Easter 2024
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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
It is estimated that the average adult makes 33,000 to 35,000 Decisions a day!
Business leaders make thousands of decisions each year, and sometimes, a single decision can have a powerful far reaching impact. In the book, The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, Verne Harnish explores those “black swan” decisions that brought great success at companies
Here are his top two greatest decisions of all time.
#2 Greatest Decision—Apple. The board’s decision to bring back Steve Jobs, after firing him a decade earlier, led to amazing product innovation and to the creation of one of the most valuable companies in the world.
#1 Greatest Decision—Ford. Henry Ford’s decision to double the wages of his workers enabled him to attract the talent he needed, and helped insure a class of worker who could afford the very products they were building.
Making decisions can bring great results. Decisions can also bring about negative consequences.
One of the worst business decisions ever was from the company Mars Candy
Back in 1981, Amblin Productions called Mars and had a proposition for them. They said they would use Mars’ M& M’s in their film to promote their film on their packaging. Mars gave them a straight-up no, so the company used Reese’s Pieces instead.
The film was ET, which grossed nearly $800m en route to becoming one of the most important films in history. Reese’s Pieces saw a 65% jump in sales in the months after ET was released as an upshot! Those contributions played a massive role in allowing the Hershey Company to grow from strength to strength. Over three decades later, many of their success can still be attributed to this particular product placement.
Decisions have impact. Some decisions result in a positive impact and some decisions result in a negative impact.
I have noticed as technology increases so does the amount of decisions that we make.
You read someones status online and you decide to respond. You can like, love, care, angry, laugh or sad face the status.
One decision you make can get shared on social media and go viral and cause positive impact or negative impact.
This Resurrection Sunday I want to look at some decisions and their consequences.
Peter’s Decisions
Peter’s Decisions
The first decision Peter makes is in John 18 when Judas brings a company of soldiers to arrest Jesus.
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. (The slave’s name was Malchus.)
11 At that, Jesus said to Peter, “Sheathe your sword! Am I not to drink the cup the Father has given Me?”
The boldness of Peter there are about 600 soldiers coming to arrest Jesus and Peter whips out his sword to protect Jesus.
Peter Denies Jesus
15 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.
16 But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
17 Then the slave girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” “I am not!” he said.
18 Now the slaves and the temple police had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of His disciples too, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with Him in the garden?”
27 Peter then denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed.
Peter goes from making a decision to defend Jesus in front of 600 soldiers to deciding to deny Christ three times.
Luke’s Gospel says that after this Peter went outside and wept after the rooster crowed.
After Peter’s denial what happens next is Jesus goes before Pilate. Jesus is then flogged and mocked, and sentenced to death.
Jesus dies on the cross.
The weight of Peter’s decision
Can you imagine the weight Peter is feeling as a result of his decision here. Peter denies Christ and the rooster crows and Peter goes out and weeps because he realizes what has happened and what has taken place.
This is his last interaction before Christ dies on the cross. It’s almost Peter’s final words to Jesus are him denying him. Talk about a decision to regret!
I ask you to imagine the weight of this decision and I feel we can identify with Peter when we begin to weigh our own sin.
We have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. As we walk our sin through repentance, we confess we are wrong and then tell God we are sorry. It is in this Godly sorrow that we feel the weight of our sin and to some degree this feeling of hopelessness as Jesus goes to the cross and dies
So many people have felt this cloud of unknown, and fear, and a slew of other emotions.
When we look at the deep feeling of sadness/lament and fear that all of Jesus’ followers felt when He was arrested/crucified/buried… it is likely that they were doubting everything.
- “Did we waste the last 3 years of our lives?”
- “I’ll never trust another teacher.”
- “Are we next?”
- Some may have even doubted their relationship with God Himself, since the Christ died.
I am convinced sin leads us to this feeling. We feel lost, lonely, doubtful, afraid, and anxious.
The story does not end here. I am so thankful that it doesn’t and so is Peter.
1 On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
2 So she ran to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”
3 At that, Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb.
4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first.
5 Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in.
6 Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there.
Peter runs to the tomb to see what has happened.
The beginning of John 21 tells us how Jesus revealed himself again to His disciples. Several of the disciples decided to go fishing. Simon Peter leads the group and tells them he is going fishing. The others tell him they are going with him. They fished all night and caught nothing. The sun begins to rise and Jesus is standing on the shore and the men did not recognize it was him. Jesus tells them they don’t have any fish and instructs them to put their nets on the other side of the boat. And of course they have so many fish that they can’t bring the nets in then this happens.
7 Therefore the disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer garment around him (for he was stripped) and plunged into the sea.
8 But since they were not far from land (about 100 yards away), the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.
Peter makes the decision to go fishing
He recognizes our Lord
He plunges himself into the sea
10 “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus told them.
11 So Simon Peter got up and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish—153 of them. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn.
We have seen the decisions of Peter.
The real focus is on the decisions of our Savior Jesus
Jesus calls Peter
19 “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s denial
36 “Lord,” Simon Peter said to Him, “where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow later.”
