Restored
The long Easter weekend is over, and what a weekend it was! Many people enjoyed seeing family and/or friends in their gardens, however the weather caused problems. One day it was bright, sunny and warm then it all changed as the temperature dropped and it snowed!
Once again, I tracked the events of Easter. The poignant ‘Last Supper’ followed by the awful events of Good Friday leading to Jesus’ death. The silence of Saturday and then the joy of ‘Resurrection Sunday’! We had such a fabulous time at our church live stream on Easter Sunday (do check it out here).
One of the ‘supporting characters’ in the Easter story is Peter. A passionate young man who, for most of the time, spoke before thinking. On Good Friday he denied he even knew Jesus, not once but three times!
I wonder how he must have felt after these denials, to then watch his beloved Jesus die, without being able to make amends? I think he was a broken man full of remorse.
However, Jesus was raised back to life and a few days later appeared to Peter and the other Disciples. At that encounter…
“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.”
Three times, Jesus asked Peter questions, and three times Peter responded positively. It’s like each one cancelled out the three times Peter denied Jesus. In this highly deep and personal conversation Jesus brought both healing and restoration to Peter.
If you read further in the Bible, you see how Peter went from strength to strength and did exactly what Jesus asked him to do. He did become ‘the rock’, the new name Jesus gave to him years earlier.
Peter had blown it big time, but that was not a problem for Jesus, as He is all about restoration! Peter’s past was also not an issue for Jesus, as He is about forgiveness and a new, better future!
The same is still true today. Your past does not disqualify your future. Jesus can forgive you, restore you. Jesus longs for you to become all that He intended you to be with Him!
Please check out our live stream every Sunday at 10:30am, simply go to www.hopebasingstoke.org/livestream
Stay safe & God bless
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader