SECOND CHANCES


by Max Lucado

I know I’d read that passage a hundred times. But I’d never seen it. Maybe I’d passed over it in the excitement of the resurrection.

But I won’t miss it again. It’s highlighted in yellow and underlined in red. You might want to do the same. Look in Mark, chapter 16. Read the first five verses about the women’s surprise when they find the stone moved to the side. Then feast on that beautiful phrase spoken by the angel, “He is not here, he is risen,” but don’t pause for too long. Go a bit further. Get your pencil ready and enjoy this jewel in the seventh verse (here it comes). The verse reads like this: “But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.

Did you see it? Read it again. (This time I [emphasized] the words.)

“But go, tell his disciples ***and Peter*** that he is going before you to Galilee.”

Now tell me if that’s not a hidden treasure.

What a line. It’s as if all of heaven had watched Peter fall—and it’s as if all of heaven wanted to help him back up again. “Be sure and tell Peter that he’s not left out. Tell him that one failure doesn’t make a flop.”

Whew!

No wonder they call it the gospel of the second chance.

Not many second chances exist in the world today. Just ask the kid who didn’t make the little league team or the fellow who got the pink slip or the mother of three who got dumped for a “pretty little thing.”

Not many second chances. Nowadays it’s more like, “It’s now or never.” “Around here we don’t tolerate incompetence.” “Not much room at the top.” “Three strikes and you’re out.” “It’s a dog-eat-dog world!”

Jesus has a simple answer to our masochistic mania. “It’s a dog-eat-dog world?” he would say. “Then don’t live with the dogs.” That makes sense doesn’t it? Why let a bunch of other failures tell you how much of a failure you are?

Sure you can have a second chance.

Just ask Peter. The message came loud and clear from the celestial Throne Room through the divine courier. “Be sure and tell Peter that he gets to bat again.”

It’s not every day that you get a second chance. Peter must have known that. The next time he saw Jesus, he got so excited that he barely got his britches on before he jumped into the cold water of the Sea of Galilee. It was also enough, so they say, to cause this backwoods Galilean to carry the gospel of the second chance all the way to Rome where they killed him. If you’ve ever wondered what would cause a man to be willing to be crucified upside down, maybe now you know.

It’s not every day that you find someone who will give you a second chance—much less someone who will give you a second chance every day.

But in Jesus, Peter found both.

That was very good, it's great to know that we are forgiven by His blood. We have people here who are new in the Lord and probably don't understand what Peter did. So I would like to address this for a moment.

Mar 14:29But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.

Mar 14:30 And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the rooster crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice

Mar 14:31 But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.


Let's skip down a few scriptures in that same chapter

Mar 14:66 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:


Mar 14:67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also was with Jesus of Nazareth.

Mar 14:68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the rooster crew.

Mar 14:69And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.

Mar 14:70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto

Mar 14:71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.

Mar 14:72 And the second time the rooster crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the rooster crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

So we see that Peter denied Jesus three times. So as the writter pointed out in the message,


Mar 16:7But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

We see that Peter was forgiven for his disbelief. Remember Peter is the one who asked Jesus, how many times should he forgive someone?


Mat 18:21Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

Mat 18:22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Thank God that we have a Merciful God. One who does not turn His back on us when we have disbelief or at times when we fall short. God is always there lifting us up. Amen!

We should also do a study on Thomas, he is better known for "doubting Thomas;" Thomas is the one that needed to stick his fingers in the very holes of Jesus' body to prove that in fact he was risen from the dead!

wow... that's an amazing post, you sure don't a second chance much at all.
If Jesus told us weak humans to forgive our friends 70 times 7 times, He sure will be giving us way more chances than that.
Thank you for the post.

I see people this days , doctrinally and scripturally correct. but by pass the loving nature of God. we fail to tell the great love and mercy of God instead we present him as a dictator.

please don't get me wrong , i know we need to also preach God's righteousness and holiness.

i am praying personally that i will get more revelation of his loving nature.

God bless,

in Christ

abigya