Palms of Perception
Notes
Transcript
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.
2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”
5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”
9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
As we come this week to another Palm Sunday...
And look ahead to Easter Sunday next week...
No doubt our minds are drawn to thoughts of:
Holy week
Christ's trial
His crucifixion
His burial
His resurrection
· But what I want to do this week is focus in on someone who was close to Jesus during His earthly ministry…
One of those closest to Christ during that time…and we hear about him in this passage...
Who am I referring to?
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
Peter – This is who we’ll look at the next two weeks…
In looking at this passage today, I don’t doubt that you might be trying to figure out HOW this passage connects to Palm Sunday…
Let me just say....
It does connect to Palm Sunday…and we'll see that as we move forward today...AND into next week.
In looking at this text today, We see a man who was passionate about His walk with the Lord.
Say what you want about Peter…
We could ride the roller coaster of his ministry walk….but I don’t think anyone would doubt his passion for Jesus Christ.
What we see in our text today is a man who was passionate enough about Christ to draw a sword, and wound another in defense of his own reality.
The path that I want to jump on from here is this:
SLIDE:
What lead to the drawing of that sword?
I’m not so much looking into Peter’s motives for drawing for the sword (because that number could range in the 1000s)
That sword could have been drawn in CONFIDENCE
That sword could have been drawn in FEAR…or maybe both…or for a 1000 other reasons…
But what we do know is that THAT sword was drawn in PASSION...
A person doesn’t draw a sword and cut off someone’s ear unless they’re passionate about someone or something…
So we KNOW - that PASSION drew that sword…that night
· Now,
SLIDE: QUESTION:
What contributed to the passion that Peter had in drawing that sword?
AGAIN - What does this HAVE to do with - palm Sunday??
We’ll get there!!
· THIS is what we’re after!
·And in order to find out, FIRST - we’ll have to look at this man named Peter.
WHO WAS PETER?
He was born about 1 B.C. and died sometime around A.D. 67.
He grew up in the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee
He was a fisherman by trade...
We hear he was a fisherman, and we may think...oh wow, he must have been lower class...
But that's not the case...
First century Israel was dominated by AGRICULTURE...
And so...manual labor was a profession that was highly sought after, even by the upper classes, including the rabbis.
And so knowing THAT...we see that Peter was in a very profitable vocation...
Peter was originally named Simon. And Jesus was the One Who changed Peter’s name. Peter means “rock” or literally Petra.
He was the brother of Andrew.
And he was married.
And so we hear about Peter's background, and we think - NORMAL
Now, back to the question - What contributed to the passion that drew Peter's sword?...
We look at Peter's life, and we see the Highs and Lows of the Christian Walk...
AND EACH side contributed to his passion FOR that walk...
See - - God uses both our HIGHS and LOWS to draw us closer to Him...
Today we're going to look at SOME of Peter's lows, and SOME of Peter's highs...
And we're going to see how ALL of it lead to the passionate drawing of that sword...and then tie it ALL together with Palm Sunday...
SLIDE:
THE LOWS OF PETER’S FAITH
3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God,
4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.
5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
8 Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”
Here we see the Washing of Feet by Jesus...
To wash someone's feet is to put oneself in a very SUBMISSIVE, Servant-like position...
And so when it was Peter's turn to be washed...
What does he do?
He questions Jesus. Why are You doing this???
Jesus answers him and says - "What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand"
Now, was that response by Jesus adequate for Peter?
NO!
What does Peter say?
"You shall never wash my feet."
Jesus responds - "If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
Did that get thru to Peter? Yes!
Peter responds - "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"
Now...when Peter said - "You will never wash my feet Jesus!" - Was Peter being malicious? Evil? - - NO
Peter looked at the situation before him and thought - I SHOULD be serving Jesus...I should be washing HIS feet!
THIS is what Peter thought!
Now that's a good thought!
But here's what was wrong with it...
SLIDE:
His passion and zeal for the Lord trumped his awareness of spiritual truth
See, Peter had his own idea about how things should play out...
He was LACKING in understanding....
And it's as though he didn't UNDERSTAND that he was LACKING in understanding...
He needed to LISTEN to the Lord!
