Lesson 23: Peter’s Repentance, part 1

"And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly."—Luke 22:61-62.
 
That was the turning-point in the history of Peter. Christ had said to him, “You cannot follow me now." Peter was not in a fit state to follow Christ, because he had not been brought to an end of himself; he did not know himself, and he therefore could not follow Christ. But when he went out and wept bitterly, then came the great change. Christ previously said to him: "When you are converted, strengthen your brethren." Here is the point where Peter was converted from self to Christ.

I thank God for the story of Peter. I do not know a man in the Bible who gives us greater comfort. When we look at his character, so full of failures, and at what Christ made him by the power of the Holy Spirit, there is hope for every one of us. But remember, before Christ could fill Peter with the Holy Spirit, and make a new man of him, he had to go out and weep bitterly; he had to be humbled. If we want to understand this, I think there are four points that we must look at. First, let us look at Peter the devoted disciple of Jesus; next, at Peter as he lived the life of self; then at Peter in his repentance; and, lastly, at what Christ made of Peter by the Holy Spirit.
 
First, then, look at PETER THE DEVOTED DISCIPLE OF CHRIST. Christ called Peter to leave his nets and follow Him. Peter did it at once, and he afterwards could say rightly to the Lord: "We have forsaken all and followed You."


Peter was a man of absolute surrender; he gave up all to follow Jesus. Peter was also a man of ready obedience. You remember Christ said to him: "Launch out into the deep, and let down the net." Peter the fisherman knew there were no fish there, for they had been toiling all night and had caught nothing; but he said “At Your word I will let down the net." He submitted to the word of Jesus. Further, he was a man of great faith. When he saw Christ walking on the sea, he said, “Lord, if it be You, bid me come unto You "; and at the voice of Christ he stepped out of the boat and walked upon the water. And Peter was a man of spiritual insight. When Christ asked the disciples: "Whom do you say that I am?" Peter was able to answer: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Christ said: "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 16:13-20)." And Christ spoke of him as the rock man, and of his having the keys of the kingdom. Peter was a splendid man, a devoted disciple of Jesus, and if he was living nowadays, everybody would say that he was an advanced Christian. And yet how much there was lacking in Peter!