“THE JESUS’ WAY FOR RESTORATION”

“THE JESUS’ WAY FOR RESTORATION”

And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.”
Luke 22.31 - NKJV

It is true to say that every time Jesus started a phrase saying the name of the person twice, a reprimand was about to come. That happens here with Simon, with His friend Martha in Bethany, with the people in Jerusalem before His death, and also with the dangerous terrorist Saul of Tarsus right before his encounter with the Lord that led to his conversion.

Here, Jesus was actually already preparing the road for Peter’s restoration. The Lord knew what was about to happen: Peter’s shameful denial during Jesus’ trial and later abandoning everything to come back to fishing, as well as his beautiful restoration into the Apostle Peter we all came to know and love.

Peter’s restoration started with a situation very similar to that when he was called - a flunked and flatlined fishing night that ended up in the morning of the next day with Jesus’ appearance, saving the day and Peter at the same time, and also recommissioning him.

I wanted to briefly describe 4 elements that the Lord used to restore Peter, fulfilling the promise He had made that, despite the fact that Satan wanted to “sift him as wheat”, Jesus Himself would intercede and promote his restoration. On that beautiful morning, four things happened on the shore of the Sea of Galilee:

REMEMBRANCE - Notice that the fire the Lord prepared - “a fire of coals” (John 21:9), probably sent Peter’s mind to the tragic night of his betrayal and that was a  vivid reminder to him that it was sitting close to a fire that the course of his denial began (Luke 22:55). These are the only 2 times where fire of coals is used in the Bible. Jesus knew that even though the process of restoration does not demand “dwelling on the place of sorrow”, it would be important for Peter to remember exactly the circumstances which put him in such a difficult situation. Later, Jesus Himself advised the Church in Ephesus: “Remember from where you have fallen” - (Revelation 2:5).

REPENTANCE - Jesus’ words and 3 repeated questions pierced deep inside the very soul of Peter. Yes, there was sadness for a moment, there was perplexity, but above all, there was repentance and recommitment. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “your sorrow led to repentance” - (2 Cor. 7:9).

RESTORATION - When the Lord Jesus graciously offered the care of His own sheep to Peter, it was a clear sign that the trust had been restored, and a new and brave Peter was being shaped, with a new and greater task reassigned.

RESTART - The Peter who emerged from that glorious breakfast was not the same. He was the one who would greatly help to change the course of things, He was the one who would open his voice to the preaching that would also bring repentance to thousands of sinners, he was the one to be used to inaugurate the proclamation of the Gospel to the gentiles through Cornelius, he was the one who ultimately would die for the love of Jesus, the Master Who never gave up on him.

The story of Peter is our story as well. We desperately need encounters of restoration with our Lord throughout our Christian walk with Him. The good news is, the same Jesus that promised Peter that He would intercede for him, is the Wonderful Lawyer we have in Heaven today, at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us, and the even greater leverage about Jesus as our Defender is this: He never has, and He never will, lose a cause!

Wishing many blessings to you and your family!
Pastor Joshua