prostrated himself on the very spot where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in great agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores, remembering that he had slept while Jesus prayed those fearful hours. There his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son, as he fell on his face and wept bitterly, overwhelmed and stricken by what he had done so that he wished he could die. His denial amid that mockery and abuse had added to Christ's anguish, piercing the heart of Jesus with a keener pang than His enemies could inflict when He heard His beloved disciple deny Him with cursing and swearing.
Causes of the Denial
Peter's fall was the collapse of self-confident boasting after faithful warning of his defect of character. He presumptuously affirmed a constancy superior to the other disciples and declared himself willing and ready to follow his Master to prison and to death, insisting he would never deny Him. When the storm of opposition came and Christ stood condemned and humiliated, the very time to show bravery and fidelity, Peter repeatedly denied his Lord while the disciples forsook Him and fled. Such confidence and professions of loyalty cannot keep a person faithful under trial, for self-confidence tempts Satan to tempt and proves the ruin of the one who trusts in himself rather than distrusting self and trusting only in the wisdom of God.
His self-love and self-assurance had overwhelmed his love for Christ. He had sincerely promised to follow even to prison and death, but he did not see the danger within himself until circumstances exposed his natural weakness and the natural elements of his character under testing. His confidence proved his ruin, and strength came only where he had been weak.
He hid his identity and placed himself among Christ's opposers. There he tried to conceal that he was a follower by acting indifferent and joining the persecutors' mockery, though he was sorrowful at Jesus' suffering and angry that Jesus submitted to abuse. That effort to conceal his true feelings put him on Satan's ground and made him vulnerable to temptation.
Though he would have fought bravely for his Master, fear of scorn, ridicule, reproach, suffering, and public pressure made him cowardly. His turning from Christ under fear warns that those ashamed of Jesus under scorn have not counted the cost and may turn toward His persecutors instead of enduring trial for His sake. Denial comes not only under direct danger but when ridicule frightens, and disguising faith to escape suffering or scorn is itself denying the Lord.
He was overcome by the devil's temptation, for Satan desired to sift him as wheat and an evil spirit took possession of him so that he did not know what spirit he was of. Christ in true friendship and compassion had warned him of the sifting, which he resented in self-sufficiency, yet Christ prayed that his faith would not fail and watched over him through it. Satan could not sift him without God's permission, and he fell under the arts of the wily foe.
Associating with people he should have avoided exposed him to temptation to say or do what he otherwise would not. Those who lure the righteous to yield may then despise them. His failure to heed Christ's lessons and to stand right with God in his trial led to the denial, whereas learning those lessons would have made him stand firm, and clinging to old habits and practices leads to denying Christ and losing the blessings of following the Lord.
His earlier ardent zeal was not conversion. Quick and full of zeal, asserting he would suffer and die for his Lord, in Gethsemane he raised the sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. He had been made a co-laborer with Christ while not yet a perfect man, accepted as a disciple so he could keep learning from divine teaching to correct wrong ideas of what Christian character is. Through being overcome he at last learned to distrust and watch himself closely with jealous distrust instead of feeling self-sufficient and self-important, improving every opportunity to learn.
Nature of True Repentance
The bitter weeping expresses the depth of grief over failure, a broken and repentant and remorseful and agonized heart. Remembering the suffering of Jesus and his own failure broke pride. The look pierced the heart and brought the anguish of the suffering Master vividly to mind, while the denial added to the anguish of Christ as He was mocked and abused.
The tears mark true contrition of soul and sincere repentance for great sin, like the publican's, with self-confidence broken. With blinding tears he made his way alone to Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in great agony with bloody sweat forced from His pores, remembering that he had been asleep while Jesus prayed those fearful hours, his heart breaking as his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son. The crowing of the cock reminded him of the warning, and the compassionate and loving look assured pardon and mercy and expressed forgiveness rather than hopelessness. His contrition led to fresh surrender to his Saviour and reconversion.
His fall revealed the natural elements and weakness of character under testing despite confident promises of faithfulness. Yet his repentance was genuine, and strength came where he had been weak, and light came from his failure. He was watched over and prayed for through the sifting, which Satan could not do without God's permission.
His sorrow was genuine and lasting, for he did not minimize his denial or return to his former self-confidence. True repentance brings deep sorrow for sin, not a quick boastful claim of salvation. Though his sin was forgiven, the humiliating fall was never forgotten, and he knew that only Christ's grace could overcome the weakness of character that had led to it, finding nothing in himself to boast of.
He left that garden a converted man, humbled and committed afresh. Conversion began at the sorrowful look that broke his heart and was completed after repentance, proving that true conversion comes after repentance. His earlier ardor was quick and full of zeal, asserting he would suffer and die for his Lord, and in Gethsemane that zeal led him to raise the sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, yet that zeal was not conversion. After repentance he was converted and prepared to strengthen his brethren, made patient and controlling his hasty quick temper and mouth under the sanctifying influence of truth through prayer and lifelong persevering untiring overcoming.
