Word Of Wisdom Ministries
By Cheryl Arnold

I have a different idea of what Jesus meant here. I do not think He mentioned Peter after He said My disciples in order to show his prior exclusion as a disciple. Why? It’s so simple: “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”. Can we grieve the Spirit so that we are not useable at the moment? Certainly we can. But can we be a disciple and fall so as to be removed from being a disciple? The scriptures say, no way.

With that in mind, what then did Jesus mean by purposefully mentioning Peter after and apart from mentioning His disciples?

We know that Peter was overwhelmingly grieved by his denial of Jesus three times. God goes out of His way to show all of us that he was. Instead, He shows poor, broken-hearted, contrite spirited, Peter, that he did truly love Jesus. Peter showed that he was so low that he didn’t even feel he deserved to say he loved Jesus as he should. Jesus shows Peter that he does love God as he should. He just fell down but God made him stand.
Listen: a broken and contrite spirit God will never deny.

The exact opposite thing was happening when Jesus added Peter’s name after mentioning the disciples. He did it to show Peter that he was also and still His disciple. He mentioned him by name to show the others as well as Peter and us, that Peter was NOT excluded from this group. God is sweeter than most know. Bless you Lord.