Future Good
Photo by Richard Lai on Unsplash
Something incredible about God’s omniscience is his lack of surprise. Our pride tells us to be ashamed when we fail or sin, as though we just can’t believe we were capable of failure. Not, make it right per se, but be ashamed. That’s what our pride says. And Jesus defeats pride in us with incredible mercy.
In Luke 22:31, Jesus was preparing to be betrayed and then crucified. He told one of his key followers, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (ESV).
Some key points: “turn” refers to repenting and “strengthen your brothers” refers to helping Jesus’s other disciples to rebound from their failure at Jesus’s arrest. In others words, Satan wanted to destroy their faith, but Jesus prayed that wouldn’t happen; so Simon Peter would indeed fail, momentarily, but then he would turn/repent, and then play a crucial role in the restoration of the other disciples.
To summarize, Jesus was noting Simon’s future failure, future repentance, and future integral role in helping others. In that order.
Simon, too proud to be prayed for, replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Then Jesus responded back to him with incredible foresight, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”
So, to put it all together, Jesus was aware of the following things about Simon Peter: 1) he would have to turn/repent in the near future from a sinful failure, 2) he was too proud to accept that Jesus would be praying for him, and 3) not only was he not ready to go with Jesus to prison, but he would ironically “chicken out” not once but three times before the rooster crowed that night. That’s how quickly he would fail.
And yet, Jesus—fully aware of all this pride, machismo, irony, and failure—had a job all ready for Peter later. To Jesus, the sin would not be a surprise. The repentance would not crush. And the future good that a humbled Peter would do was still promised. It was still on the table.
That’s how merciful the omniscience of God is. Have you sinned? Ok, repent, go make it right, accept the consequences, and get back out there serving your Lord and Savior. Don’t just huddle in shame. Because God is not done with you.