Jesus Is The Greater Peter (2024)
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Let us pray for I am not ashamed of the good news of Christ because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also the Greek Romans 1:16 Dear Heavenly Father We acknowledge that we are not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation and

We thank you for the gift of the gospel, the good news of salvation through your Son. We pray that we may never feel shame or fear in sharing this powerful message of love, grace, and redemption.

We ask for the courage and boldness to proclaim the gospel openly and for the wisdom to share it effectively. We ask that you embolden our hearts and strengthen our resolve so that we may be unyielding witnesses of your love in a world that desperately needs it. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray.

Thank you for praying with me today. Stay tuned now for another episode of Stories of the Messiah with Rabbi Schneider. The cold bite of night sank into Peter's bones. He shook in place, both from the chilly air and from nerves. Jesus had just been taken to be beaten and tried. Fearful that he might also be taken away, Peter kept a low profile. He kept his head down and warmed himself by the fire in the temple courtyard.

He wanted to see Jesus, but didn't want to be noticed. The fire was lit using dark charcoal. The smell was pungent and ashy.

A group gathered around the fire. All of them were curious about what was going to happen to Jesus. As they spoke, a servant girl saw Peter's face illuminated by the light. She pointed to him and said, Hey, this man was with Jesus. Peter snarled and shook his head. I don't know that man, he responded silently. A man peered at him closely and said, Oh, I recognize you. You are one of his disciples, aren't you?

Peter's eyes darted at the man. I am not! I have no idea what you're talking about! Everyone left it alone and continued to warm themselves by the fire. The smell of charcoal filled the air, burning hotter by the minute. Yet Peter still shook.

He thought about Jesus and wondered if he would be condemned to die. One of the men tilted his head to the side and observed Peter. Certainly you are one of his followers. You're Galilean just like the others. This time Peter snapped. Fear, guilt, and anxiousness overtook him and he yelled, I have no idea what any of you are talking about! As he cursed them, Peter heard the crow of the rooster.

He had denied Jesus three times before the rooster crowed, just as his master predicted. Peter was ashamed and turned around. When he did, he saw Jesus bound and being removed from the temple. The two of them locked eyes, and Peter felt the total weight of his shame.

Peter was frozen when he looked into the eyes of his master. Tears streamed down Peter's face, and he ran away in disgrace. He turned the corner, pressed his back against the cold stone wall, and wept bitterly.

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ultra-portable, and stylish too. It offers luxury comfort and warmth that goes wherever you go. Get your new Miki Couture Everywhere Blanket today. Available now in stores and online at mikicouture.com. Hello and welcome to our final episode of the Stories of the Messiah podcast. I'm Rabbi Schneider from Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Season one of Series of the Messiah is coming to a close, and I earnestly pray that each episode has abundantly blessed you.

If you followed along thus far, it means you probably have been impacted somehow by these fantastic stories. Consider sharing this series with a friend so they can also be affected by the gospel's message.

During our time together, we learned how Jesus is the greater Adam, Cain, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samson, Boaz, David, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah, and Daniel. Their stories are tales of tragedy, triumph, faith, and failure. The highs and lows of their lives give us hope that God can still use imperfect people like ourselves to do great things. Their stories also point us to a greater hero.

Someone braver than David, stronger than Samson, and more faithful than Abraham. Jesus is greater than all these heroes. We end this series with a deep dive into the highs and lows of Peter. He denied Jesus three times and descended into a spiral of shame and guilt. Through Peter's story, we glimpse into our own journeys with Jesus.

Like Peter, we can get caught up into cycles of shame that keep us from fulfilling our purpose. Let's see how Peter responds when we meet the resurrected Jesus in this cinematic retelling of John chapter 21. Peter stared at the open sea bobbing up and down on his boat. The shame of denying Jesus still weighed heavily on his shoulders. On top of that, he hadn't caught anything at all that night.

