This was posted today on Challies.com:
We look back at the disciples, and we wonder, "What in the world was wrong with them? How could they not get it?" The reality is quite the opposite. We should ask instead, "How could they get it?" It is impossible. It is beyond comprehension. The Old Covenant sacrifices, as powerful a pointer as they were, had a limited purpose. Their purpose was simply to show us how even the most rational and beautiful picture of grace--a blood sacrifice for sin--falls flat in front of what Jesus actually did.
Jesus trained men who, because of their background, should have been ready for the great blood sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. They weren't. They were still utterly incapable of "getting it" just from the facts. This is understandable. The ultimate fact is that it is absolutely impossible to come to an understanding of God's grace just from an assessment of the facts. (from Richard Ganz, Take Charge of Your Life)
Next time you find your self saying, “Peter, how could you be such a bonehead?”– remember, “There but for the grace of God go I.”