part0018

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

If you are a dog owner, you’ve experienced your pet’s shame when he or she does something wrong. Maybe you walk into the house after being out for the evening, and the first thing you see are pieces of your couch cushion chewed up. Or the cake on the counter is mysteriously missing. Instead of greeting you at the door, your dog is off cowering in a corner, awaiting his punishment, ashamed of what he has done.

Humans aren’t much different when we make mistakes. Our instinct is to run and hide . . . to avoid the call, the apology, the text. But shame will never heal us. At some point, confession, repentance, and restoration are needed. In the end, we find that even though the steps toward restoration were difficult, the restoration was completely worth it.

Jesus well understands our human failings. Although his disciples spent nearly every moment with him during his time on earth, they were certainly not perfect as he was. They messed up frequently. Judas betrayed him into the hands of the Pharisees. Peter denied three times that he even knew Christ. The rest of the disciples abandoned Jesus at the cross.

The disciples also had their failings when it came to Jesus’ most staggering miracle—his resurrection from the grave. Most of them doubted. One of them refused to believe until he saw the evidence firsthand. One of them saw the empty tomb and believed. Regardless of their actions and reactions, Jesus still loved them. And displayed this love in an incredible way. He didn’t add to their shame or punish them. Instead, he chose to be present with them after his resurrection. He was a safe place for them to confess, repent, and ultimately believe.

We all have similar failings as disciples. Yet the promise of the gospel is that no matter how much we doubt God, mess up, or fail, Jesus is ready to forgive us and be with us. He offers us the same gift as he offered to the disciples: grace .

Begin your group time by asking anyone to share his or her insights from last week’s personal study. Then, to get things started, discuss one of the following questions.

• How do you typically react when you feel shame over something you have done? Do you think this is a healthy or unhealthy response? Explain.

• When is a time that you chose to extend grace to another person who had wronged you? What happened as a result of your gift?

Invite someone to read the following passage aloud. Listen for fresh insights as you hear the verses being read, and then discuss the questions that follow.

15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself. . . .

26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow (John 18:15–18, 25–27).

Play the video segment for session six. As you watch, use the following outline to record any thoughts or concepts that stand out to you.

John had not understood when Jesus said “it is finished” that he was declaring his mission to be completed. In fact, for him and the rest of the disciples, it looked like everything was finished in a difference sense. For them, it seemed like the end .

John entered Jesus’ tomb and saw the evidence. He did the math: the stone rolled away, the now-tenantless tomb, the linens in their original state. Only one explanation made sense: Jesus himself had done this! John saw and believed .

Peter had denied even knowing Christ when confronted about his association with Jesus. But now, Jesus was alive. How could he face his Master again after what he had done?

Peter had fallen publicly and personally. So Jesus restored him publicly and personally. Peter had denied him three times. So Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him.

Jesus emerges as the hero in the story. But Peter still had to take his step. He answered. He obeyed. He responded. He interacted. He stayed in communion with Christ. Jesus turned a denying Peter into a proclaiming Peter. He did so then. He does still today.

The message of the miracles is the Miracle Worker himself. You are stronger than you think because God is nearer than you imagine. For when you belong to God, you are never without help, never without hope, and never without strength. Truly . . . you are never alone.

1. Even though Jesus prepared the disciples for what would happen to him, they still abandoned him the night of his arrest and during his trial and crucifixion. Why do you think the disciples did this? What was motivating them?

3. We often say, “I have to see it to believe it.” Are you this type of person? Or does faith come easily for you? Explain.

4. Peter had boldly cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. Why do you think Peter so soon afterward denied even knowing Christ? In what ways can you relate to Peter’s experience?

5. What is symbolic about the way Jesus restored Peter to himself? What does this say about Jesus’ character? What does it say about his willingness to extend grace?

6. If the distance between Jesus and Peter consisted of a hundred steps, Christ took ninety-nine and a half. But Peter still had to take his step. What was that step that Peter had to take? What does this say about the part we play in our restoration?

7. Consider Peter’s story in the context of your faith. Are you ashamed of any failure from your past that is keeping you from being in communion with God? Or ashamed of any doubts that you have? If so, what one step could you take toward Jesus today?

8. As you close this discussion time, what are one or two valuable truths you would like to share that you have learned in this study? What have you learned about yourself?

Use the space below to write down two or three goals that you believe would help strengthen your relationship with God and remind you that you are never alone . Break up into groups of two or three when you are finished to share together what you have written.

End your time by reading the following prayer aloud. One person can read, or you can all read together: “Dear God, thank you for this time of study together. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for Jesus. You have promised that we are never alone. Give us confidence in that promise. Remind us we are never alone in the ordinary moments of life, when we feel stuck, when we are in the storms and valleys, when we are in the dark, and even when we fail. You are with us in every moment, fear, and doubt. Thank you for your presence. Make us more aware of it each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.”