“Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” (Mark 16:7 NLT)

Except for Judas Iscariot, no one failed harder during the events of Jesus’ crucifixion than Simon Peter, one of Jesus’ closest companions. His failure likely came as a surprise not just to himself but also to his fellow disciples.

Of the twelve, Peter certainly seemed to have the most bravado. In the account of the Last Supper in Matthew 26, Jesus announces to His disciples, “Tonight all of you will desert me” (verse 31 NLT).

Peter boldly replies, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you” (verse 33 NLT).

And then Jesus breaks the news that must have broken Peter’s mind: “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me” (verse 34 NLT).

Sure enough, a few hours later, while Peter was waiting outside the high priest’s residence for news of Jesus’ trial, he was spotted—and called out as one of Jesus’ disciples. Not once, not twice, but three times.

And when people turned their attention to him, when he had a chance to make good on his promise and stand boldly with Jesus, Peter lied. He denied being a disciple. He denied even knowing Jesus. Not once, not twice, but three times. And what started with bravado ended with bitter tears of regret, failure, and shame (see Matthew 26:69–75).

That’s why the announcement of Jesus’ resurrection in Mark 16 is so notable. Poor Peter was devastated by his own unfaithfulness and by the fact that he never had a chance to tell the Lord that he was sorry. He really needed encouragement.

With that in mind, look at the words again: “Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died” (emphasis added, NLT).

Isn’t that amazing? Here is the Lord directly responding to the doubts, fears, and regrets of one of His followers. More than the rest of the disciples, Peter needed reassurance. His risen Lord knew that—and knew how to restore his faith.

The story of Jesus restoring Peter to service can be found in John 21:15–25. But let’s consider the takeaway from Mark 16. What can we learn from Jesus reassuring Peter? We can learn that failure gets the final word only if we let it. We can learn that what may look like the end of someone’s story is only the end of an early chapter of the person’s life. There’s still much to be written.

And we can learn that not only will Jesus forgive us when we fail Him, but He will seek us out to give us a chance to make things right. That’s how much He loves us.

Reflection question: How can you keep failure from getting the final word in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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“‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’” (Mark 14:36 NLT)

Mark 14 describes what may be the darkest night of the soul in human history. Jesus was “deeply troubled and distressed” (verse 33 NLT) because He knew the “awful hour” (verse 35 NLT) of His suffering was approaching.

Jesus knew that in a very short time He would be denied by one of His closest friends. He knew that He would be the object of Peter’s shame and the cause of his cursing. He knew that He would be rejected by the people of Israel whom He came to save. He knew that His disciple Judas would betray Him with a kiss. He knew that the rest of His disciples would scatter in fear. He knew that He would be tried in a kangaroo court, falsely accused, and convicted.

He understood the sheer torture of what He was about to do—that is, to take all the impurity, sin, and wickedness of humanity upon Himself. He who was righteous, holy, and pure was about to take upon Himself all that was unrighteous, unholy, and impure.

For eternity Jesus had enjoyed unbroken communion with His Father. But He knew that in a short time, when the sin of the world was poured upon Him, God would momentarily turn His face from Him. He would be forsaken.

That’s what He was recoiling from in the Garden of Gethsemane. That’s what He was dreading: the horrible moment when He would take all the sin of the world upon Himself.

The only one who could understand what He was about to experience was His Father. “‘Abba, Father,’ he cried out, ‘everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine’” (Mark 4:36 NLT). Abba is a term of intimate affection used by children for their father. It’s similar to the terms “Daddy” or “Papa.” Jesus the Son was crying out to God the Father in His moment of difficulty.

As He struggled with what lay ahead, Jesus asked His Father for one final reassurance that this was the only way to satisfy God’s justice and holiness—that this was the only way to make salvation and eternal life possible.

Through it all, Jesus had one overarching goal, and it wasn’t to spare Himself pain and suffering. Look at His resolute words again: “I want your will to be done, not mine” (NLT). In offering this prayer, Jesus gave us an example to follow.

None of us will ever be able to fathom the agony Jesus experienced that night. But we will experience our own consequences for pursuing God’s will. We may not always know what the will of God is in every situation. And when we do know it, we may not always like it. But we follow One who prioritized God’s will above everything else. And we must never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Reflection question: What would embracing God’s will look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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“Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Mark 4:8 NLT)

The Bible has a lot to say about the human heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says it’s “the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked” (NLT). Mark 12:30 says the heart is part of the whole self with which people must love God. Proverbs 27:19 says “the heart reflects the real person” (NLT).

In Mark 4, Jesus compares the heart to soil and says it’s the key to nurturing the seed of God’s Word in our lives. In the parable of the sower, Jesus describes seeds falling on four different types of soil that represent four different types of hearers’ hearts—that is, four different reactions to the Word of God: the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and the fruitful heart.

First, there is the hard heart, the seed that falls along the roadside. This represents people who hear the Word of God but never really believe. They may reject it outright because they think it asks too much of them or because it doesn’t align with the way they want to live. They may be too distracted to pay attention to its message. Or they may prefer a different belief system.

Then there is the shallow heart. That is the seed that falls on stony ground. This signifies the people who hear the Word of God and receive it with joy, but because there is no root to sustain them, they wither. Maybe they’re just looking for an emotional experience—something to make them feel good for a while. Or maybe they’re just using Scripture as a resource to prove a point.

Next, there is the crowded heart. That is the seed that falls on ground where weeds choke out its growth. Slowly and surely, these people, busy with the cares and riches of the world, just lose interest in the things of God. That’s an easy trap to fall into with the constant distractions of the 24/7 news cycle, the never-ending scrolling on social media, and the binging of movies or TV shows.

Finally, there is the fruitful heart that receives the Word. The seed falls on good ground, and the plants produce a rich harvest. These are the people who see God’s Word for what it is and allow it to change them—forever and for the better.

We are the ones who determine what kind of soil our hearts will be. We decide whether we will have a hard heart, a shallow heart, a crowded heart, or a receptive heart. This is exactly what James meant when he said, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21 NKJV).

The Word of God cannot work in our lives unless we have receptive hearts.

Reflection question: How do you prepare your heart to receive God’s Word? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

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Support the show: https://harvest.org/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.