“Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left theirnets, and followed him” (Matthew 4:18–20).

“The Saviour knew the character of the men whom He had chosen;all their weaknesses and errors were open before Him; He knew the perils through which they must pass, the responsibility that would rest upon them; and His heart yearned over these chosen ones.”1

“Peter, James, and John . . . were almost constantly with Him,witnessing His miracles, and hearing His words.”2

Peter recognized that Jesus was the Son of God and openly expressed that conviction (Matthew 16:13­–17). How confident was he of this? There was a time when “many of [Christ’s] disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:66–68).

Does this mean that the disciples had accepted Christ? “The disciples had found more peace and joy since they had accepted Christ than in all their previous lives.”3

This was the disciples’ faith. “While the Saviour was forsaken by many who had witnessed His wonderful works, Peter expressed the faith of the disciples—’Thou art that Christ.’ ”4

“The faith of Peter never flagged; he followed his Master with unwavering devotion.”5

In what special group was Peter included? “After six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them” (Matthew 17:1, 2).

What did Peter give up in order to be so close to Christ? “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee” (Matthew 19:27).

Whom did Jesus take with Him when He wanted only those with strong faith to be with Him at the raising of the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue? “He suffered no man to follow him,save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James” (Mark 5:35–37).

When Jesus needed human sympathy, upon whom did He call? “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed iswilling, but the flesh isweak” (Matthew 26:36–41).

Was Peter clean at the last Passover supper before Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection? “Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also myhands and myhead. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean” (John 13:6–11).

What is the problem with our human nature? “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed bethe man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5).

Why doesn’t God shield us from experiencing disappointment in people? “We are prone to look to our fellow men for sympathy and uplifting, instead of looking to Jesus. In His mercy and faithfulness God often permits those in whom we place confidence to fail us, in order that we may learn the folly of trusting in man and making flesh our arm. Let us trust fully, humbly, unselfishly in God. He knows the sorrows that we feel to the depths of our being, but which we cannot express. When all things seem dark and unexplainable, remember the words of Christ, ‘What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter’ (John 13:7).”6

What warning did Jesus give to the disciples prior to His crucifixion?

“Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee” (Matthew 26:31, 32).

How emphatic was Peter that he would never do such a thing? “Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matthew 26:33). Was he the only disciple to be so confident? “Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples” (Matthew 26:35).

Why was he so confident? “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

What lesson can we learn regarding self-confidence? “For the self-confident there is a lesson in the history of the apostle Peter. In his early discipleship, Peter thought himself strong. When on the eve of betrayal, Christ forewarned His disciples, ‘All ye shall be offended because of me this night,’ Peter confidently declared, ‘Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.’ Peter did not know his own danger. Self-confidence misled him. He thought himself able to withstand temptation; but in a few short hours the test came, and with cursing and swearing he denied his Lord.”7

Is there anything more dangerous? “Pride goethbefore destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

“The evil that led to Peter’s fall is proving the ruin of thousands today. There is nothing so offensive to God, or so dangerous to the soul, as pride and self-sufficiency.”8

“When Peter said he would follow his Lord to prison and to death, he meant it, every word of it.”9

Simply being honest is not enough. “What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception.”10

What warning did Jesus give Peter? “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice” (Matthew 26:34).

Why did Jesus give such a warning? “[Peter] assured his Lord that he would go with him both to prison and to death; but Jesus knew Peter much better than the disciple knew himself.”11

How was this fulfilled? We read of Peter’s shocking denial of Christ in Matthew 26:69–74, exactly as the Lord foresaw.

What encouraging words did Jesus have to say before the trial? “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31, 32).

Does this mean Peter was never converted? Remember, Jesus had said to Peter, “ye are clean” (John 13:10).

There is such a thing as reconversion. “Peter denied the Man of Sorrows in His acquaintance with grief in the hour of His humiliation. But he afterward repented and was reconverted.” 12

We cannot be secure and confident for even a moment.

Jesus even thought of Peter after his reconversion, with the angel’s message: “Go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you” (Mark 16:7).

