Jesus told Peter that Satan desired to sift him as wheat. He said He had prayed for Peter so his faith wouldn’t fail. He also told Peter that when he was converted and returned to Him, he was to strengthen his brothers.
Peter was the only one of the remaining eleven apostles to deny Jesus before He was crucified. All the others remained faithful. Only Peter denied knowing the Lord. But Jesus had prayed that his faith wouldn’t fail, and, by God’s grace, it didn’t fail. He repented and was born again.
Peter purposely denied knowing Jesus; he sinned, and the wages of sin is death. Yet Jesus welcomed him back with love filled with mercy, compassion, and understanding and gave him a new life in the Spirit.
This is the rock upon which the church was founded. It was not founded on a man but on God’s incomprehensible love for a man. The man was a failure, becoming so when he denied knowing Christ. God’s love and understanding for that fallen man is the rock upon which the church was built.
Peter, in turn, used that experience to strengthen his brothers.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
jondavidbanks.com 