The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
- John 18:17; 18:25-27 ESV
The rooster marks Peter's most shameful moment. This far. Peter had come this far with Jesus, even declaring his unwavering loyalty not just a few chapters before this moment.
But here he was. Are you a disciple? No. Are you a disciple? No. But weren't you in his company? Absolutely not!
Peter is not some theologian or great warrior or even a brave man of God. He's a fisherman; he's human. And this humanity is not uncommon among us. Even Adam hid from God. But think about it: Peter knew that, whatever was going to happen to Jesus, he himself would get the same punishment if they were able to link him to Jesus of Nazareth. He didn't know what exactly was awaiting Christ, but one thing was for sure: he didn't want to personally find out!
But in this act of Peter, we find not just a cowering man, but we find a deeply-held theme throughout the story of the Bible: that man, when the curtain is torn apart and the stage is laid bare, is just that: afraid, cowardly, selfish. We can't blame Peter. We are Peter, inextricably and undeniably. For all proclamations otherwise are acclamations of dust and dirt. Useless. In the Biblical synoptics of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, we see not only who Jesus was, but where we fit into the overall picture of God's new covenant with his people, the fulfillment of his promise to Abraham, through which he denied his graciousness and love, that we may be his children, we are his people, he is our God.
And the story of Peter is a wonderful painting of this picture.
We see in the verses listed above a dark and deep betrayal. Not only does he, in Jesus' darkest moment, deny God himself, but he denies the Jesus he calls his friend.
But, thankfully for Peter and us as well, the story doesn't end in condemnation. Instead, it is quite fiercely the opposite. We see here not an end to the story, but rather an effervescently wonderful and unrelentingly adventurous new beginning. A reverie to the death of Death itself. But we see through Peter's relationship with Jesus, God's relationship with man.
Recall with me for a moment the beginning of this sermon the denials of Peter. Disciple, disciple, friend.
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, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him 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, “Tend 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 everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep."
"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
- John 21:15-19 ESV
Twice a word is used here: άγαπάω. This word is a hard translation, and as a linguist, I find it quite interesting. It is often used to describe the love of God and the love of our neighbor.
Peter responds with a heartbroken "yes!" Repenting of his earlier denials. It is the picture of God's irrevocable love for his children. Jesus doesn't meet him with rage or vengeance, but instead, he meets him with a single, miraculously powerful word. That is, Jesus asks once more, one final time.
"Do you love me?"
θίλέω? Phileō?
There is beauty in this one word. It is the love shared between close friends. In other words, Jesus is asking Peter, "Will you be my friend?"
Do you need a friend? Are you standing where Peter stood? Are you faced with the sickness of who you see in the mirror? Peter stood there too, as he watched them take Jesus away. Are you denying him? Do you think that there is nothing that can bring you from the chasm you've found yourself in? Turn to Jesus, for he can give you rest. He's there, waiting, asking, and it's only a simple question:
Do you want to be my friend?
To Him be the power, the glory, and the kingdom forever.
So be it and let it be.
Amen.