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Die Bekering En Verlossing Van Petrus

Die Bekering En Verlossing Van Petrus

Die Bybel sê vir ons dat toe Jesus sy bediening begin het,

Terwyl Hy langs die See van Galilea geloop het, het hy twee broers gesien, Simon wat Petrus genoem was en sy broer Andreas. Hulle het ‘n net in die meer gegooi, want hulle was vissermanne. “Kom, volg my”, het Jesus gesê, “en Ek sal julle vissers van mense maak.” Hulle het dadelik hul nette verlaat en Hom gevolg (Matteus 4:18-20 NIV84).

Petrus het op Jesus se oproep gereageer en vir die volgende drie en ‘n half jaar in die skool van die Verlosser gestudeer, ‘n leerder in Immanuel se koshuis, ‘n leerling van die grootste onderwyser wat nog ooit geleef het. Hy het in die voorste ry gesit vir die Bergpredikasie; hy het deel gehad in die verspreiding van die vermeerderde brode en visse (twee keer); hy het die talle wonderbaarlike genesings gesien; hy het deelgeneem in getuieniswerk oor Jesus; hy het die opwekking van Lasarus uit die dood gesien; hy het op water geloop; en hy was daar toe Jesus verheerlik is. Hy het geglo dat Jesus die Seun van God is. Toe Jesus die dissipels vra wie hulle glo Hy is, was dit Petrus wat gesê het, “U is die Messias, die Seun van die lewende God” (Markus 16:16).

Tog, ten spyte van Petrus se geloof, ten spyte van wat hy geweet het waar is, ten spyte van sy keuse om Jesus te volg, was hy steeds nie ten volle bekeer nie. Aan die einde van sy bediening, by die Laaste Avondmaal, het Jesus Petrus gewaarsku – en ons ingelig – dat Petrus nog nie ‘n volle oorgawe aan Jesus gemaak het nie, dat vrees en selfsug steeds in hom lewendig was en geveg het vir oppergesag in sy hart.

En die HERE sê: Simon, Simon, kyk, die satan het jou begeer om jou soos koring te sif. Maar Ek het vir jou gebid dat jou geloof nie ophou nie; en as jy jou bekeer, versterk jou broeders. En hy sê vir hom: Here, ek is gereed om saam met U te gaan, in die tronk sowel as in die dood. En hy sê: Ek sê vir jou, Petrus, die haan sal nie vandag kraai nie, voordat jy drie maal sal ontken dat jy My ken (Lukas 22:31-34 AFRB’23).

En ons weet wat gebeur het. Toe Petrus tydens die verhoor van Jesus gekonfronteer is dat hy een van sy volgelinge is, het Petrus dit drie maal met vloeke ontken. Hoe kan dit wees? Petrus het geweet wie Jesus is – hy het reeds getuig van die werklikheid dat Jesus die Verlosser en Here is. Petrus was lief vir Jesus. Maar die probleem was dat Petrus steeds meer vir homself lief was! Petrus was gewillig om Jesus tot op ‘n sekere punt te volg, maar toe die self bedreig is, het Petrus op daardie oomblik toegelaat dat vrees en selfsug sy hart regeer en het hy sy Here verloën. Dit het aan Petrus die diepte van sy eie sondesiekte en behoefte aan hartsverandering blootgelê, en hy het uitgegaan en bitterlik geween, ten volle oorgegee aan Jesus, die inwonende Heilige Gees ontvang, en was nou nie net bekeer in sy verstand, sy verstandelike begrip, in sy oortuigings oor wie Jesus is nie, maar ook in sy hart, sy geneentheid, sy gees. Hy het ‘n nuwe hart en regte gees van liefde en vertroue gehad en het nie meer op homself vertrou nie.

Petrus was nou gereed om in volle hoedanigheid te dien, maar hy het nog versoening met Jesus nodig gehad. Daarom het Jesus Petrus ná sy opstanding op die strand ontmoet en die volgende gesprek gehad, wat deur Johannes opgeteken is. Terwyl jy lees, moet jy kyk na wat in hierdie bespreking geopenbaar word. Wat word bewys, watter waarhede is in hierdie verslag vervat, wat sien ons en wat sien ons nie?

Toe hulle klaar geëet het, sê Jesus vir Simon Petrus: “Simon, seun van Jona, het jy my meer lief as hulle?”

“Ja, Here,” het hy gesê, “U weet dat ek U liefhet.”

Jesus het gesê: “Laat my lammers wei.”

Jesus het weer gesê: “Simon, seun van Jona, het jy My waarlik lief?”

Hy antwoord: “Ja, Here, U weet dat ek U liefhet.”

Jesus het gesê, “Sorg vir my skape.”

Die derde keer sê hy vir hom: Simon, seun van Jona, het jy my lief?”

Petrus was seergemaak omdat Jesus hom die derde keer gevra het: “Het jy my lief?” Hy het gesê, “Here, U weet alles; U weet dat ek U liefhet.”

