Pete had a problem. He was a Christian man, a follower of Jesus, but he’d failed.
He was a strong Christian but when he was approached by a girl and asked about his faith, he caved, it felt complicated all of a sudden, he even cursed to put on a fake display and look like the others around him so he didn’t stick out.
He was embarrassed about Jesus.
He didn’t act in faith but in fear. He didn’t love others—or Jesus—more than himself. Do you know this Pete, also known as Simon Peter, a disciple follower of Jesus.
As he was denying Jesus, the Bible tells us (Luke 22:54-62) that Jesus approached, and just looked at him. With forgiveness. With compassion. With an invitation for Peter to try again, a second chance.
And he did. A couple months later, in front of unfriendly enemy authorities and a crowd filled with different opinions, Jesus called Peter to join him on his mission, and this time Peter stepped up.
He and his friend John, another disciple and fellow fisherman, joined Jesus on his mission. Check out what they said, and the reaction of those to whom they said it:
“‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved’ … They saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:12,13).
Okay, don’t miss this. God is teaching you about joining Jesus on his mission here, through the story of Peter and John.
Notice the work that it takes for Jesus’ mission. The first sentence here talks about Jesus’ work. What is Jesus’ work? “Salvation.” Who can do Jesus’ work? “No one else.” Who is Jesus’ work for? “Mankind.” What happens because of Jesus’ work? People are “saved” from anger and anxiety, from despair, fear and guilt and hang ups and hurts, from loneliness and mistakes and messes, from sickness and victimhood.
That work is so awesome, and so powerful, and so complicated. Only Jesus can do it, and he does! You don’t have to.
But you do have work to do, and it’s not complicated. It’s simple. People. The Bible uses personal names, “Peter and John” and a personal description that these guys were “ordinary” without special training, and the people who hear them came to “realize” something new about Jesus through them.
Joining Jesus on his mission isn’t complicated.
We make it complicated when we try to do Jesus’ work for him rather than the simple work he gave us to do: Be ourselves. Be ordinary. Be on the lookout for opportunities right in front of our eyes to share Jesus with people on our path.
PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for doing the complicated work of saving us from our sins. Forgive me for trying to do you work, and give me a second chance to do my work: to be my ordinary self and watch for opportunities to tell others about you. Amen.
EVANGELISM ACTION: Read Matthew 9:36. Select one word in that verse that speaks to you about a next step you can take to join Jesus on his mission.