Texts:

Morning
1. Psalm 22
2. John 13:36-38
Evening
1. Psalm 40:1-14
2. John 19:38-42
Hymn
1. Christ the Lord is Risen Today, in anticipation of Easter
Prayer
1. Our Gracious God and Heavenly Father, You have loved us, even when we were dead in our sins. Your grace made us alive together with Christ. You have called us out of darkness and into your light. We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. Forgive us, O God, and bless us by your Spirit, that we might have the courage to walk in the good works to which you have called us, to the praise of your glorious name, Amen.

Devotional: John 13:36-38
Rev. Martin Antoon:

I’ve been a Miami Dolphins fan ever since I was six years old. If I could have it over, it’s possible I might pick a different team to save myself what would become over two decades of incessant heartbreak, but it’s far too late for that now. Among the countless games over the years, one particular game stands out in my mind. The year was 1999, and the Dolphins had one of their best teams in a long time. They were so good that they did a very un-Dolphins thing and made the playoffs. After a good win against the Seahawks in the first round, they faced the Jacksonville Jaguars in the next round. The Dolphins were supposed to be strong contenders. Dan Marino was wrapping up a legendary career at Quarterback. They had a strong group of receivers, and the star-studded defense was one of the best in the league.

To say that the Dolphins lost the game would be putting it mildly. To this day, it still stands as the worst playoff loss in NFL history over the past 80 years. All the expectations pointed to a strong team that could deliver when needed, but the results were disastrous.

Peter’s final moments in the Upper Room with Jesus ring oddly similarly to the 1999 Miami Dolphins. Peter is confident that in the closing hours of Jesus’s life, as the authorities close in to unjustly arrest Him, he will remain strong beside Jesus. “I will lay down my life for you,” says Peter. But Jesus tells Peter another story about how things will end. Instead of laying down his life, he is told that out of fear and cowardice, he will deny the same friend he has just promised to defend. Not only will he deny Jesus, but he will do it three times. Not surprisingly, this is exactly what happens. Peter’s expectations of heroism and strength were replaced by shame and failure as Jesus goes on trial and Peter seeks only his own safety. He sends Jesus to the cross alone.

I suspect most of us had ambitions entering this era of quarantine where we were going to change for the better. We were going to kick our spiritual lives into overdrive. We were going to spend quality time with our families. We were going to pick up a hobby. We were going to read more. We were going to serve and love others. We were going to be strong when the circumstances tempted us to be weak. And while we possibly did improve some areas of our lives, you probably found that you were far weaker than you had aspired. And maybe you feel like a failure.

The Dolphins may not have won a playoff game in the last 20 years, but I still love them. Peter may have failed, but Jesus still loves him and draws near to him with unconditional mercy. It’s not because of our strength that God loves us, it’s in spite of our weakness. God offers grace to failures. The beautiful final scene with Jesus and Peter after the Resurrection is not one of shame and anger as Jesus confronts his betrayer. It’s a scene of forgiveness and breakfast as Jesus welcomes him back. Jesus doesn’t want your record of accomplishments, He wants you.