He didn't LISTEN...
Jesus looked him in the eye and said - “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
Peter never HEARD these words from Jesus.
They went right over his head.
And he responds by saying - "Jesus, You will NEVER wash my feet."
Peter needed to LISTEN to the LORD...
This was a LOW in Peter's walk with the Lord...and yet God used this to increase Peter's passion for Jesus.
"You mean, I'll have no part with You if you do not wash me...then wash EVERY part of me, not just my feet."
Another LOW in Peter's walk came in Matthew 16
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 on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Again we see Peter deciding that he knew best...
And while his response to Jesus SEEMS noble...
We see that Jesus didn't see it that way.
Verse 23 says - But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
ANYTHING that hinders the WILL of God from being fulfilled...is a work of Satan.
And how does Satan work?
Yes in the EVIL of the world...
But also in the NOBLE pursuits of man...
AGAIN, Peter on the one hand, was showing his AWARENESS of truth (He knew that Jesus was the Son of God!)
...YET...he couldn't rationalize the Son of God coming to earth and perishing!
He couldn't see the BIG picture.
And it was THAT LACK of knowledge that caused him to what? - REBUKE Jesus....question Jesus....as noble as his pursuit was...
And so we see another LOW in Peter's walk with the Lord.
Now, it wasn't all LOWS for Peter...he had MANY HIGHS in his Christian walk...
SLIDE:
THE HIGHS of PETER'S FAITH
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
Here we see the calling of Peter...
...and Peter reacts with a tremendous display of faith...
We know that this was a tremendous display of faith when we consider the economy of the first century.
Peter walked away from his livelihood in order to follow Jesus.
In the first century economy, taxes and fees were to be paid, and large portions of income were to be paid for religious duties.
Peter’s faith helped him look away from what this world had to offer, and instead look to what Christ was offering.
A definite HIGH of Peter's faith!
He left his job...
Left his income...
Left what most consider to be 'security'
Could we do that?
WILL we do that?
A definite high of Peter's faith...
We see another HIGH in Matthew 16
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Here we see Jesus highlight the SINGULARITY of faith...
Jesus says - It matters NOT to you what others think about Me. What matters for you is - Who do YOU say that I am?
And for Peter the response was right on!
You are THE CHRIST (the MESSIAH), the Son of the living God!
And Jesus, in typical Jesus fashion....gives glory to where glory is due!
He says - "You didn't come up with that Peter! God the Father revealed that to you!"
"That belief that you have ABOUT ME - THAT BELIEF was given to you by the Father!"
And again - PASSION building, in Peter, for Jesus!
The HIGHS and the LOWS of our walk, used by God to draw us closer to Him
ANOTHER HIGH of Peter's faith is found in Matthew 14:
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
Peter wanted to know if it was Jesus who was on the water or if it was a ghost...
So Peter, KNOWING that Jesus was the Son of God...
And KNOWING that he himself couldn't walk out on the water in his own power...says what?
Peter says - "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
Peter knew that the Word of the LORD CREATES faith...
And he knew that true FAITH in Jesus will not REJECT Jesus...
He knew the ONLY way that he was going to be able to get out TO Jesus on the water...
was for Jesus to COMMAND him to come.
Now, think thru that...and now think of your prayer life.**
ANOTHER definite HIGH of Peter's walk in the faith...
And so we see the HIGHs and LOWs of the Christian walk....
We look at Peter and we can relate!
**DO you have any highs in your walk with the Lord...lows?
Peter's passion for Christ grew as he walked more and more with Christ....NOT perfectly, but FAITHFULLY!
And so, how does all this relate to Palm Sunday?
Here's how:**
Peter's life:
- Peter’s life was spent DEFENDING his OWN ideas of reality
…AT TIMES - Instead of RECEIVING truth - he IMPARTS his own truth...(YOU will NEVER do that Jesus, That will NEVER happen Jesus)
At that time: Jesus was supposed to - Set up an EARTHLY KINGDOM
- And these MEN NOW - here to TAKE JESUS AWAY - they were going to KILL those plans!
- WELL - that leads to - Peter pulling that sword! Defending his own ideas!
Here's the problem with that!
