Yet I Will Praise You: The Life of Peter
History bears witness to the many men and women who have gone before us in choosing to praise God in spite of the great suffering they endured. We can learn much from their testimonies of faithfulness and perseverance in the midst of grief and pain. In this series, we share about the trials others have endured, and of their commitment to praise God from the valley.
One of the most difficult aspects of losing a child for me has been watching so many of those dear to me experience the same sorrow. Now that I am familiar with the devastating ache of having to say goodbye to two of my children on this side of eternity, those wounds seem to open afresh each time I hear of another precious momma who is now walking that same road.
Sometimes it can be so difficult to clear away the fog of grief enough to see any light on the other side. But dear one, there is a living hope that we can cling to, and within the pages of God’s Word we find such encouragement penned by a man who was closely familiar to sorrow himself.
Peter was a fisherman from the town of Bethsaida. He and his brother, Andrew, were approached by Jesus one day while they were fishing in the Sea of Galilee and asked to be His followers. The Bible tells us that they left immediately to be with Jesus. From that day on, Peter’s life would never be the same.
He was one of the most outspoken of the disciples. He was eyewitness to the many of the miracles Jesus performed on earth, present during the Transfiguration (when the glory of Jesus was revealed on the mountain), and the first of the disciples to declare that Jesus was the Son of God.
But during the arrest and trial of Jesus, in the moments leading up to His Savior’s death on the cross, Peter denied ever knowing Him. Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him. He had even told him so during the Last Supper, but Peter hadn’t believed Him, and instead passionately asserted that he would die for Jesus!
Jesus had called him the “rock,” and when put under pressure he had fallen apart. He had always carried himself with confidence and boldness, but found out just how weak he really was when he couldn’t even stand up to a servant girl.
After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to Peter and several of the other disciples while they were fishing. I’ve always found it astonishing to see how quickly they reverted to their previous way of life after Jesus died. But when Peter recognized that it was Jesus standing on the shore, he jumped out of the boat and swam in to meet Him.
After they had all eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Peter not once, but three times, if he loved Him. Peter was grieved. Each time, he earnestly answered, “Yes!” But Jesus had touched a very deep anguish in his heart. His failure on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion had devastated him down to his very core.
When Jesus asked him for the third time, he responded by saying,
“Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.”
-John 21:17b
Jesus knew the pain that Peter’s denial had caused him, and gave him the opportunity to express his love for Him—once for every time he had rejected Jesus on the grievous night.
“Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This He said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, “Follow Me.”
-John 21:17-19
Peter would be given other opportunities throughout his life to proclaim his love for the Lord, and many of these would come at a great cost to him. But no matter what sorrows He faced, He knew that Jesus was worthy of all his praise!
Peter’s failure on the night of Jesus’ crucifixion did not define him. And our failure does not have to define us. All of us will stumble and fail as we follow Jesus. Many of us have fallen apart under pressure and in times of great difficulty. In the wake of losing a child, some choose to reject Jesus, others become bitter and angry towards Him, still others find themselves floundering in their faith unsure of what to believe anymore.
But dear one, please hear me when I say that Jesus is capable of transforming failures into rocks. He certainly did when it came to Peter.
After Jesus’ ascension into heaven, Peter boldly proclaimed the gospel throughout the world. But his devotion to the Lord did not come without great cost. He was incriminated, arrested, beaten, and threatened (Acts 4, 5) imprisoned by King Herod (Acts 12), and faced much persecution because of his boldness for the gospel.
Many of those closest to him were brutally killed for following Jesus, but he did not back down. In fact, he rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer for the glory of the Lord (Acts 5:41). He did not cease to preach the gospel for the sake of Christ’s glorious name.
Around 30 years after the death and resurrection of Christ, Peter penned a letter to the believers in Asia Minor. In the very anti-Christian world that they lived in, violent persecution because of their faith was a very real possibility. He charged them not to be taken by surprise by the trials they would certainly face as believers.
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed… Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
-1 Peter 4:12-13, 19
Rejoice and do good? In the midst of suffering? How could Peter possibly expect these believers to live in such a way? He was not unfamiliar with the brutal abuse and gruesome deaths that many believers in the early church were facing on a daily basis. So how, when such persecution was ever looming over them, could Peter entreat them to rejoice?
The answer to that question is found at the very beginning of his letter to them:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
-1 Peter 1:3-4
Peter understood that rejoicing in the midst of severe suffering is not a natural or easy response. But he also knew that, as believers, we have been given access to a greater source of power than could ever come from ourselves. This power—this living hope—is available to you too, sweet momma, and it can enable you to rejoice even amidst the tremendous grief of losing a beloved child.
Sisters, through the death and resurrection of our Lord, we have been granted a glorious, enduring, and boundless inheritance. And this living hope gives us the confidence that God has power to produce change and fruitfulness in our aching hearts. Our hope is alive and active because it is wrapped up in the very life of Christ!
“Hope fully on the grace that will be brought
to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
-1 Peter 1:13b
You can be fully confident that Jesus Christ will return. When He does, our inheritance, that is being kept in heaven for us even now, will be bestowed upon us. Oh, what a glorious day that will be! The knowledge of this future grace strengthens us to face the trials of this world and empowers us to rejoice even while we remain under them. In Christ, we have been set on a firm foundation. Our future—complete restoration from all the brokenness and sorrow of the world—is secure! This is the same restoration that our precious babies are experiencing right now in eternity!
“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
-1 Peter 5:10
Historical tradition tells us that both Peter and his wife were martyred for their faith. As his wife was led out to die, Peter called out to her, “Remember the Lord!” He knew that the suffering she was about to face could not be compared to the glory that awaited her in eternity. When his own turn came, he asked to be crucified upside down because he felt he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. Even at his death, Peter kept his eyes focused on the goodness of the Lord.
When your eyes are set on the living hope that you have received through the resurrection of Christ, like Peter, you will be able to praise God regardless of the sorrow you have experienced, the heartache that you now carry, or any difficulties you will face in the future. Will you choose to remember the Lord in every circumstance? Call out to Him, dear one, and praise Him for the hope He has offered you through His Son!
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!”
-1 Peter 1:3 (NIV)
- Ashlee
Hope Mom to Simeon and Odelle
Ashlee is the Editorial Coordinator for Hope Mommies and author of I AM (Hope Mommies, 2017) and Identity (Hope Mommies, 2018). She and her husband, Jesse, live in Milwaukee with their children—five on earth and two in heaven.
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