Childhood is a time for enjoying games, and whether they are sports or video, we all have at one time or another cried out for a "do-over." We didn't reach the goal when we had the ball, if we could just try that again, if we just had one more go at it, surely we'd score big. And life in general is no different.
But on a much larger scale, I see in my Bible the heading: Peter Disowns Jesus where he says in answer to accusations of being a follower of Jesus, "Woman, I don't know him." "Man, I am not [one of them]! "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!"
Wow! Peter had just spent most every day for several years working alongside Jesus, working, listening, learning, healing, praying and laughing together. They were friends. Jesus gets caught by the officials, and Peter acts like he never met him. What kind of friend is that? How would I feel if one of my friends did me that way?
After Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter returned with other friends to Galilee by boat and Jesus appeared on the shore. When Peter saw him he jumped out of the boat and rushed to greet his Lord. They cooked up some fish for breakfast and after eating Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? - Feed my lambs . . . Simon son of John, do you love me? - Take care of my sheep. . . Simon son of John, do you love me? - Feed my sheep.
Peter's feelings were hurt because to each question he told Jesus that he loved him. Three times he told him that he loved him. This exchange was Peter's "do-over." Jesus gave Peter the chance to announce his love when he had so cowardly rejected him earlier claiming in effect that he had never seen the man in is life.
The whole point of the Gospels, their good news, is that with Jesus, if no where else in life, we have a do-over. And in Revelation God is giving mankind another go at it, this time with regained access to the garden. Rejecting God, eating the "forbidden fruit" is forgiven when like Peter we say, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you," - we become fruit on the Tree of Life.
