The Good News: Three Strikes

As I began blogging about "The Good News" while studying the book of Mark, I had intended to complete this study at the end of October. The most amazing thing about this study is that we can find the Good News of God's kingdom in every passage as Jesus exposes the depth and glory of the kingdom of God. I know that we could spend a lot more time exploring the depths of this book. However, God is leading me towards writing about other topics as well. My goal is to finish up this study in my next couple of posts, knowing I will never be able to examine the height or depth of the Good News we have through Jesus Christ.

Today I want to jump ahead to a passage in Mark 14.

Here we find Jesus talking to His disciples. Jesus knows that the time of His death is near and He wants these guys to be ready to take the Good News to the world. Jesus also knows their hearts, their fears, and their weakness. With all this knowledge, Jesus wants His disciples to know that He loves them, despite all of these things, so He warns them.

"You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered'" Vs. 27

The Jesus goes on to tell them, "But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee." vs. 28

Jesus wants them to know that even though these men will reject Him during His darkest moments that He will not forsake them. Yes, Jesus knows He is about to die, but He also knows that the grave can't hold him. So he tells them what is about to happen and of course they don't want to believe Him. Would you?

The great thing about this event in the life of Jesus and His disciples is the very fact that the God-man looks at a mans heart and not his outward appearance. Because Peter and the others were confident in who they wanted to be but they weren't there yet. Listen to Peter's response, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” vs 29 How often do we each get caught up in our own self righteous perceptions. We begin to see ourselves as more faithful, more holy, more righteous, more steadfast, more determined, and on and on. But the fact remains, none of us even know the depths of our own hearts.

Jesus goes then addresses Peter directly, “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

But you have to love Peter. He is so confident in his own resolve. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” vs 31a of course Peter isn't the only one because the rest of the verse says, "And all the others said the same."

Then we read about the events that transpire in the garden of Gethsemane and it looks like Peter is determined to prove Jesus wrong. When they come to arrest Jesus, Peter draws his sword and goes on the attack. (It is funny that Jesus teaches Peter that the way of the sword is not the way of the kingdom of God, but that is a study for another time.)

And the disciples fled. Though Peter followed at a distance. and then it happened. As Peter stood by the fire warming his hands, a servant girl saw Peter and made the dreaded statement, “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” vs. 67 and Peter denies it saying that he doesn't know what she is talking about. (Strike 1)

Now if we are going to be fair, Peter was surrounded by a hostile crowd. This was an illegal trial being held by people who wanted Jesus dead. (Often we deny Jesus by our actions when the crowd isn't hostile.) We become fearful of what someone might say or think about us - where Peter was afraid for his life.

Of course Peter goes on to deny knowing Jesus two more times - once to another servant girl (Strike 2) and once to one of the guys with him at the fire. (Strike 3) Peter is then consumed with the guilt of His failure as Jesus' words resounded in his heart. Three strikes and your Out!

The Good News:
If Peter's story ended there it would truly be tragic. We can see the completion of this story as it plays out in John 21:15-19. Here we find a resurrected Jesus confronting Peter once again.
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

The truth is, everyone of us has denied Jesus. Whether by thought or deed, both in our words and in our silence, we are all guilty, and despite our guilt Jesus has come back to us time and time again and asked, "Do you love ME?"

May you trust Jesus to take away your guilt. He already paid the price for it and it is no longer yours to carry. May you be ever drawn toward Jesus knowing that there is nothing you can do to make Him love you anymore or any less than He already does. And May you acknowledge Him in all your ways!