John 18:15-18 and 25-27 Hitting Rock Bottom

John 18 Verses 15 to 18 and 25 to 27 Hitting Rock Bottom April 16, 2023

Class Presentation Notes AAAA

Background Scripture: Matthew 16:21-23, 2 Corinthians 7:10

· Matthew 16:21-23 (NASB) 21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. 22 Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You." 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

· 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB) 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leadingto salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Main Idea: We never drift toward holiness; we drift toward unfaithfulness. It is vitally important for us to align our lives with God’s Word.

Study Aim: To understand that pride is and attitude that causes us to think we are incapable of sin:

Create Interest:

· At some point, every adult experiences failure. Adults must learn how to move through their failures to achieve their goals. This is possible through walking with God and living by His standards of success and failure. When believers fail God, they can find forgiveness and renewal.

· Peter was an impulsive person who said and did inappropriate and wrong things.

o He rebuked Jesus when the Lord predicted His coming death (Matt. 16:21–24).

o He suggested building booths to honor Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28–36).

o On at least two occasions Peter joined the other disciples in arguing about who was the greatest (Mark 9:33–37; Luke 22:24–30).

o In the upper room Peter initially refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet (John 13:5–11).

o Peter bragged that he would stand with Jesus even if all the other disciples deserted Him (Matt. 26:31–35).

o In the garden Peter cut off the high priest’s servant’s ear with a sword (John 18:10–12).

o However, the lowest point for Simon Peter was his denying the Lord three times on the night before His crucifixion (John 18:15–18, 25–27).

§ We will focus on how such a man of faith could have so failed the Lord and the Lord restored him to purpose.[1]

· As God incarnate, Jesus was always in absolute control of all the events of His life. That control extended even to the circumstances surrounding His death. Far from being an accident, Jesus’ sacrificial death was the primary reason He took on human life in the first place; it is the pinnacle of redemptive history. (John 12–21). In other words, Jesus is saying,

o “If you are struggling to believe that I am the promised Messiah,

o that I am the one who was in the beginning with God

o and was God (John 1:1),

o that I am the divine Son of God, who can forgive all your sins and give you eternal life

o and guide you on the path to heaven, then I want to help you believe.

o And one of the ways I am going to help you have well-grounded faith is by telling you what is going to happen to me before it happens, so that when it happens, you will have good reason to believe in me.”[2]

o Germaine to our study is the following:

§ He knew and predicted the fact and the time of Peter’s three denials (Matthew 26:34).

· As a researcher for this lesson and as a pilgrim on a journey to Heaven, I found this statement very valuable to my understanding of Peter and his betrayal of Jesus and of my own actions on a daily basis in both thought and actions.

o Am I Peter and if I am, what do I learn from this?

o How can I take this knowledge of myself revealed in Scripture by the Holy Spirit and grow toward being the person Christ wants me to be?

o What about you, my reader? What can you learn about yourself through this revelation?

· Let’s explore the points together and be better followers of Christ because of our journey. 😊

Lesson in Historical Context:

· Like a swelling wave about to crest, John’s Gospel arrives at the cross. The “hour” of sacrifice, introduced to us at Jesus’s first miracle in Cana, has finally come, but the momentum of this moment had been building long before Jesus’s first miracle. It began in a garden at the dawn of history when a promise was made about a Savior. Human history, from its first moments, had been moving toward this point. When it took place, the death of Jesus Christ on a cross became its dividing line. It’s no exaggeration to suggest that, even from a secular viewpoint, no event has impacted human history like the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Everything that took place before looks toward it, and everything that has taken place since looks back. For those of us who claim the title Christian, the cross is central to everything we believe, do, and are.

· The reason the cross stands as the iconic image of Christianity cannot be traced to first-century marketing savvy. The cross marks:

o the moment God offered his Son as the penalty for our sin,

o fallen mankind was redeemed,

o sin and death were defeated,

o and God extended terms of peace to His enemies at the cost of His Son’s life.

