Broken Resolutions | Sunday, January 2, 2022
January 2, 2022 · Pastor Miles DeBenedictis
In this teaching
Tracing Peter's journey from his miraculous catch to his denial and restoration, this teaching shows that failure is part of the human condition and that God's response to our sin is not condemnation but a call to repent and follow Him again. Using New Year's resolutions as a backdrop, Pastor Jason reminds us that our failures don't break God's plan and that Jesus continually pulls sinners close.
- The effects of sin outlast the act of sin and, left unchecked, will isolate and ultimately destroy us, but Jesus pulls sinners close rather than pushing them away.
- Pride tells us we are invincible, infallible, and indestructible, but it actually makes us ignorant of our weakness and leads us toward destruction.
- Jesus did not see Peter's denial as a failure; God's desire when we sin is that we repent and get back on mission.
- The response God wants from us when we sin is to repent and follow, not to weep and wallow in self-loathing.
- To be human is to fail, even when we love God and are loved by Him; we will not be freed from our flesh while on this earth.
- Whatever distractions or comparisons arise, Jesus' word to us remains the same: "What is that to you? You follow me."
One day Jesus was standing on the shores of Lake Gennesaret while people pushed their way up to him to listen to the word of God... Jesus got onto one of the boats, it belonged to Simon... when he finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Push the boat out further to the deep water and you and your partners let down your nets for a catch." "Master," Simon said, "we worked hard all night long and we caught nothing. But if you say so, I will let down the nets." ()
Peter fell, but he did not fail—and his story is our story as we face our own broken resolutions.
A Reluctant Catch
Jesus is preaching, the crowd is pressing against Him, and it's hard for Him to be heard. So He uses the natural features of the shore: He asks to get into Simon's boat and push out a little to teach the crowd. Peter has no issue with that—this itinerant rabbi with a huge crowd wants to use their boat. Great. Maybe they'll make a couple shekels out of the deal.
But when Jesus finishes, He tells Peter, "Push the boat out further to the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." It's one thing to use Peter's boat to preach from, but now this teacher is telling a fisherman how to fish. Peter has been a fisherman as long as he can remember, and he's probably good at it—the business is still afloat. A fisherman knows you catch fish at night, not at this time of day. His attitude comes through in his answer: "But if you say so, I'll let down the nets."
So they let them down and they caught such a large number of fish that the nets were about to break... They came and they filled both boats so full of fish that the boats were about to sink. ()
What was Jesus' response to Peter's unbelief? Blessing beyond measure. Peter is blessed more than he can even comprehend.
The Kindness That Leads to Repentance
When Simon Peter saw what had happened, he fell on his knees before Jesus and said, "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man." ()
It is the blessing—the tangible communication of the love of Jesus—that reveals to Peter who is actually in his boat. tells us that it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance. But Peter's response is to distance himself: "Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man." As a sinner, he feels the shame, the judgment, and the condemnation that sin produces.
This is the most insidious characteristic of sin. After the sinful act, our flesh begins to revel in its longer-lasting effect and sends us down a track toward isolation, shame, and condemnation. If we follow that track, we end up hating ourselves and pushing away everyone and everything that is good. The effects of sin outlast the act of sin and, unchecked, will isolate and ultimately destroy us.
Peter assumes that Jesus doesn't want to be near a sinner. We assume that our sin repels God. But God loves us even when we're sinners—nothing can separate us from the love of God. Our sin does demand a sacrifice, and that sacrifice was utterly horrific. Jesus endured the cross so that we could find grace, not condemnation. Jesus pulls sinners close instead of pushing them away. If your sin is pushing you away from Jesus, you're listening to the wrong voice.
A Mission Instead of Condemnation
"Don't be afraid," Jesus told Simon. "From now on you will be catching people." Then they brought the boats to land, they left everything and followed him. ()
It's ironic that on the day they had this earth-shattering catch, that's the day they quit fishing to follow Jesus.
From there we see more of Peter's life. When Jesus asks, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then in , Peter walks on water. In the storm, when Jesus comes walking across the sea, Peter says, "Lord, if that's you, tell me to come." Jesus says, "Come," and Peter—to his credit—gets out of the boat and walks on the water toward Jesus. As long as his eyes are on Jesus, he walks. But when he notices the wind and the waves, he sinks and cries, "Lord, save me." Jesus grabs his hand and says, "O you of little faith."