37 “Lord,” Peter asked, “why can’t I follow You now? I will lay down my life for You!”
38 Jesus replied, “Will you lay down your life for Me? I assure you: A rooster will not crow until you have denied Me three times.
Jesus knows that Peter will deny him and Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him.
Jesus goes to the cross willingly and decides to be the substitute for us
42 “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me—nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”
John 21
Resurrected Jesus calls to the men fishing.
Noteworthy: In Chapter 21, they are fishing. So, here at the end of their earthly time together, Jesus returns to the same setting as their first earthly time together: fishing.
Jesus also re-affirms Peter with the same call: “Follow me.” I love how Jesus returns back to the very start with Peter. He’s not starting over with Peter; rather, He is showing Peter that He has been called. Jesus is the same as He always was. I wonder what Peter felt and thought hearing Jesus say, “Follow me,” now, all these years later.
In a time when decisions have consequences, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. The constant here is Jesus. He is right back where he started with Peter and he is continuing to love Peter.
Come have breakfast
12 “Come and have breakfast,” Jesus told them. None of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?” because they knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.
14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Peter denies Jesus 3 times and here Jesus says to the one that has denied him three times come have breakfast with me.
This is so beautiful. We have messed up and made some bad decisions that have resulted in sin. We have felt lost, broken, alone, afraid and doubtful and the offer from Jesus after this is come have breakfast with me.
The breakfast for Peter moves forward. Jesus makes the decision to restore Peter
15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Feed My lambs,” He told him.
16 A second time He asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love You.” “Shepherd My sheep,” He told him.
17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He said, “Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You.” “Feed My sheep,” Jesus said.
Imagine Peter saw Jesus paraded around in the trials, sentenced to a criminal’s death, and he knew he was powerless to help, then he denies Jesus…. And Jesus knows all this. The rooster crowed. Peter knew that Jesus knew (especially since Jesus foretold that Peter would do this in the first place).
So, imagine that Peter is spending these three days in utter shame: “The last words I said about Jesus was “I never knew him!” Mark 14:71 & Matthew 26:74 tell us that Peter denied Christ invoking a curse on himself and swearing. Peter was in a dark place – Luke 22:61-62 says that Jesus looked directly at Peter as the rooster crowed and that Peter wept bitterly when he realized what he had done.
Now in John 21:15-19, for Jesus to give the opportunity for Peter to profess his love for Jesus… three times… it just shows the patience and kindness and love of Jesus. He could have moved on to James or John. Or He could have given Peter the silent treatment, waiting for Peter to come to Him to make it right. But no. Jesus pursued Peter, from beginning to end.
So, Peter didn’t have to say anything to Jesus more than once for him to be restored to Christ. But Jesus asked Peter three times as a way to “clean the slate” in a tangible way for Peter, who certainly was feeling unworthy. He probably felt like he betrayed Jesus. He probably felt unfit to lead in any way. But Jesus disagreed.
Our Resurrected Savior continues to pursue. The message for Peter before Christ death was follow me and the message after Christ is resurrected is follow me.
Conclusion
We often feel these same ways. Maybe we didn’t deny Jesus verbally to an unbeliever. There are definitely ways we deny Jesus with our actions though. And our thoughts.
But what is Jesus’ response? Come have breakfast, “Do you love me? Follow me.”
Perhaps there is space here to even discuss our feelings of unworthiness even after we have repented (Peter wept bitterly), and how we need to trust in the finished work of Jesus. Because we don’t always feel accepted right away – but we are!
Don’t get stuck on Saturday because Sunday came and Jesus is alive.
Jesus knew how cowardly Peter would be. Jesus knows our cowardice. Jesus knew Peter would choose safety over association with Jesus. Jesus knew Peter would die for Him one day.
Jesus knew Peter would need Sunday to come for him as well. He knew Peter would need set free from his sin.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.
8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
This describes the text today with Peter. While Jesus’ ‘lead disciple’ was swearing in front of unbelievers, denying even knowing who Jesus was… Jesus was being beaten and spit on for those sins.
The greatest thing that ever happened in Peter’s life wasn’t even this incredibly sweet conversation He has with His Savior. It is what took place days before when Peter was lost and confused and broken and Mary Magdalene and the other women knocked on the door where the disciples were hiding and shared, for the very first time in history, the news that Jesus – who had been arrested and beaten and murdered on a cross – was in fact alive… and on His way to meet with them!
We wouldn’t even know the story about Peter’s denial and restoration if Christ had not been raised from the dead.
Jesus didn’t die on the cross to leave Peter in his denial. Same for us today is Jesus didn’t die on the cross to leave us in our sin.
Jesus dies and is not resurrected we are stuck between Saturday and Sunday.
The good news is Jesus is alive and the tomb is empty! Jesus not only died for our sins but he lives to set us free from our sin!
Resurrected Jesus invites us to come have breakfast with him and says to us follow me.
Will you?
The greatest decision I have ever made was to follow Jesus as my Lord and Savior