§ We cannot overstate the significance of the cross.

· Who was responsible for the cross? Who murdered Jesus? The Romans? Crucifixion, though probably not a Roman invention, was certainly perfected under their reign. They were the ones in charge when Jesus was crucified. Pilate, a Roman governor, ordered his death. Roman soldiers pounded the nails into his hands and feet. The Jewish leaders? They brought Jesus to Pilate and demanded he be killed. When Pilate wanted to release Jesus, the Jewish leaders incited the crowds to chant, “Crucify him!” (Luke 23:21). They were willing to accept responsibility for his death. “His blood be on us and on our children!” they said in Matthew 27:25. Us?

o It wasn’t just the sin of the Romans and the Jews that caused Him to die. It was your sin and my sin. As the prophet Isaiah said, “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished [Jesus] for the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:6). We’re not off the hook. Jesus died because of our sin.

· All these answers are correct in part. However, as John writes his account of the cross, he doesn’t focus on human liability. He shows every step on the way to the cross is planned and controlled by Jesus. Jesus said, “I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own” (John 10:17–18). From a human perspective, it seems Jesus is swept to the cross by forces outside his control.

o Jesus orchestrates every encounter, and every event reveals his sovereign control.[3]

Bible Study:

John 18:15-18 (NASB) Peter denies Jesus for the first time 15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in. 17 Then the slave-girl who kept the door *said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He *said, "I am not." 18 Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself.

· Peter and some other disciple followed Jesus up to the gate of the High Priest. The other disciple was probably John, for the account reads like an eyewitness account (Jn. 1:39; note—Mk. 14:54). It was this disciple who knew the High Priest personally. John’s father’s fishing business was large enough for him to have hired servants working for him (Mark 1:19–20). According to the apocryphal gospel of the Hebrews, the apostle John used to deliver fish to the high priest’s house while he was still working for his father (Köstenberger, John, 513 n. 14).

o John was therefore well-known to the palace employees. Note that he was allowed entrance into the palace and arranged for Peter to enter the palace (v.16. Mk. 3:17.)

· Note three points about Peter’s unnecessary denial.

o Peter’s denial before the servant girl was a striking contradiction to his earlier boast to lay down his life for Jesus (13:37), and his show of offense in cutting off Malchus’ ear (18:10). Evidently the other disciple was also in danger (perhaps greater) but he did not deny Jesus. Peter stood by the fire … warming himself in the coldspring evening, Jerusalem being about 2,500 feet above sea level. This little detail about the cold evening is another indication that the author of this book was an eyewitness.[4]

o Peter denied any association with Jesus and gave an unequivocal denial: “I am not.”

§ The point is this: Peter was a close friend of John, for John had made a very special request for Peter to be admitted into the palace. The doorkeeper was bound to think such a close associate of John’s was also associated with John’s Master (Teacher).

§ Peter very simply failed his Lord by denying any association with Him and pretending not to know Him.

o Peter made an attempt to be known as one of the crowd. He joined the crowd, standing around with them and joining in their conversation and activities.

Some points for us to consider:

· Why he should deny being a disciple of Jesus is not immediately apparent. After all, John, who was known to be one of Jesus’ disciples, had just been admitted without incident. It may be that Peter was not accustomed to associating with the rich and powerful. Perhaps the unfamiliar setting he found himself in caused him to lose his nerve and burst out a cowardly denial when he was caught off guard by the servant girl’s unexpected challenge. Whatever the reason may have been, this and his subsequent denials proved that the Lord knew Peter better than he knew himself(cf. 13:37–38).

o The tragic story of Peter’s multiple denials “is a warning to all who would claim self-confidently that they would follow Jesus ‘wherever he leads them.’ Boasting of our abilities is an invitation to failure. That is exactly what Peter discovered” (Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, The New American Commentary [Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2002], 230).

