Matthew 26:31-35 (NASB)
31 Then Jesus *said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33 But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may]fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.
What an amazing example of the wonders of the love of Christ. Jesus tells them that they all will fall, and they all did abandon Him. Only John eventually came back and stood at the foot of the Cross, but even he initially fled. Peter adamantly declared that even though all would stumble, he never would. He went so far as to say that he would die before he would stumble in his love for Christ. All of the other disciples echoed the same thing. Jesus lovingly, with great compassion told Peter that not only would he stumble, but that he would stumble multiple times. Here is the awesome part; Jesus told them in verse 32, after telling them that they would all fall, that He would be waiting for them in Galilee, after the Resurrection. Hear clearly what Jesus said. He told them that they would fall; Peter multiple times, and that afterwards He would be waiting for them. Jesus isn’t surprised by our failures. He knows who we are better than we do, and He also knows our hearts. We often see ourselves as just failures, yet He sees us as fighters who are always looking for Him, even in our self imposed darkness. He wants us to know that on the other side of our wanderings, and failure He will always be there waiting for us, to continue our journey of love, in the power of resurrection, and new creation.