Religion & Spirituality
This summer, I have been preaching through a sermon series entitled “Meeting Jesus,” looking at various interactions that Jesus had with people in the gospel of John, in order to learn more about what it means to know and follow Jesus. Next week is the final week in the series, and for this week and next week, I will be looking at two interactions that Jesus had after he was raised from the dead: this week with Peter, and next week with Thomas. Peter was a particularly passionate and devoted disciple of Jesus, and you may remember that at the last supper, when Jesus told his disciples that he was going to be killed and that they would all abandon him, Peter had a particularly strong reaction to that: John 13:36-38 - Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." 37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." 38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! After he finishes sharing the last supper with his disciples, Jesus goes out with his disciples to the Mt. of Olives. There, Jesus is betrayed by Judas, and arrested by the religious leaders. As Jesus is being abused, Peter denies three times that he knows Jesus, and goes away weeping bitterly, crushed by his cowardice. Eventually, Jesus is put on trial, sentenced to death, and crucified by the Roman authorities. But after three days in the grave, he rises again from the dead.