How encouraging were these words? “How eagerly did Peter receive this word of love and compassion! He knew that his Lord still thought of him, still loved him, and he took this message as a sign of forgiveness.”13

When the rooster crowed, what did Peter do? “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75).

What made him remember what Jesus had said? “And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice” (Luke 22:60, 61).

How important was that look? “At this moment, Christ looked upon Peter; and beneath that grieved look, in which compassion and love were blended, Peter understood himself. He went out, and wept bitterly.”14

What did that look lead Peter to do? “At his third denial of his Lord the cock crew, and Jesus turned his eyes upon Peter with a look of peculiar sadness, and the words that Christ had spoken to him came quickly to his mind. All through his life the memory of that look was with Peter. His sinful boasting, his Lord’s warning, his denial of the Saviour, all came to him like a flash of lightning; and casting one pitiful look upon his suffering, insulted Lord, he hurried away from the sound of false accusation and reproach, rushed from the palace, plunged into the darkness, and weeping bitterly, hurried to Gethsemane. He began to see himself as he really was. Memory was alive, and his sins were pictured before him in all their heinous light. Peter threw himself on the spot where a few hours before, Jesus had prayed and wept in agony, and there the disciple prayed as he never before had prayed. With deep repentance and terrible remorse he pleaded for forgiveness, and he rose a converted man; but he felt that although Jesus would forgive him, he could never forgive himself.”15

“Peter denied the Man of Sorrows in His acquaintance with grief in the hour of His humiliation. But he afterward repented and was reconverted. He had true contrition of soul and gave himself afresh to his Saviour. With blinding tears he makes his way to the solitudes of the Garden of Gethsemane and there prostrates himself where he saw his Saviour’s prostrate form when the bloody sweat was forced from His pores by His great agony. Peter remembers with remorse that he was asleep when Jesus prayed during those fearful hours. His proud heart breaks, and penitential tears moisten the sods so recently stained with the bloody sweat drops of God’s dear Son. He left that garden a converted man. He was ready then to pity the tempted. He was humbled and could sympathize with the weak and erring. He could caution and warn the presumptuous, and was fully fitted to strengthen his brethren.”16

How does this happen? “The nearer we come to Jesus, and the more clearly we discern the purity of his character, the more clearly shall we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the less shall we feel like exalting ourselves. Those whom Heaven recognizes as holy ones are the last to parade their own goodness. Men who have lived near to God, men who would sacrifice life itself rather than knowingly commit a wrong act, men whom God has honored with divine light and power, have confessed the sinfulness of their own nature. They have put no confidence in the flesh, have claimed no righteousness of their own, but have trusted wholly in the righteousness of Christ. So will it be with all who behold the Saviour.”17

Why was Peter permitted to go through such a difficult experience? “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

What was revealed to him? “When Peter said he would follow his Lord to prison and to death, he meant it, every word of it; but he did not know himself. Hidden in his heart were elements of evil that circumstances would fan into life. Unless he was made conscious of his danger, these would prove his eternal ruin. The Saviour saw in him a self-love and assurance that would overbear even his love for Christ. Much of infirmity, of unmortified sin, carelessness of spirit, unsanctified temper, heedlessness in entering into temptation, had been revealed in his experience. Christ’s solemn warning was a call to heart searching . Peter needed to distrust himself, and to have a deeper faith in Christ. Had he in humility received the warning, he would have appealed to the Shepherd of the flock to keep His sheep.”18

How was Peter restored? When Christ met with the disciples by the seaside after His resurrection (John 21:15–19), He asked Peter three times about his love for Him. Peter’s third response was—in all humility—“Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee” (verse 17). Then the Lord bade him to follow Him.

“Christ mentioned to Peter only one condition of service—'Lovest thou Me?’ This is the essential qualification. Though Peter might possess every other, yet without the love of Christ he could not be a faithful shepherd over the flock of God. Knowledge, benevolence, eloquence, zeal—all are essential in the good work; but without the love of Christ in the heart, the work of the Christian minister is a failure.” 19