Mark 14:66-72 Peter's Denials

Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant United Reformed Church

From: The Holy Bible and J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”

House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text

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Review

Begin with the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry

Message: “Repent and believe the Gospel” - the Gospel was Jesus life and death

Preached, taught, performed miracles for three years”

Now in Jerusalem to fulfill the Gospel promise - to die for our sins

Mark 14:66–72 NASB95

As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he went out onto the porch. The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, “This is one of them!” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too.” But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.

Shipwreck slide

Introduction

J.C. Ryle noted that a shipwreck is a sad sight, even when no one is killed. The destruction of property and the destruction of hopes are tragic indeed. It is hard to see the suffering and hardship that the ship’s crew go through as they try to save the passengers and themselves from drowning.

No shipwreck is half as sad a sight as watching the backsliding and fall of a true Christian.

Even though he/she is raised again by the mercy of God, and in the end saved from hell, they will lose so much by the fall

This is what we see here, in the verses we just read

This is the sad and painful story of how Peter denied the Lord Jesus

1. A great Christian may fall far and shamefully

Simon Peter was one of Christ’s foremost apostles

He was especially praised by the Lord Himself, after He made the great declaration

“Blessed art thou Simon Barjona… I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven”

He was one who had a special relationship with Christ - had special mercies shown him

But here we see him so entirely overcome by fear that he actually denies his Lord

He declares that he doesnt know the Lord that He spent the past three years with

He public states that he doesn’t know the one who healed his wife’s mother, took him up on the mount of transfiguration, and saved him from drowning in the Sea of Galilee

He doesn’t just deny Him once, but three times

He doesn’t simply deny Him, but curses and swears when he denies Him

He does all this after the Lord warned him it would happen and he protested that he would do nothing of the kind - he would rather die

This is written to show us what human nature is, even in the best of people

Even after we are converted and saved, we are still weak and liable to fall.

It shows us the importance of watchfulness, prayer, and humility as long as we are in the body. “Let him that thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall.”

Peter’s case does not stand alone - many examples of weakness in true believers

Noah, Abraham, David, Hezekiah all show that sin remains in the saved - no man is so strong that he cannot fall

Prov 28:14 “How blessed is the man who fears always, But he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”

2. The smallest of temptations may cause a saint to fall

The start of Peter’s trial was a simple remark of a servant of the high priest. Mark 14:67 “and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.””

Nothing suggests that she did this for any hostile purpose

She might have seen him with the Lord at some time earlier

But this was enough to greatly overthow the faith of a great apostle, and make him deny his Master

The foremost of the Lord’s chosen disciples was cast down, not by the threat of armed men, but by the saying of one innocent woman

An important lesson: nothing is to small or insignificant to overcome our faith, unless we remain alert and pray the Lord strengthen us.

Phil 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

If God removes His grace from us, and leaves us on our own, we are like a fortress without gates, and vulnerable to the first enemy who comes along, no matter how weak

We must be careful about making light of temptations to sin because they seem small or trivial

Nothing that concerns our souls is little - a little spark can cause a massive fire. A small leak can sink a great ship

A little provocation may completely overthrow our hearts and bring us into great trouble.

Finally - backsliding can bring us into great sorrow and depression

Mark 14:72 “Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.”

Who knows the thoughts that must have flashed acorss Peter’s mind when he heard that crowing?

Who knows the shame, confusion and bitter sorrow that must have overwhelmed him

He had fallen disgustingly and repeatedly

He had fallen in the face of plain warnings from His Lord

It must all have been so painful.

This is the experience of all God’s servants who have caved to sin - Lot, Samson, David in Bible history

Christians who denied Christ in modern years out fear

They have all felt terrible shame in later years

Like Peter, they had to live with their shame in this world

But, like Peter, they were pardoned and forgiven

But, like Peter, they shed many tears and bitterly felt regret

Bringing it home

Important lesson: sin is sure to lead to sorrow and sadness - the way of holiness is always the key to the most happiness

The Lord Jesus has mercifully shown us that it will never benefit us to walk carelessly and cave to sin

If we turn our backs to Christ, we can expect pain

Though He will forgive us, He will also make us feel the foolishness of our ways

Those who follow Him most closely, will also follow Him comfortably

Ps 16:4 “The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; .”

Prayer

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