This is the place we live as followers of Jesus—in the tension between walking on the water and sinking in the sea. One moment we're in sync with Jesus, and the next we're crying out, "I am sinking, I need help."
The Warning Pride Could Not Hear
"Simon, Simon, look out, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." ()
This conversation takes place directly after the disciples argued about who was the greatest. Peter, based on his character, was probably the loudest. Jesus warns him that Satan is actively seeking to attack him. Sifting is the process of violently separating the wheat berry from the head of wheat. From the phrase "when you have turned back," it appears Satan's plan will succeed, at least in the short term. Notice that Jesus doesn't ask that Peter be spared from the plan, but that his faith may not fail.
Part of the sifting process removes the inedible portion of the wheat, preserving the life-giving portion for the feeding of the body. Jesus has a long-term plan: "When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." The plan is to use the failure, the denial, all of it, to produce a Peter who will provide strength, health, and life to his family.
But like us, Peter grossly overestimates his abilities and commitment: "Lord, I'm ready to go with you, both to prison and to death." This is all spoken out of pride. Pride tells us that we are invincible, infallible, and indestructible. The truth is, pride makes us ignorant of our weakness, prone to stupidity, and leads us on a path toward sure destruction.
"I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me." ()
Peter's pride prevents him from profiting from Jesus' warning—he can't even hear it. How often does our pride prevent us from hearing what Jesus is saying? We start with "I would never," and we all have something that fits that blank. If you think you don't, just wait—probably by the end of the day, you will.
Fellowship in Failure
The human default is failure. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, our main characteristic has been failure. At best, our path looks like an EEG graph, the heartbeat going up and down over and over. We try to hide this, pretending our successes exist while our failures don't. That's one of the big lies of social media, where people present their successes and hide their failures.
But there is fellowship in failure. When we acknowledge that we are fallible human beings, it opens us up to fellowship not just with God, but with each other. The Pharisees were popular for their position, not their attitude. If you were a sinner, you found not fellowship with them but condemnation. We're called not to be that way. They called Jesus the friend of sinners. In admitting our failure, there is fellowship.
The Denial
A fire had been lit in the center of the courtyard, and Peter joined those who were sitting around it... and at once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed, and the Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter... Peter went out and wept bitterly. ()
For Peter, the bottom completely drops out. He does what he never thought he would do—and he does it three times. Peter, who in his pride made bold declarations about his commitment even to the point of death, now denies that he even knows who Jesus is. Once to a servant girl, twice to men standing around a fire. You can feel the anguish in this passage.
And it's a great thing that we never do dumb things like this. We would never fail, never relapse, never cheat, never lie, never gossip, never lash out in temper at our spouse, kids, parents, co-workers, or other drivers. We would never do any of this—until we do. And we're left in the same place as Peter: isolated, broken, and full of self-loathing.
We tend to think the real danger is failing. In our arrogance we assume we're free from the frailty that besets the rest of the human race. We applaud our successes and, like the Pharisees, look down on those who don't live up to our examples—until it's us who fails. Then the real danger looms: the desire to hide, to isolate, and like Peter, to head into the darkness and marinate in self-hatred. Then the enemy, our flesh, and the world proceed to hammer on us, to sift us.
But remember what Jesus said: "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail." Jesus does not see Peter's denial as a failure. This is pivotal: Peter fell, but he did not fail in Jesus' perspective. Jesus was not surprised or shocked. He did not condemn Peter; He warned him and even gave him a mission. He's looking forward to Peter's next success, not dwelling on his denial. God's desire for us when we sin is that we would repent and get back on mission. When we indulge our flesh's desire to punish ourselves, we waste the time God has given us.
A Second Miraculous Catch
"I'm going fishing," Simon Peter said... but that night they caught nothing. When daybreak came, Jesus stood on the shore... "Cast the net on the right side of the boat," he told them, "and you'll find some." So they did, and they were unable to haul it in because of the large number of fish. ()
Haven't we seen something like this before? Fishing all night, catching nothing, then being told by someone who isn't a fisherman to try it differently in a way that seems nonsensical—and suddenly a massive load of fish. The disciples start to catch on.
The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied on his outer clothing... and plunged into the sea. ()
Imagine what's flashing through Peter's memory—the first day pulling in the fish, walking on water, his Savior pulling him from the depths, healing and feeding people, his own denial, seeing Jesus crucified, running into the empty tomb. And there Jesus is on the shore. Peter grabs his clothes and leaps out of the boat for the last time as a fisherman, because there's nothing left in that boat for him. His future is waiting on the shore.
