Good News #77: Jesus Continues to Pray That My Faith Never Fails!
Jesus spoke these words to Peter knowing that in His darkest last hours on earth, Peter is going to deny Him three times. We read in the gospel of Matthew that Peter did not just deny Jesus plainly but denied Jesus with cursing and swearing.
In Matthew 26:35, we find Peter saying:
“Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
Yet in Matthew 26:74, we read…
Then he (Peter) began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.
Peter denied Jesus vehemently like his life depended on it.
Jesus knew Peter was going to fail Him…to abandon Him.
Our Lord Jesus, The Son of God, The Saviour knew…
Yet we don’t find Jesus praying that Peter won’t fail because that’s the whole point of Him becoming One of us to do and accomplish for us in our behalf what we can never do on our own.
This account isn’t just about Peter — it portrays every single one us.
All of us, not only Peter, has failed The Lord, will fail the Lord and will continue to come short of giving Him what is due to Him…even the born again in the Spirit for years, even decades… We will fail Him one way or another…
Yet Jesus isn’t concerned about us failing as much as OUR FAITH failing.
To put it simply, FAITH is knowing the unmeasurable lovingkindness of the heart of our God who is not intimidated by our humanity or failure or inadequacy…Faith is seeing God in all His glorious goodness towards us despite our lack of goodness towards Him.
This is what Jesus prayed for Peter to continue to have — that Peter will see God in His exceedingly abundant gracious faithfulness towards Peter even when Peter himself fails in his faithfulness towards God.
The gospel is this — Jesus knows our inadequacies and surety in failures; and the same prayer He prayed for Peter for his faith not to fail is the same prayer He prays for all of us today.
Whatta God we have!
Whattan indescribably wonderful Jesus we have!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
LUKE 22:32
