The Look That Breaks Us & Restores Us
Easter has just passed, but its impact lingers. The songs may have faded, the gatherings have come and gone, and the rhythms of everyday life have returned—but the risen Christ still stands before us, alive, and He is looking at us.
I haven’t been able to shake one particular moment from the Passion story:
“At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter…” (Luke 22:61–62)
In that courtyard, as Peter denies Jesus Christ for the third time, the rooster crows—and Jesus turns and looks at him.
What was in that look?
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t shock.
It wasn’t rejection.
It was something far more piercing—a look of knowing love.
Peter had just said, “I don’t know Him.”
And yet, in that moment, he realizes: “Jesus knows me.”
Completely.
And Peter breaks.
It’s easy to read Peter’s denial and feel a bit of distance from it—until we’re honest. Because Peter’s denial is our denial. I see this in my life and you will too if you are brave enough to look.
We deny Jesus when we:
• Refuse to believe His promises.
• Stay silent when we should speak of His goodness.
• Withhold our pain from Christ and choose to carry it alone.
• Trust our way over His way by withholding aspects of our lives from Christ.
• Convince ourselves that we are not worthy of God’s love and care.
• Believe that we can’t change and things will always be this way.
• Doubt that God is good when we are in the middle of some difficulty.
At its root, our denial is unbelief. It’s the same ancient lie whispered in Eden: “God is not good and you can’t really trust Him.” And that’s what makes the cross so personal. Our denial didn’t merely disappoint Jesus—it’s what took Him there. And yet… He went to the cross willingly.
But the story doesn’t end in a courtyard. It moves to a shoreline. After the resurrection, Jesus meets His disciples by the Sea of Galilee. We read about this in John 21. Jesus has prepared breakfast over a fire for the tired disciples. The grace of God is already in motion.
Then Jesus turns again to Peter. Not with a glance this time—but with a question.
Three times, Jesus asks: “Do you love me?”
In this moment, we see something beautiful and tender unfold. Jesus meets Peter in his failure, even in his limited love. The one who denied Him three times is now given three opportunities to affirm his love.
“Do you love me?”
“Do you really love me?”
“Are you even my friend?”
Each question reaches deeper—not to shame Peter, but to restore him.
And each time Peter responds with “Yes - Lord I love you".
And Jesus says: “Feed my sheep.”
Do you see it? Jesus doesn’t rehearse Peter’s failure. He doesn’t take the opportunity to give Peter a sermon on the value of honesty. He reassigns Peter’s calling. Peter is not disqualified. Peter is reinstated and this is all grace!
Jesus is saying: “I died for your denials. I was in the grave for your guilt. I rose again for your restoration. And now—I’m not done with you.”
Jesus goes on to tell Peter what this restored life will cost him. “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” (John 21:18-19 NLT).
Following Jesus will eventually lead Peter to lay down his life. Because that’s what grace does. Grace doesn’t just forgive us—it transforms us.
As the Apostle Paul reminds us in the letter to the Galatians 2:20: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
The Christian life is not about trying harder—it’s about living from a new life that Christ has already secured.
And here is the anchor for our hearts after Easter: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…” (Romans 8:38–39) In Romans, we are reminded that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love:
• Not our past failures.
• Not our present struggles.
• Not even our ongoing battles with unbelief.
Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
So here we are, on the other side of Easter. And Jesus is still looking at us.
• Not with condemnation—but with compassion.
• Not with disappointment—but with dedication.
• Not with rejection—but with restoring love.
The look that once broke Peter is the same look that rebuilt him.
And it’s the same look of grace that meets you today.
You may see your denial. But Jesus sees your destiny.
You may feel disqualified. But Jesus says: “Follow me.” “Feed my sheep.” “Live for me.”
Because He has already done everything necessary for you to know His love—and to live in it.
And that changes everything.
Blessings, Ryan
I haven’t been able to shake one particular moment from the Passion story:
“At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter…” (Luke 22:61–62)
In that courtyard, as Peter denies Jesus Christ for the third time, the rooster crows—and Jesus turns and looks at him.
What was in that look?
It wasn’t anger.
It wasn’t shock.
It wasn’t rejection.
It was something far more piercing—a look of knowing love.
Peter had just said, “I don’t know Him.”
And yet, in that moment, he realizes: “Jesus knows me.”
Completely.
And Peter breaks.
It’s easy to read Peter’s denial and feel a bit of distance from it—until we’re honest. Because Peter’s denial is our denial. I see this in my life and you will too if you are brave enough to look.
We deny Jesus when we:
• Refuse to believe His promises.
• Stay silent when we should speak of His goodness.
• Withhold our pain from Christ and choose to carry it alone.
• Trust our way over His way by withholding aspects of our lives from Christ.
• Convince ourselves that we are not worthy of God’s love and care.
• Believe that we can’t change and things will always be this way.
• Doubt that God is good when we are in the middle of some difficulty.
At its root, our denial is unbelief. It’s the same ancient lie whispered in Eden: “God is not good and you can’t really trust Him.” And that’s what makes the cross so personal. Our denial didn’t merely disappoint Jesus—it’s what took Him there. And yet… He went to the cross willingly.
But the story doesn’t end in a courtyard. It moves to a shoreline. After the resurrection, Jesus meets His disciples by the Sea of Galilee. We read about this in John 21. Jesus has prepared breakfast over a fire for the tired disciples. The grace of God is already in motion.
Then Jesus turns again to Peter. Not with a glance this time—but with a question.
Three times, Jesus asks: “Do you love me?”
In this moment, we see something beautiful and tender unfold. Jesus meets Peter in his failure, even in his limited love. The one who denied Him three times is now given three opportunities to affirm his love.
“Do you love me?”
“Do you really love me?”
“Are you even my friend?”
Each question reaches deeper—not to shame Peter, but to restore him.
And each time Peter responds with “Yes - Lord I love you".
And Jesus says: “Feed my sheep.”
Do you see it? Jesus doesn’t rehearse Peter’s failure. He doesn’t take the opportunity to give Peter a sermon on the value of honesty. He reassigns Peter’s calling. Peter is not disqualified. Peter is reinstated and this is all grace!
Jesus is saying: “I died for your denials. I was in the grave for your guilt. I rose again for your restoration. And now—I’m not done with you.”
Jesus goes on to tell Peter what this restored life will cost him. “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” (John 21:18-19 NLT).
Following Jesus will eventually lead Peter to lay down his life. Because that’s what grace does. Grace doesn’t just forgive us—it transforms us.
As the Apostle Paul reminds us in the letter to the Galatians 2:20: “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
The Christian life is not about trying harder—it’s about living from a new life that Christ has already secured.
And here is the anchor for our hearts after Easter: “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…” (Romans 8:38–39) In Romans, we are reminded that nothing can separate us from Christ’s love:
• Not our past failures.
• Not our present struggles.
• Not even our ongoing battles with unbelief.
Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
So here we are, on the other side of Easter. And Jesus is still looking at us.
• Not with condemnation—but with compassion.
• Not with disappointment—but with dedication.
• Not with rejection—but with restoring love.
The look that once broke Peter is the same look that rebuilt him.
And it’s the same look of grace that meets you today.
You may see your denial. But Jesus sees your destiny.
You may feel disqualified. But Jesus says: “Follow me.” “Feed my sheep.” “Live for me.”
Because He has already done everything necessary for you to know His love—and to live in it.
And that changes everything.
Blessings, Ryan