Jesus knows how to meet you where you are!

John 21

For forty days after Jesus’ resurrection He stayed with the disciples finishing His instruction. We don’t know all that happened during that time but we do know that Jesus had some critical interactions during His final days on earth.

The two primary purposes of Jesus life were to show us what God is really like and to be the perfect sacrifice so we could have relationship with the Father. As we look at Jesus life it should give us a confidence to know that God really loves us. That is what happened in his discourse with Peter by the Sea of Galilee.

You know the story, Peter had denied the Lord three times. Jesus spent time with Peter since his resurrection but there are times when difficult things happen and things go unsaid. Sometimes it is good to leave things, unsaid the proverbial, “let sleeping dog lie”. Not in this case, left to his own guilt and shame, Peter could have easily walked away from the Lord or never had become the leader in the church that he did.

Jesus knew what Peter needed; He went straight to the heart! In English we only have one word for love but in Greek there are three. There is a word for sexual love, a word for friendship love, and a different word for unconditional love. Jesus was saying to Peter twice, “Do you unconditionally love me?” Both times Peter’s response was, “Lord I have great affection and brotherly love for you.” Peter was frustrated he couldn’t bring himself at this point to feel worthy enough to tell Jesus he loved Him unconditionally. He was still heart broken. Each time Jesus was also challenging Peter to take up the care of the people. When Peter could not respond to Jesus with his unconditional love. Jesus met him there. He responded to Peter by saying, “Peter, do you have great affection and brotherly love for me?” Then you can go ahead and take up the care of people. Jesus had a call on Peter’s life. He was willing to meet Peter where He was, start there and as you know the rest of the story, get him to where he needed to be.

You don’t have to be perfect today, just willing. Jesus met Peter at his point of willingness and took him from where he was to where he needed to be. Where are you today? Don’t allow where you are to stop you from where you need to be. Decide today to simply allow the Lord to meet you where you are and believe that He wants to take you to where you want and need to be.