Christmas at the TableSample

Table Stories | The Story of the Restored: Peter

Sitting with Peter at the Christmas table, you can imagine him recounting the story of his table experience with Christ. After denying Jesus three times, the broken-hearted apostle is brought face-to-face with the resurrected Jesus. Their feelings for Peter are mixed. He is so excited that Jesus has indeed done what he said and risen from the dead, but his failure at the pinnacle point of history is etched into his memory.

Peter was a disciple of Jesus Christ, originally a Jewish fisherman with his brother Andrew. Jesus called him to follow him as a disciple. Peter was resolute, rash, hasty, and capable of great anger. He was gentle but firm, loyal, and in love with Jesus. We journey through the gospels, getting to know this incredible man who went from an uneducated fisherman to an incredible leader of the Church. On his journey, we see some incredible moments of wisdom (Mark 8:29) and some big mistakes of being rebuked by Jesus (Mark 8:32) just two short verses later. One momentary weakness was when he denied Jesus three times. This heartbreaking moment that Jesus predicted at the last supper was the greatest trial the disciple would walk. Would Peter walk away? Would he allow the shame and discouragement of his mistake to take him away from the love of Christ and the disciples? He was not at the cross when Jesus was crucified. How would the incredible disciple be restored?

It was at a meal that Peter was restored - he went from one who denied Jesus and heartbroken he wasn't at the crucifixion. From the pain of rejecting Christ to preaching the most incredible sermon at Pentecost, where 3,000 men were saved. This turning point in the middle of that was the table. It was a place of repentance, restoration, and reinstatement of purpose.

Peter, later in his life, wrote of his suffering and restoration:

1 Peter 5:10: And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Scripture: John 21:1-20

Prayer Point: Lord, we thank you for Peter's restoration story. We pray this story will encourage us in our failures that mistakes are not final but a road to restoration when walked with you. I pray you would restore those who feel rejected or like a failure and allow this table story of restoration to encourage our hearts that mistakes are not final in Christ as you restore us in love and purpose again.