· Take note of John’s detail concerning the fire—it was a charcoal fire. John includes this seemingly insignificant feature to imprint on the readers’ minds the image of Peter looking across a fire and denying His Master. Later, John will recall this image around another charcoal fire (21:9).[5]

o More significant, it shows that this initial hearing took place at night, since it would not likely have been cold enough at Passover to have a fire during the day.

· Trying to blend in and be as inconspicuous as possible, Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. He was taking a risk that someone else would recognize him in the firelight (which is exactly what did happen; Mark 14:66–67; Luke 22:55–56). But standing all alone in the courtyard would only have called further attention to himself—which was the last thing he wanted to do.

o In a bitter irony Peter, like Judas a little while earlier in Gethsemane (18:5), wound up standing with the enemies of Jesus.[6]

Thought to soak on before moving on:

· Many deny being associated with Christ. People see us in church or associating with other believers—innocently see us—thinking nothing about it. But when and if asked, we deny any association with Christ.

· Many pretend not to know Christ when out in the world …

· Many try to fade into the crowd, trying to hide their faith by joining in with the crowd. Standing with and trying to blend in with the crowd will always cause a believer to deny his Lord.

· Bible (Basic Information Before Leaving Earth) Think on these verses😊.

o Matthew 10:33 (NASB) 33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

o Proverbs 19:5 (NASB) 5 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape.

o 1 Peter 3:15-16 (NASB) 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

John 18:25-27 (NASB) Peter Denies Christ for the second and third time. 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So, they said to him, "You are not also oneof His disciples, are you?" He denied it, and said, "I am not." 26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, *said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" 27 Peter then denied itagain, and immediately a rooster crowed.

· Earlier that evening Peter pledged his devotion to Jesus: “I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37). Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly I tell you, a rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times” (v. 38). Peter’s actions (18:15–18) begin to fulfill the earlier words of Jesus, providing one more evidence Jesus is aware and in control of every event.

· Once again Jesus is the one asking the questions (vv. 19–24). In the first of numerous interrogations, Jesus turns the table on his interrogator:

o “Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I told them.… If I have spoken wrongly, give evidence about the wrong; but if rightly, why do you hit me?” (vv. 21, 23)

· Jesus is innocent, but he’s not a victim: a victim has no control over his circumstances. He reminds the high priest He taught openly in the synagogue and temple. What did Jesus teach? In the synagogue at Capernaum, he said, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again” (6:35). In the temple he said,

o “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.”(10:27–28)

· His message was the gospel. He came to die, and through his death he brings salvation to sinners who are cut off from God.

· Peter denies Jesus and the rooster crows (18:25–27).

o Now we have the complete fulfillment of Jesus’s words to Peter in chapter 13.

o Everything Jesus said would happen has come to pass, and everything that’s come to pass gives us confidence in the sovereign control of Jesus.[7]

· Even while Peter had hoped to lose his identity by identifying himself with the “servants and officers” (Vs.18), they (evidently more than one) said … unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? (Vs. 25)

o The wording in the original indicates that they expected a negative answer. It was beyond their comprehension that any man would be so foolish as to identify himself with a Man who was already condemned to death.

o They had underestimated the drawing power of the love of Christ.It compels men to perform in a manner that is quite incomprehensible to the world. Peter was not in rebellion against his Lord—rather he was incapable (powerless, 13:36) before accusing men. So, he denied it, and said, I am not (Vs. 25).

Let’s wrap up the activities and soak on what happened

· At that point, Peter’s resistance broke down completely. He began to “curse and swear” (Matt. 26:74). This does not mean that Peter let loose a volley of blasphemies, but rather that he put himself under a curse in order to emphasize his statement. He was on trial, so he put himself under an oath to convince his accusers that he was telling the truth.

· It was at that point that the cock began to crow (John 18:27) just as Jesus had predicted (Matt. 26:34). There were four “watches”: evening (6–9 p.m.), midnight (9–12), cockcrowing (12 midnight to 3 a.m.), and morning (3–6 a.m.) (see Mark 13:35). The crowing of the cock reminded Peter of the Lord’s words, and he went out and wept bitterly.

