Confession Unto Restoration

When It's time To Change Your Confession

Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.

Jesus, knowing He is on the way to the cross, has initiated a hard conversation with His disciples. Already he’s told them “all of your will be made to stumble this night because of Me” but Peter has vehemently disagreed, boldly declaring, “I will never be made to stumble” portraying the level of confidence he had in himself, in his own strength (Matthew 26:31-34).

But Jesus, knowing Peter’s end from his beginning, issues the correction that Peter will in fact deny him. Peter starts out brave, cutting off the ear cutting of the ear of the servant of the high priest, but when the moment of truth arrives, it is as Jesus predicted. Peter denies Jesus three times, much to his chagrin and bitterly, he weeps, for he is not yet the man he thought he was.

But Jesus doesn’t allow Peter to stay in this condition of sorrow. After Peter and the boys decide to go fishing, Jesus shows up, yet again. First He takes care of their physical needs and feeds them a meal He has prepared. Then, He gets down to business and asks Peter not once, not twice, but three times, “Simon do you love Me?” and finally on that third time, Peter’s heart is impacted to the degree that he changes his response from “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You” to “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” From “You know that I love You” to “You know all things.” - Peter’s subtle acknowledgment that he wasn’t yet congruent with his final declaration that night, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!

Peter may not yet be aware of it at this moment, but Jesus has just restored him. In effect, Jesus has given him the opportunity to change his confession. Peter’s previous three denial of Jesus and the wound it caused in his heart is now healed. Because he’s changed his confession. Three times Peter had declared, “I don’t know him” but Jesus gave him three opportunities to declare a better thing, to declare his love for Jesus. And with this restoration came an increased depth of His love for Jesus as well as a more profound understand of Jesus love for him. Perhaps also, Peter finally recognized that Jesus, and this love, was the source of His strength.

And we know the rest of Peter’s story, how Peter was instrumental in shaping history and the first century Church. From the Day of Pentecost and onward Peter never backed down again. And eventually he did indeed die for his love for Jesus, nailed upside down on a cross. Because of his confession, recorded by historians: “I am not worthy to die the same death as that of my Savior Jesus.”

This is the power of confession. Let it give us pause to think of our own daily conversation and the things we are confessing. May we speak only words thing impart life and strength.

Meditative Verses:

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:37

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things… Matthew 12:35