Sin Forgiven

Mark 14:27-30
And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 29Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times."

Jesus is on trial. Why? Because his enemies got the upper hand and the disciples would not defend him? No! Because Jesus was fulfilling his mission to bring redemption from sin, i.e. to provide forgiveness for sin. Whose sin? All for whom God has chosen. What kind of sin? Every kind of sin. Every kind? Surely there are some sins too bad to be forgiven. No. How do you know? Because of Peter.Peter was among the twelve closest companions of Jesus. More than that he belonged to the inner ring of three – Peter, James and John. More than that he was for all intent the leader of the Twelve. And he failed to keep watch over Jesus in his most troubled time; he then abandoned him; and finally even denied knowing the person he loved and confessed as the Messiah. And he was forgiven. Peter was not only forgiven, he was raised back to his position of leader and given the privilege to be the primary preacher of the early church.That’s the gospel. The gospel is what this episode is meant to display. While Peter is falling in sin, his Savior is resolutely procuring his redemption. While Peter is demonstrating that no one can get close enough to God or be good enough for God, Jesus is perfectly performing God’s will to atone for the sins that beset everyone.