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. "Bring some of the fish you've just caught," Jesus told them. ()
Jesus already had fish on the fire, but He says, "Bring some of yours," showing them that their efforts matter. Jesus doesn't need us, but He gives us the blessing of merging our efforts with His to produce life for the world.
Restored Three Times
When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Son of John, do you love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know I love you." "Feed my lambs," he told him. ()
There is more here than English allows. This hearkens back to the disciples' argument over who would be greatest. Jesus asks, "Do you agape me more than these?"—do you love me unconditionally, with holy and divine love, more than these around you? Peter, aware that he cannot claim a perfect self-sacrificial love, responds with the word for love as a friend or brother. He answers honestly, and Jesus says, "Feed my lambs."
The second time, Jesus drops the comparison: "Simon, son of John, do you agape me?" Now it's just about Peter and Jesus. Peter again responds, "You know that I love you as a brother." Jesus says, "Shepherd my sheep"—a call to leadership and stewardship, not over Peter's sheep but over Jesus' sheep.
The third time, Jesus changes the word, moving from agape to phileo: "Do you love me as a brother?" Peter was grieved, likely because the threefold question mirrors his threefold denial. His response is adamant: "Lord, you know everything. You know my doubts, my failings, my frailty—you know that I love you." Three times Peter denied Jesus; three times he is commissioned in the presence of the disciples. Those who witnessed his failure now witness his restoration. And the call is clear: "Feed my sheep."
"Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old... someone else will tie you and carry you where you do not want to go." ()
Jesus gives Peter a gift: He tells him how he will die. "You will die like me. You will follow me to death—not in your own pride and bravado, but as a co-laborer with me. You couldn't get there alone, but we can go there together." The gift is knowing that at the end, Jesus will still be with him, and Peter will be welcomed with open arms as a beloved brother. Jesus closes with two words: "Follow me." It's where He started, and it's where He ends.
The response God is looking for from us when we sin is to repent and to follow, not to weep and to wallow. When we spend our time weeping, bemoaning, feeling crushed and isolated and deserving of nothing, that produces nothing godly. Don't wallow in the place where it feels better to feel how bad we are. Get your head out of that place and follow Jesus.
"What Is That to You?"
It would be great to end there, to be assured that Peter would never fail again, that we too could reach a place where everything is golden and we could frolic in fields of flowers, resplendent in our own righteousness. But Peter is there to remind us that we are still human, and to be human is to fail—even when we love God and are loved by Him.
Right after this beautiful restoration, Peter looks at John and says, "Well, what about this guy?" Jesus reminds him to focus on himself: "What is that to you? You follow me." That echoes in my head all the time. "But what about that guy, Jesus? Look at the way he drives." What is that to you? You follow me. "But what about my wife, Lord?" What is that to you? You follow me. If you remember nothing else from this message, I hope that echoes in your head for the rest of your life.
Jesus' sacrifice pays the debt of sin, but it doesn't make us stop sinning. With God's help we can hope for a greater time between failures, but we will not be freed from our flesh while we walk this earth. Peter goes on from here to have great successes and a few more failures, some even publicly recorded for all of history. Thank God ours usually aren't. In this, Peter is a great example for us.
Heading Into the New Year
As we venture into 2022, we can know a few key truths without a doubt: first, God loves us. Second, we will fail—repent and return fast. Third, God loves us. Fourth, we will succeed at things. Fifth, God loves us. Sixth, we will fail again. Seventh, God loves us. And the message of the cross is the same: "Follow me."
I pray your life would be marked with amazing increase in the knowledge of the love Jesus has for us. Do not be surprised when you fail. Jesus was not surprised. You did not break God's plan, whether it was a little white lie or losing 67 months of sobriety. You are not thrown aside. His desire for you is that you would repent quickly and follow Him. The message of the cross remains the same: "Follow me."
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, I am tempted at times to look at my own life and remember only failures. For some reason, the memories of my failures are super clear, while my successes get cloudy. Thank you that you do not see me as an amalgamation of those failures. Thank you that you see me clothed in the blood and righteousness given to me by your Son. I pray that you would help us to grow closer to you, to stay in your word and in fellowship and obedience, and when and where we fall short, remind us that you were not surprised, that we have not destroyed your plan, and that we are not disqualified. You wait for us with open arms, saying these same two words again: "Follow me." Help us to follow you well, Jesus. We pray these things in your name, amen.
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