He turned and looked.
In arguably one of the most intense betrayal scenes in history, Jesus turns and looks at Peter after he denies him the third time.
Can you imagine?
“I do not know Him…,” Peter muttered. “I am not one of them,” he insisted. “I do not know what you are talking about!”
He pleads ignorance. He denies his role among one of Jesus’ elite crew. He denies even knowing Him.
And Jesus turns and looks at him.
Can you imagine?
I wondered what His eyes held in that look. Was hurt etched upon them? Was there, even in the pain, still an understanding, a compassion, a love for Peter?
A pastor recently hi-lighted this scene for me, and as I sat in the service, I felt heavy tears stinging at the back of my eyes. Because I, ashamedly, understood Peter’s betrayal. I knew the many times that I had pleaded my own ignorance, I knew the many times I had not wanted to be considered one of Jesus’ elite crew because it didn’t feel ‘cool’, I knew the times I had denied knowing Christ through my actions and words…directly going against the very things that I knew the Lord was asking me to do.
Perhaps my words weren’t as blatant of a denial as Peter’s, at least not audibly. But there have been many times where I’ve thought, ‘I don’t care what You say, God. I’m going to do this my way. I’m going to live in this sin. I’m going to choose evil over good… at least this time.’
And He turns and looks…
And then He goes to the cross, and He dies for me… for my sin. His blood is spilt, His body broken.
Peter’s response is not foreign to my own. He goes and he weeps bitterly.
I don’t understand it.
I don’t understand why He would ever endure what He did for us. But, I know that He did. I know that in Him death is conquered, that there is victory, that there is hope, that there is redemption.
I know that He has chosen me, even when I don’t always choose Him.
And I fall flat on my face, humbled because of His choice… weeping bitterly.
But the story doesn’t end here. It doesn’t stop with betrayal and death and hopelessness.
There’s much to celebrate today as the resurrected King calls us to something greater, as He calls us out of the darkness of our betrayals and our sins…because in Him we have new life. Every time.
There’s hope. Even for the worst of us.
Rejoice–because Christ the Lord is risen today!
Let it mean something to you.
And when He turns to look at you, even in your darkest moments… I pray that you would look back, that you wouldn’t run, that you wouldn’t hide, that you wouldn’t despair, that you wouldn’t turn away.
He has more for you than the betrayals and the sin that we so easily get entangled in.
Live in the hope… in the joy of your salvation. And let your life be changed as you look at an empty tomb that reminds you that death couldn’t defeat Him and neither can your own darkness. He has paid the price.
It is finished.
Rejoice!
Turn and look… for He has risen.
He has risen, indeed.