The day was breaking over the water and Peter had nothing to show for his efforts. He was a failure of a fisherman and a failure as a follower. He placed his face in his hands and sighed. Jesus had since revealed himself to the disciples, but Peter didn't dare speak to him. How could he face Jesus after what he had done? A few of the disciples were in the boat with him, just about to bring the nets back to the boat.

Just then, they heard a voice call out from the shore. They saw a silhouetted figure shouting. Children! Did you catch any fish? Peter rolled his eyes. Probably another beggar eager for some extra fish. No! Peter replied without looking. Leave us alone! Try casting your net on the right side of the boat. You might find a few fish swimming around. Peter grunted and waved the man off.

But Nathaniel thought it might be worth a try before rowing back to shore. After all, what did they have to lose? Some of the disciples cast the net onto the other side, and immediately the nets began to stretch and pull at the boat. Peter stumbled forward and gripped the nets. They drew with all their might, but were unable to haul it in. There were just too many fish. Peter's heart began to race. He looked back at the shore and peered out. The sun was blocking the stranger from view.

John leaned over the boat and smiled. He pointed and shouted, "It's the Lord! It's Jesus!" Peter took a step back and felt the pangs of shame come swelling back. Would the Lord ever accept him again? Was he worthy of Jesus' love? Peter pounded the side of the boat and drew a deep breath. He thought about where he was when Christ first called him. He was in a vessel filled with fish, calloused and ashamed. But Jesus accepted him. He called him and gave him purpose.

Maybe he would do that again. Peter stopped thinking and started moving. He put on his coat and leapt off the boat. Peter dove into the water and swam violently. He needed to be by Jesus.

After Peter denied Jesus, he was weighed down with shame. The guilt he felt was overwhelming and in many ways paralyzing. So Peter did what many of us do when we feel like we failed. He went back to what he was comfortable with. Anytime we fail or feel like we've slipped in our faith, it can spiral out of control. We return to whatever habits, lifestyles, or sins most comforted us. In many ways, we feel unworthy of the identity Jesus gives us.

Peter returned to the simple life of fishing, trying to drown out the feelings of regret because he didn't feel worthy of being called the disciple. We have all denied Jesus in some way. With every sin and act of disobedience, we distance ourselves further from God. Whenever we transgress against someone, it's easy to flee and stay away from them. Guilt can keep us from drawing close to them and reconciling. The same can be said for our relationship with God. When we sin against him, we can feel too ashamed to approach him again.

When this happens, we lose that intimacy with him that keeps us from sinning in the first place. So we end up devolving into a cycle of sin and grow further and further apart from the Lord. When Peter saw Jesus on the shore, he had a choice. He could continue to shy away from the hard conversations and restorative process or dive headfirst into the water and repent. Peter chose to jump in. May we be so bold when faced with shame.

Jesus invites us to enter a restorative process with him. But we have to be willing to jump just like Peter did. How will Jesus treat Peter when he sees him? How will Peter be freed from a cycle of shame? Let's find out. Peter finally made it to shore, his clothes sopping wet and cold. Jesus was tending to a small fire. The disciples brought some fish and sat down with Jesus to eat. Peter did not eat.

The fire was lit using dark charcoal. The smell was pungent and ashy. Peter was immediately brought back to that moment in the temple courtyard when he denied Jesus. He looked over the fire at Jesus. The two of them locked eyes, and Peter felt the total weight of his shame. Jesus cut the silence and spoke to Peter, using his name given at birth. "Simon, son of John," he said gently, "do you love me?" Peter's eyes revealed regret and sorrow. He nodded, saying, "Yes, Lord."

You know that I love you. Then feed my lambs, Jesus replied. He leaned over the log he was sitting on and looked deeper into Peter's eyes. He asked again, Simon, Peter, do you love me? Peter felt a lump in his throat. His eyes glistened with the sheen of repressed tears. Yes, Lord, he said with a broken voice. You know that I love you, Jesus smiled and replied. Then tend to my sheep.

Jesus stood up and walked over to Peter. He sat beside him. A third time he asked, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter finally understood what Jesus was doing. Peter had denied Jesus three times, and three times Jesus asked if he loved him. Peter finally released the dam of emotions and sobbed. Yes, Lord!