· The crowing of the cock was assurance to Peter that Jesus was totally in control of the situation, even though He was bound and being harassed by the authorities.

o By controlling one bird, Jesus affirmed His sovereignty.

o According to Genesis 1:26, God gave man authority over the fish, the fowl, and the animals.

o Peter had seen Jesus exercise authority over the fish (Matt. 17:24–27; Luke 5:1–11) and the animals (Matt. 21:1–11); but now he recognized His authority over the birds.

· The cockcrowing was also an invitation to repentance.“When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). Luke tells us that Jesus turned and looked at Peter (Luke 22:61), and this look of love broke Peter’s heart. Peter had been a witness of Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 5:1), and by his own denials he added to those sufferings.

· Keep in mind that the crowing of the cock was the announcement of the dawning of a new day!

o “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Ps. 30:5).

· It is worthwhile to contrast Peter and Judas.

o Peter wept over his sins and repented, while Judas admitted his sins but never really repented.

o Judas experienced remorse, not repentance. When Judas went out from the Upper Room, “it was night” (John 13:30);

o but when Peter went out to weep bitterly, there was the dawning of a new day.

§ It is the contrast between godly sorrow that leads to true repentance, and the sorrow of the world (regret and remorse) that leads to death (2 Cor. 7:9–10). We will discover that Jesus restored Peter (John 21) and enabled him to serve with great power and blessing.

· In the Garden that night, you would find both guilt and grace.

o Peter was guilty of resisting God’s will.

o Judas was guilty of the basest kind of treachery.

o The mob was guilty of rejecting the Son of God and treating Him as though He were the lowest kind of criminal.

· But Jesus was gracious! Like King David, He crossed the Kidron, fully conscious that Judas was betraying Him.

o He went into the Garden of Gethsemane surrendered to the Father’s will.

o He healed Malchus’ ear.

o He protected His disciples. He yielded Himself into the hands of sinners that He might suffer and die for us.

o “Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all!”

· What is in your hand today—the sword, or the cup?[8]

Spiritual Transformation Thoughts:

· Why did Peter deny Jesus? He was not a coward, for he was ready to defend Jesus with a sword in his hand. Peter’s denials were the lowest point in his life.

o Peter’s denials are an example of the danger of overconfidence in yourself. Peter was offended when Jesus predicted his denials and swore that he would never deny Jesus—not ever! Paul warned,

§ 1 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV2011) 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! “

What are some lasting truths in John 18:15–18, 25b–27?

1. Beware of the danger of overconfidence in your ability to resist temptation.

2. The forces of evil that tempt Christians are strong.

3. Commit yourself to honor Christ, not to deny Him.[9]

Our quarterly lesson written by Tim McKeown contains introspective questions that I feel are worthy of our time to consider:

1. Are you prepared to give a defense and confess your faith in Christ to those you meet?

2. Are you truly following Christ in your walk, or could there be some disingenuous, selfish, ore even sinful motivations in what you are “doing for Christ”?

3. Are there any warning signs in your life you are ignoring that could provide a way out from future failure?

4. What about John in the courtyard. What could he have done to help Peter?

5. Do you know someone facing temptations with whom you could intervene?

6. The closer we get to sin, the harder it may be to turn around. It is never too late unless we die before we do. What can you do before the “rooster crows”?

7. How does knowing that your sin is not a surprise to God make you want to seek reconciliation with God?

Grace and peace to all who read this and share with someone.

[1]Robert J. Dean, Studying Adult Life and Work Lessons, Spring 1999, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 1999), 71–72. [2]John Piper, Love to the Uttermost: Devotional Readings for Holy Week (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2013). [3]Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg, Exalting Jesus in John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 352–353. [4]Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 335–336. [5]Charles R. Swindoll, John, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Tyndale House Publishers, 2018), 344–345. [6]John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 319. [7]Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg, Exalting Jesus in John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 355–356. [8]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 376. [9]Robert J. Dean and Ronald K. Brown, Bible Studies for Life, Fall 2012, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 92.