a portrait

of

jesus

A PORTRAIT OF JESUS— His Amazing Grace

“Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.”  Luke 22:60, 61

We all know the story of Peter’s denial of Jesus. How self-assured he was. Even if everyone else left Jesus, he would never leave Him. How quickly Peter’s confidence turned to despair. He had miserably failed his Lord after so vehemently declaring that he would not. With that “look” from Jesus, the grief and guilt became overwhelming. Until Jesus took steps to heal Peter after His Resurrection, each morning the rooster crowed, he was reminded of his failure, with feelings of guilt and shame resurfacing once again.

Peter’s feelings of failure led to his decision to return to fishing, something at which he excelled. John 21 tells the story. Peter, joined by six other disciples, had fished all night without catching a single fish. John 21:4 tells us: “early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore…” Jesus called to them, telling them to cast their nets into the sea one more time and in doing so they get the catch of a lifetime! “They were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” Seven men were incapable of pulling in that net of fish! They literally had to row the net to shore. Instantly, they knew the One on shore was Jesus and eagerly went to meet Him.

Jesus had breakfast already prepared for them and when they had finished eating, He takes this time to help Peter to heal. He asks Peter three times, “Do you truly love (Agape) me more than these (nets and fishes)?” Three times Jesus extends His grace to Peter, by telling him to feed or care for His sheep. What an extension of marvelous love and amazing grace, once for each of Peter’s denials.

Did you notice it was “early in the morning” that this event took place? Jesus took a painful moment, the first moment of the day, the time when roosters crow, and turned it from a moment of guilt and shame into a moment of amazing grace. From that day forward, whenever Peter heard a rooster crow, no longer would he think of his failure, but of the unmerited grace that had been lavished upon him. Jesus does the same for each one of us. He does not leave us in our sin, guilt and shame but extends to us amazing grace. A grace that changes us forever! D. Mathewson