You know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus put his arm around Peter. The disciple melted in Jesus' arms. Releasing all the guilt and shame, Jesus put his arm around Peter. Jesus' strong yet gentle voice encouraged Peter. Feed my sheep, Peter. Truly, I say to you.

When you were young, you would dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will carry you where you don't want to be.

Jesus said this concerning Peter's crucifixion. He would be dragged, beaten, and crucified upside down for the sake of Christ. Peter would never deny Jesus again. He would lead the early church with passion, wisdom, and strength. Peter would lead the charge against the gates of hell, pressing forward for the name of Jesus. The Savior gave Peter one final calling, the same calling he gave Peter in the beginning.

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call 800-333-4k for details always drive safely limited inventory available warranties include 10-year 100 000 mile powertrain and five years sixty thousand mile basic warranties are limited see retailer for details sopping wet shivering and ashamed peter experienced the warmth of christ's forgiveness there was a special significance to the fire jesus used to cook the fish the charcoal used in the fire that day was the same in the temple courtyard

As Peter smelled the aroma, memories of his sins came rushing back. This was purposeful because there could be no restoration from our sins if we can't honestly face them. Jesus doesn't want us to forget about our mistakes or ignore them. He wants us to face them, acknowledge them, and heal us from them. When faced with shame, many of us want to forget and move on from our sins. But that robs us of a chance to be genuinely restored by God.

Peter had to face his transgressions with Jesus. Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Each question was an invitation for Peter to feel forgiven and declare his love for God. Did you know that the same forgiveness is offered to you? Jesus wants to relieve you from whatever baggage you have held or shame weighing you down. Jesus knows the mistakes you've made and the trauma you've experienced. He wants you to offer forgiveness and healing. He wants to give you a mission.

Each time, Jesus gave Peter a task. Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, and feed my sheep. This is because it's not enough to be forgiven for our past. We have to be empowered into our future. Jesus doesn't want to just relieve you of the burdens of yesterday. He wants to offer you responsibility for tomorrow. It's not enough to run away from your past. We must run toward the future.

This is the gift Jesus offers us. He forgives us of our sins, then offers us new life in Him. We get to be part of Christ's mission every day. After this event, Peter would go on to lead thousands of people to the Lord. He would transform the world with the other disciples through the gospel. Peter went on to feed the sheep just as Jesus commanded. He never looked back, even when threatened with death. He never denied Jesus again.

Jesus transformed Peter. He restored him and gave him a new life. In this way, we know without a doubt that Jesus is the greater Peter. He's also the greater us, restoring and empowering us for a greater purpose than we could have ever dreamed of. Go in confident strength today, knowing the greatness of Jesus is given to you through his spirit. Through Christ, you can thrive in a fallen world like Adam. You can overcome the evil Cain couldn't. You can walk upright like Noah.

You can have faith like Abraham. You can learn to humbly sacrifice like Isaac. You can wrestle with God and find victory in Him like Jacob. You can forgive your persecutors like Joseph. You can lead people to freedom like Moses. You can tear down strongholds like Joshua. You can have a stronger character than Samson and be kind like Boaz and show courage like David. You can be wise like Solomon but not fall prey to idols.

You can stand up against corruption like Elijah and show greater obedience than Jonah. You can be daring in the face of culture like Daniel and be restored like Peter. All these things are possible because you follow someone greater than all these heroes. You follow the mighty, powerful, loving, and great Jesus.

If this podcast has blessed you, be sure to follow and subscribe so you never have to miss an episode. And remember to download Pray.com to hear even more great stories and make prayer a priority. And stay tuned for another season of Stories of the Messiah. Together, we will embark on a journey to Bethlehem and be immersed in a dramatic tale of faith, love, and fulfilled prophecy.

Join Pray.com and me, Rabbi Schneider, from Discovering the Jewish Jesus for season two of Stories of the Messiah, Jesus, the Nativity.