His fall taught lessons that could be learned only through failure and made him a better man. The Lord permits His children to fall so that if they repent of wrongdoing He helps them stand on vantage ground, and Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial as fire purifies gold. If the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall bring repentance. That repentance is shown in humble fervent prayer that saves the soul from death and in confession and restitution that hide a multitude of sins.
Christ's Forgiving Look
Jesus turned toward Peter with a look of sorrowful regret, reproof, pity, compassion and pardoning love, holding pardon, mercy and forgiveness rather than anger, hopelessness or oppression. That look was without anger yet full of sorrow, and it held up a spotless life and unstained purity of character as the pattern to be looked upon. When set beside Peter's later bold acknowledgment, the one look of pity and sorrow stands as reproof opposite approbation and blessing, with being filled with the Holy Spirit as the token of that approval.
That tender look melted Peter at once, broke and pierced his heart, and awakened conscience, love and loyalty. It brought back the warning spoken in the upper chamber and his own zealous boast that though all would be offended he never would, so that he recognized the shame of his betrayal and understood his sin with self-confidence broken. Its message of pardon gave him hope and assurance of pardon and mercy, and with Christ's assurance that He had prayed for him it saved him from despair.
Jesus dealt tenderly and patiently with Peter in his fall, continuing to minister to and plead for the fallen sinner to win him back and not abandoning one who has fallen. He had prayed for him beforehand, holding him up in friendship and watchful care. His sorrowful, reproving gaze from some distance away reached Peter even amid denial with cursing and swearing to deceive accusers from fear for his life.
Peter's bitter remorse and repentance were understood by angels, accepted by God, and forgiven. The angel's tender instruction to tell Peter the news of the resurrection showed tender concern for him in his special despondency among the followers. The resurrection message specifically including him assured him that his Lord still remembered and loved him, and he received it as a sign of forgiveness after praying in Gethsemane for forgiveness as never before.
His failure did not lead Jesus to cast him off, but was followed by forgiveness and restoration to the Master's confidence. Christ forgave that sin as shown by the high commission to feed the sheep and lambs and care for the flock. That entrusting proved his sin forgiven, even though he could never forgive himself and his bitterness and contrition never lessened, so that when condemned to be scourged and crucified he counted it too great an honor to die as his Master had and entreated to be nailed with head downward.
Transformed Life Afterward
He rose from Gethsemane a converted man, humbled, calm and teachable, modest and distrustful of self rather than a proud boaster, with grace regulating his zeal so that he could care for the flock. The crowing of the cock and the sorrowful look had brought his boastful confidence, his denial, and the full guilt of his sin vividly to mind, leading him to deep repentance and to pray for forgiveness as never before. Though he felt unable to forgive himself, the resurrection message that specifically named him assured him that his Lord still remembered and loved him, and he received it as a sign of forgiveness. His self-love and self-assurance, which had overwhelmed his love for Christ when he sincerely promised to follow even to prison and death without seeing the danger within, were broken as circumstances exposed his weakness and taught him to recognize it. The Peter who denied had been impulsive, self-confident and boastful, but afterward, filled with the Holy Spirit, he was made firm as a rock, courageous yet modest in magnifying Christ.
His humiliation fitted him to pity the tempted, to sympathize with the weak and erring, to caution and warn the presumptuous, to help disciples in temptation and trial, and to strengthen his brethren. With blinding tears he had made his way alone to Gethsemane and prostrated himself where he had seen his Saviour prostrated in bloody-sweat agony, remembering that he had slept while Jesus prayed those fearful hours, his heart breaking as his penitential tears moistened the sod stained with the sweat drops of God's dear Son. Remembering Jesus' suffering and his own failure broke his pride, and he left the garden converted and committed afresh to his Saviour in true contrition, repentance, reconversion and fresh surrender. That contrition led him to surrender himself afresh and be converted, making him ready to care for God's sheep and lambs and to strengthen his fellow disciples.
His bitter weeping marked his fall as shameful, hasty, cowardly denial with cursing and swearing, wicked cowardice and apostasy that disowned Jesus' name and dishonored it in His hour of greatest need, leaving a stain. That denial was made before Annas and Caiaphas and the other dignitaries of the temple in their own council room. It came distinctly before his mind when he was brought as a prisoner before those very men in that very room the day after the cripple was healed, where his own trial gave him opportunity to redeem his former cowardice.
