It all started to fall apart for Peter in the upper room. Jesus warned the disciples that one of them would actually betray Him and the others would desert Him.
Peter couldn't believe that Jesus would make such a statement. He boldly protested, "Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble" (Matthew 26:33). Then Jesus told Peter that not only would he deny Him, but he would deny Him three times. Peter thought that was absolutely impossible. But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself.
It wasn't too much later that Peter fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane when he should have been praying with Jesus. Then after Jesus' arrest, he followed at a distance and denied the Lord not once, not twice, but three times.
Immediately after that third denial, the eyes of Peter and the eyes of Jesus met. Peter was devastated, and he went out and wept bitterly (see Luke 22). Imagine how hard it must have been. Then, a few days later, he heard that wonderful message that the Lord had risen. Not only that, but Jesus said to the women at the tomb, "But go, tell His disciples —and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you" (Mark 16:7). Tell the disciples—and Peter. . . . Jesus singled him out. Why? He knew Peter needed encouragement.
Maybe you need encouragement today. Maybe you have gone astray. Maybe you have drifted. If you would like to come back to Christ again, you can. In spite of your failures, the risen Lord can give you a new start today.
