Jesus Restores: The Wonderful Promise of Redemption in Christ

Shared on January 26, 2025

Introduction

When you begin to think that Jesus won’t ever forgive you of your sins, it’s time for you to immediately come to a stop.  Let’s understand that there is a wonderful promise of forgiveness and restoration found in God’s love.

Peter’s Denial of Christ

To understand today’s lesson, one must understand its background.  Peter, because he was the oldest of the twelve, saw himself as the leader of the disciples.  Peter was a loud man – a prideful man.  When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, Peter told Jesus that he would never allow Him to wash his feet (John 13:6-9).  Jesus had to humble Peter in that moment and Peter then allowed Jesus to wash his feet. 

Before His arrest, Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him, not just one time, but three times (Matt. 26:34).  Understandably, this was something that Peter couldn’t see himself ever doing.  However, when Jesus says something, one should listen and receive it.  Peter, on the other hand, was adamant that he was ready to follow Jesus to prison even to death (Matt. 26:35).

Yet, when the moment came and the people asked him if he followed Jesus, Peter denied it with anger three times (Matt. 26:69-74).  When he remembered Jesus’ words and how he said he would never stumble, the prideful Peter was brought to tears (Matt. 26:75).  In his eyes, Peter felt he had let Jesus down – he believed he failed Christ, and therefore, failed himself!

Jesus Redeems Peter

The events of this week’s lesson took place after Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Jesus had appeared to His remaining disciples on multiple occasions before the breakfast by the sea that’s recorded in John 21:15-25.

Though Jesus had appeared multiple times to the disciples, Peter was still dealing with the self guilt of denying Jesus.  There was still work for the apostles to do but Peter wouldn’t be able to do the work if he was down in his soul.  

From John 21:15-19, Jesus asked Peter three different times if Peter loved him.  Notice that the first time around, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me more than these?”  Was Jesus asking this question in the sense of making loving Him out to be a competition?  Do you think Jesus sees loving Him as a game or competition?

Peter, in his pride, certainly did see loving Christ as a competition at a point in time.  However, after denying Christ three times, such pride went into the tank.  Notice that Peter admitted that he did love Christ but he didn’t add that he loved Him more than anyone.  Peter was without pride but it had been replaced with him wallowing in self-pity which simply isn’t healthy.  

So, Peter needed to be filled with new pride and confidence.  We often speak against pride but the pride we speak against is that selfish pride.  However, as Paul pointed out, there is absolutely nothing wrong when one’s boast is in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31).  You see, God is worthy of our boast because He is Almighty.  Sin – the way that leads to destruction – is nothing to boast about.

I do believe that there are times when we, God’s children, can become overly prideful in ourselves.  It is quite scary to see how self-righteous, and frankly, how foolish we can be in our self-righteousness.  I do believe there was a point there when Peter was approaching that self-righteous pride as he’d tell anybody he was the greatest of the disciples.  So, in a way, Peter’s adversity humbled him – that is what adversity will do.  

God will knock us down a peg or two when our pride gets to that level.  It is important that we learn the lesson of such and not continue in such pride.  Self-righteous pride is absolutely destructive and the reason why there is so much struggle in the world.  

You will notice that the next two times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, Jesus didn’t add on “more than these”  So why did Jesus ask Peter the same question two more times?

No doubt, being asked if he loved Christ three times would’ve reminded Peter of his denial.  However, if you notice Peter’s final answer, there is a spark in his response.  This moment kind of reminds me of when my dad would ask me if I heard him over and over again, and I would eventually say, “Yes, I heard you!”

Peter’s saying, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You,” was a spark of faith.  Peter then added, “You know all things”.  Yes, the Lord does know all things but we have to remember that as well!

Think about this:  if Peter truly understood that Christ knew everything, then why was he choosing to wallow in guilt and self-pity?  Here’s the thing about our sins: God knows our sins  God desires for us to come to Him and confess our sins to Him so that we can have relief from the guilt. Have you ever heard that it is good to vent or to make confessions known?

We end up burdening ourselves with our sins, not the Lord.  We walk around with that guilt rather than making our confessions known to God.  John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).”

So, why do we weary ourselves?  Why do we keep our sins to ourselves and burden ourselves with guilt?  God has given His only begotten Son to restore and redeem us from our sins!  When we have done wrong, let’s stop burdening ourselves and wallowing in our self-pity when we can easily go to the Lord.  Let us learn to be humble

Carry Forward in Grace and Humility

In John 21:18-19, Jesus spoke to Peter about how he would continue to go in liberty, with great vigor in the years of his prime.  However, one day, when he was older, that would change.  John wrote that Jesus was speaking about how Peter would leave this world.

Of Peter’s death, it is said that he was crucified upside down.  Why?  Peter, out of humility, didn’t believe he was worthy to die in the same manner that Christ did.  Yes, Peter may have been “restored” but I believe that this talk with Jesus made him an even better person – he was made complete.

You see, that’s what happens when one goes to Jesus and seeks His mercy and grace.  When we go to Jesus, I don’t believe we ever come away the same.  Jesus restores and will make one whole – brand new.  When Jesus has made us well, it is incredibly important we do our best to walk in His newness.  Yet, when we falter, let us not be afraid of going to Him so that He can continue to better us.


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