And here's how this ties into Palm Sunday....
Jesus first words of earthly ministry:
- Well - John the baptist - was Baptizing, preparing way for Christ...
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
See, Christ came on a MISSION...
Christ came as part of a PLAN to redeem men to Himself...
This was HIS plan, not our plan...
And so often...LIKE PETER, we try to inject our own plans into God's BIG plan!
We pull our swords and say - NO God - this will NEVER happen!
And Jesus says - Put away the sword!
When we look at Palm Sunday...
Christ's Triumphal entry**(Holy Week)
He begins to (SLAY Self-Righteousness) (Slaying Man's-way...)
Jesus Cleanses the temple
Jesus curses the fig tree (for not bearing fruit)
He questions those who question Him...
Parable after parable He slays SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS and exalts FAITH
He lays the foundation of REALITY...
He proclaims and displays the TRUTH of God
..JUST as He did when Peter drew his sword the night of the arrest.
11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
This was GOD's PLAN....
Peter thought he himself knew truth...
LISTEN - He didn't know truth...
He was PASSIONATE...but he didn't know truth...
Peter filtered this situation through his own reality...
...NOT God's word.
And so the question goes out to us today...on THIS PALM SUNDAY!!
ANOTHER Palm Sunday… with all it’s routines.
And we’ve asked this question before...
We must REVISIT it!
SLIDE:
Does your passion for Jesus trump your awareness of Spiritual truth?
Does your passion for Jesus trump your awareness of Spiritual truth?
Here's the funny thing - Regardless of your answer to that question (yes or no), the REMEDY is this - Get INTO HIS WORD...
If your passion for Jesus DOES trump your awareness of Spiritual truth, then you NEED to get into God's word...
You NEED - His TRUTH!
AND - EVEN If your passion for Jesus DOES NOT trump your awareness of Spiritual truth, then you NEED to get into God's word MORE...why?
...because if you don't, then it won't be long before your passion - DOES TRUMP your awareness of Spiritual truth.
WHY?
Because of - OUR NATURE!
My NATURE - is CONSTANTLY trying to get me to - FALL!
Trying to get me - OFF the path of - TRUTH - God’s TRUTH!
As Jesus says -
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
And so we must always - in a sense - BE ON GUARD… lest we stumble.
Another Question...
SLIDE:
Does your lack of passion for Jesus trump your awareness of Spiritual truth?
Yes? - Then you need to get into God's word! - FAITH comes by hearing...
God is calling you today to "drop your sword"...and pick up His word!!
SURRENDER YOUR WAY to the Lord today!
The narrow way....
The ONLY way...
It's time for US to stop believing that OUR way will lead to anywhere but destruction...
Surrender your way...
SURRENDER IT!...
WAIT NO MORE!
When He made His way into Jerusalem that Palm Sunday...He was displaying for us all...
12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
THE WAY - had arrived!
THE WAY - was here!
THE ONLY WAY - was here!
The way of Jesus Christ!
He makes His way into Jerusalem - that 1st Palm Sunday...
And THOSE PALMS were laid before Him… WHY???
DUE to the KIND of Victory the people THOUGHT He was bringing!
**In those times, Palms were a SYMBOL of victory!
There was a PERCEPTION - TIED to those palms THAT DAY!
Their new KING was here…!
Hosanna! Hosanna!
FREEDOM was now - HERE!
Hosanna in the Highest!!
Could it BE??
Our DREAMS are about to come true!!??
Our PRAYERS are about to be ANSWERED??
OUR way is about to PLAY OUT before OUR eyes??
And the EXCITEMENT grows!!
You can HEAR it...
You can FEEL it!
and yet… How does it all PLAY OUT?
You’ll have to find out - next week.
To be continued....
Let's pray....
Lord's Table:
This brings us to the Lord’s Table…a time for each of us to reflect on our lives, to examine ourselves spiritually, and to remember the cost of our faith. We were bought with a price, and these elements remind us of this.
Have you experienced the Saving Power of Christ at the cross?
We are however, not to take this lightly. Scripture says – “ whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
Take time now and examine yourself before the Lord.
22 While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is My body.” 23 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Have a Great Week