This morning’s Gospel reading about Peter is one of the most beautiful in the Bible.
Let’s just remind ourselves about Peter’s experience of Good Friday and Easter.
When Jesus told the disciples that he will be arrested and abandoned by his friends, Peter protested and said he would never leave Jesus, such was his love for Jesus.
And when the soldiers came for Jesus, Peter kind of followed through on his promise. He was the one who followed the soldiers to see where they were taking Jesus.
But when he was confronted and challenged he denied three times that he was a follower of Jesus. And then the cockerel crowed. And Peter remembered what Jesus had said and realised what he had done.
And during the crucifixion, Peter was not there for Jesus. And it wasn’t Peter who came to visit his tomb, the women had to fetch him to show him the empty tomb. And later, in a locked room, the risen Christ appeared and breathed the Holy Spirit into Peter and the disciples, so really that should have made everything better, but it didn’t make everything better.
Even though Jesus had died on the cross for the sins of the whole world; and even though he had risen from the dead and death had lost its sting and even though the Holy Spirit of God had been breathed into Peter; he’s still not right. Back in Galilee, it’s a lost and directionless Peter that announces to his friends that he is going fishing. And his friends can see his lost and directionless and decide they’d better go with him.
And then Peter encounters the risen Christ again on the shores of the lake. Jesus feeds him and nourishes him and then asks him three times if he loves him. Three times Peter declares his love for Jesus. The threefold betrayal of Jesus that Peter uttered the night before he died is acknowledged and neutralised. Peter is set free from his guilt. And he is then commissioned to tend the sheep and feed the lambs.
It is deeply significant that this all happens after the crucifixion, after Easter and after the gifting of the Holy Spirit. Even after these things there is more work to be done for Peter. Just as there is more work to be done in the life of every Christian.
We are all a work in progress, returning on a regular basis to be fed by Jesus, nourished by him, forgiven through him, commissioned through him. This is why we gather round the altar this morning. We each go through our personal encounter with the risen Lord at this altar, following the pattern of Peter’s encounter on the lake shore.
It is also deeply significant that Peter’s guilt is only defeated when his sin and weakness is specifically acknowledged and dealt with.
Jesus died for the sin of the whole world on the cross. But Peter still needed to know that his own personal sin had been set aside.
Jesus offers him forgiveness and reconciliation that is really meaningful. It is only meaningful because what he did is named out loud through the three fold question.
Peter is asked if he loves Jesus and his affirmative answer is enough to set aside his previous weakness.
He can leave his baggage behind. Nothing need be denied any more.
May our encounter with the risen Lord this morning be as beautiful and meaningful as Peter’s.