Peter's fear and failure did not bring the rejection of God the Father or Jesus. We can see this when we read of the disciples' shouts of joy: "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" Luke 24:34. And eventually, Peter was fully restored by Jesus into the ministry of “feeding” the church (John 21:17).
Friend, we must not forget that Jesus was turned away at the cross so that, by His loving-kindness, we are turned back to God with new hearts, spilling over in His forgiving and courageous love.
“I am the Lord your God; I strengthen you and tell you, ‘Do not be afraid; I will help you.’”14 The Lord says, “Small and weak as you are, Israel, don't be afraid; I will help you. I, the holy God of Israel, am the one who saves you.” Isaiah 41:13-14 GNT
Peter had to learn that the flesh is weak, as we all do. We all start with the self life, the "I can do it" attitude, or as Peter said, "though all fall away, I WILL be with you to the end." This is the attitude that has to be crucified, and out of the ashes will rise a new man who "serves God by his Spirit, who boasts in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3).
As we turn away from our fear, and in faith view the cross, we see and believe what Jesus accomplished there is for us personally. The look that Peter received from Jesus was an intimate, personal look, and Jesus looks at each of us directly in love guaranteeing all the New Covenant blessings of the cross.
We must come to understand that our self-life, our boasting in the flesh, is built on the shifting sands of our will power. This confidence in the flesh can lead us to ‘warm our hands’ at the world’s fires, to becoming ensnared by the fear of man, and to making sinful choices we regret. Looking to Jesus’ obedience unto death for us, to His powerful resurrection from the dead, fixing our eyes there, can free us from the fear of disapproval.
Oh, friend, rely on Jesus’ unshakable protection, see Him holding the sword of the Spirit and the shield of faith in front of us, defending us from harm on all sides. Do not retreat to the refuge of fear, but instead run to the refuge of the cross that is lined with Jesus’ powerful cleansing blood that keeps us safe from all alarms.
Question 1: “For the desires of the flesh [taking refuge in fear] are against the Spirit [taking refuge in Christ], and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17) [words in brackets added]. Applying this verse to your own life, how has fear affected your spiritual life?
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Question 2: At the cross, Jesus was disowned so we could be restored. What does this holy exchange mean to you personally today?
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Trusting the cross sets us free from fear of man.