Hope When We Have Failed
Moving forward after falling backward
This is a repost from April of 2024
Many Christians faithfully serve the Lord the time they become a believer until the day they die. But some of you are like me. We failed in a big way some where along the way. For some it was a slow process of wandering farther and farther away from God’s will for our lives. For others the fall was dramatic and quick. But no matter how it happened, we ended up where we never intended to be. We once were joyfully serving the Lord and involved in His kingdom work. But then we were not. Some of us felt like the Lord would not want to use us again. We believed the lie that God had given up on us and put us on a shelf. After all, we made promises. And the Lord had blessed us so much. But we blew it. Why would He ever want to trust us again?
Our scripture today deals with this topic. It is for those of us who think we have failed too miserably to ever be useful to God again. The Apostle Peter was one of three disciples who seem to have been Jesus’ closest followers. And Peter may have even thought that he was the top of those three. But he failed, big time.
At the Last Supper Jesus had warned the disciples that they would all fall away when He was arrested. Peter declared, “Even though all may fall away, yet I will not” (Mark 14:29). But within only a few hours Peter had in fact fallen away. He denied three times that he even knew Jesus. Luke tells us what happened after Peter’s third denial, “But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, ‘Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:60-62).
On Sunday morning, after some ladies arrived at Jesus’ empty tomb, an angel talked with the women, to reassure them. Mark writes, “And he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you’” (Mark 16:6-7). Do you notice who the ladies were instructed to tell about going to meet Jesus in Galilee? “Tell His disciples and Peter.” Peter had failed miserably, after boasting so proudly. He had promised that he would be the one who Jesus could count on. Peter was now clearly broken over his failure. In fact, Peter and some of the other disciples went back to fishing (the career they had before meeting Jesus). But Jesus was not done with Peter. He had more to say to him and wanted to make sure that Peter would be there to listen. And what Jesus had to say is found in this passage from John’s Gospel.
“So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My lambs.’ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Shepherd My sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend My sheep’” (John 21:15-17).
Jesus did not meet with Peter and the other disciples in order to berate them—no “I told you so”—no chastisement—no condemnation. Jesus met with them to exhort them and to reaffirm His call upon their lives. We are not told about Jesus speaking directly to any of the other disciples, but we are given these details about His direct conversation with Peter. Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” And three times Peter affirmed that He did. How many times did Peter deny Jesus? Three declarations of love countered three declarations of denial. Jesus was not going through this exercise for His own enlightenment or appeasement. Jesus knew how broken Peter was over his failure. He also knew how much Peter loved Him. But Peter needed to be restored to service. He needed to know that Jesus had not given up on him. Declaring his love anew for his Savior was a necessary step in the process of restoration.
When we stumble and fail as followers of our Lord He does not condemn us. “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). He knows what we did and what we are feeling. What He wants is for us to confess our failure and thank Him for His forgiveness. We are not very useful in God’s kingdom work when we are moping about our failures. We need to recognize Christ’s love for us. His love is steadfast and unconditional. He does not love us any less when we fail, and could never love us any more. When we understand and experience that kind of love we are motivated to love the Lord in return and to serve Him because of that love.
So, where do we find hope in the midst of defeat? The same place we find hope in any situation—in the Lord Jesus Christ and His unconditional love for us. His amazing love gives us hope—hope to start over.
God wants us to be involved with Him in His work to advance His kingdom here on earth. He is continuously interceding for us and has paid the price for all of our failures. If you have blown it, get up, dust yourself off, and run back to the Lord’s waiting and merciful arms. Talk to Him (pray) and listen to Him (read His word). He loves you more than you could ever imagine. Though your sins be many, His mercy is more.
Until next time, may God’s radiant hope and love shine brightly in your heart.