Jesus het gesê, “Laat my skape wei. Voorwaar, voorwaar Ek sê vir jou, toe jy jonk was, het jy jouself omgord en gewandel waar jy wou; maar as jy oud word, sal jy jou hande uitsteek, en iemand anders sal jou omgord en jou lei waarheen jy nie wil gaan nie.” Jesus het dit gesê om aan te dui deur watter soort dood Petrus God sou verheerlik. Toe sê hy vir hom: “Volg my!” (Johannes 21:15-19 NIV 84).

Waaroor verstaan jy gaan hierdie gesprek? Vertel dit ons enigiets oor die karakter van God? Vertel dit ons enigiets van God se metodes? Vertel dit ons iets van ons menslike natuur en wat ons nodig het vir redding?

Miskien is die mees voor die hand liggende les en rede waarom hierdie interaksie in die Skrif ingesluit is, om die kerk, die gelowiges, te verseker dat Jesus Petrus weer in volle gemeenskap aanvaar het en hom weer as sy verteenwoordiger, ambassadeur en apostel aangestel het. Een rede waarom hierdie storie dus neergeskryf is, is sodat alle Christene deur die geskiedenis heen kan weet dat Petrus met Jesus versoen is, dat sy bediening onder die inspirasie van die Heilige Gees was, en dat sy geskrifte geïnspireer en betroubaar is.

Maar hierdie gesprek openbaar ook die genade, barmhartigheid en liefde van God – dat God vergewensgesind is en verlang na ons versoening met Hom. Wanneer ons selfsugtig optree, wanneer ons moedswillig kies wat ons weet verkeerd is, verlang God om ons te herstel tot seuns- en dogterskap met Hom. Soos Paulus geskryf het, God is vir ons – altyd vir ons, selfs wanneer ons sondig (Romeine 8:31).

Het jy al nagedink waarom Petrus hierdie ondervinding nodig gehad het?

Wat het sy verloëning van sy Verlosser aan hom gedoen? Het Petrus Jesus minder liefgehad ná sy verloëning? Nee, hy was nog steeds lief vir Jesus. En dink jy dat Petrus weens daardie liefde en die besef van sy dade met selfveragting gesukkel het? Het Petrus skuldgevoelens en skaamte ondervind? Het Petrus se optrede sy eie vrees en onsekerheid aangewakker en hom laat twyfel of Jesus en die ander hom weer in broederskap sou aanvaar?

Het Jesus Petrus se vyand geword? Was Jesus teen Petrus – kwaad en gegrief teenoor hom? Het Jesus nodig gehad dat iets aan Hom moes gedoen word voordat Hy Petrus weer sou aanvaar? Het Jesus enige wetlike eise gestel? Het Jesus vereis dat Petrus boetedoening doen om sy of sy Vader se toorn en woede te versoen voordat Petrus aanvaar sou word? Was daar iets van ‘n strafregtelike/wetlike aard wat in hierdie ontmoeting gebeur het wat Petrus met God verenig het? Nee! Jesus, wat God in die vlees is, het geen wetlike aanpassing, geen betaling, geen paaiing vereis nie! Niks moes aan Jesus of sy Vader gedoen word sodat Petrus in eenheid met hulle versoen kon word nie – maar iets moes wel in Petrus gebeur. Petrus moes hom bekeer, weergebore word, in sy gees herskep word en van vrees en selfsug tot liefde en vertroue bekeer word. Petrus moes tot homself sterf en in geregtigheid hergebore word.

Petrus se verloëning van Jesus het veroorsaak dat Petrus vrees, skuldgevoelens, skaamte, twyfel, bekommernis, angs en ontoereikendheid ervaar het. Hierdie negatiewe emosies het hom laat wonder of Jesus ontsteld of kwaad was en of hy teruggeneem kon word.

Petrus moes toelaat dat sy skuldgevoelens, skaamte, vrese, twyfelgedagtes en al die gevolge van sy sonde uit sy hart en verstand verwyder word! En Jesus het hom op die strand ontmoet om juis dit te doen.

En Jesus verlang daarna om jou te ontmoet op die strand, in die tuin, langs die sypaadjie, in die kelder, werkswinkel, of waar jy ook al sukkel met jou eie skuldgevoelens, skaamte, vrese en twyfel sodat jy self sy vergifnis, genade, barmhartigheid en liefde vir jou kan ervaar. Hy verlang daarna om alle twyfel, vrees, onsekerheid, skuldgevoelens en skaamte van jou weg te neem; om jou hart en verstand te reinig; om jou te herstel tot volle gemeenskap, vriendskap en eenheid met Hom; en om jou weer in diens te neem vir sy roeping in jou lewe.

So, moenie wag nie! Gaan nou na Jesus toe en praat met Hom, ervaar self sy goedheid, “Proe en sien dat die HERE goed is; [want] geseënd is die mens wat by hom toevlug neem” (Psalm 34:8 NIV84).

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