When brought again before the same men who had heard his denial, he distinctly remembered it and, filled with the Holy Spirit, resolved by that power to remove the stain by boldly honoring and exalting the name he had disowned, using the second trial as opportunity to redeem his cowardice. With holy boldness in the power of the Spirit he boldly acknowledged his Lord and exalted the name he had dishonored. Jesus who had reproved him with one look of pity and sorrow now approved and blessed him, with being filled with the Holy Spirit as the token of that approbation. That bold acknowledgment stands opposite the denial, for his noble, fearless conduct compares well with the appearance of Jesus when persecuted by His murderers, so that the people took knowledge that he had been with Jesus.
His bitter grief after openly and shamefully denying Jesus, contradicting his earlier claims of loyalty, was followed by conversion, and he later became a bold witness for Christ. His later penitence and humility were evident when Jesus questioned him about his love, for he no longer answered with boastful confidence, and he was better prepared to shepherd Christ's flock. He needed first to show that he sincerely repented before he could resume his apostolic work and regain his fellow disciples' confidence, having failed to witness in trial because he trusted in himself and denied with cursing and swearing.
Before his fall he was ardent, zealous and impetuous, and checks from the mild, patient beloved disciple John did not reform him, but after repentance and conversion a mild caution from John was all that was needed to check his ardor and zeal, while his zeal, boldness and energy remained needed for the cause of Christ to deliver from difficulty and silence enemies. Made a co-laborer with Christ while not yet a perfect man and still holding wrong ideas of Christian character, placed to keep learning from divine teaching, through being overcome by the devil's temptations he at last learned to distrust and watch himself closely with jealous distrust instead of feeling self-sufficient and self-important, improving every opportunity to learn.
He carried a sense of his cowardly denial throughout life in contrition and humility, never forgetting his humiliating fall, finding nothing in himself to boast of and knowing that only Christ's grace could overcome the weakness of character that had led to it. Though his sin was forgiven and he was entrusted with feeding the sheep and lambs, the bitterness of his sorrow and repentance never lessened, not even in prospect of the agonies of his own terrible death, and he could never forgive himself. When called to die for his faith and condemned to be scourged and crucified, remembering his denial, his only thought was that he was unworthy of so great an honor as to die in the same manner as his Master, considering it too great an honor to die as the Lord he had denied had died, so he entreated his executioners that he might be nailed to the cross with his head downward.
Warning and Encouragement
Peter's bitter going out stands as a warning that even one who knows Christ and has received much instruction and influence can falter through fear of people or desire for their approval. His collapse exposes self-confident boasting that presumptuously affirmed a constancy superior to fellow disciples and declared readiness to follow to prison and to death even after faithful warning of the defect of character. When opposition fell and Christ stood condemned and humiliated in the judgment hall wearing the shameful crown of thorns, the very hour demanding bravery and fidelity, Peter repeatedly denied his Lord while all forsook Him and fled. Such self-trusting, self-confident religious experience is unreliable and marred with defects, and the soul is safe only when distrusting self, trusting only in the wisdom of God, and being thoroughly converted. Peter was common human clay subject to ordinary temptation, not more than human and without foible, one of the recorded cases where men favored of God and entrusted with great responsibility were overcome by temptation and committed sin even as people strive, waver, and fall into error now.
The faithful record lifts the veil from the human heart and lays bare fault and folly as a lesson and warning to all following generations. Through God's grace the fallen can gain fresh vigor to rise above evil nature, take heart again, and conquer, which encourages desponding hearts not to despair but to renew the conflict, press on, and surmount obstacles in the way. The Lord permits His children to fall so that if they repent of wrongdoing He helps them stand on vantage ground, and Christ purifies His people by temptation and trial as fire purifies gold. If the heart has not been hardened by disregard of great light, temptation and fall bring repentance shown in humble fervent prayer that saves the soul from death and in confession and restitution that hide a multitude of sins, and the fall itself teaches lessons learnable only through failure and makes the fallen a better man. Peter's denial of his Lord did not exclude him from the Christian church or from learning through Christ's instruction what constitutes perfect Christian character, showing that failure need not end discipleship.
Denying Christ includes more than Peter's outward act, for refusal to live by known truth and rejection of received light is itself present denial. The same denial occurs when one links with worldlings, talks their language, denies received truth before unbelievers, voices Satan's sentiments, forsakes God, and exchanges Christ for Satan as leader while feeling no need of grace, under an evil spirit of which the denier does not know what spirit he is of. To cavil and doubt instead of humbling the heart before God, closing the soul to temptation and opening it to faith, laboring for souls, letting light shine, and building up and strengthening what remains is to act Peter's part in that denial. Breaking that spell requires diligent work for repentance, God's converting power, surrender of all to God, cleansing of soul defilement, dying to self, and determined effort to become a free man in Christ, meek and lowly and reconverted.