Mark 14:66-72 "Peter's Denials"

Good Morning Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Let’s turn in our Bibles to Mark 14… today we finish this long chapter of 72 verses… looking at Mark 14:66-72.

We left off in Jesus’ final week before the cross. In recent weeks, we looked at…

Jesus’ prayers in the Garden while the disciples slept…

His arrest in the Garden where Judas betrayed Him with a kiss…

… and His religious trials where the High Priest and council brought forth false witnesses… sentenced Him to death… and beat Him beyond recognition… sad because they should have received Him as Messiah.

So on this Passover night… Jesus experienced one let down after another…

Last week we discussed how Jesus went through a total of 6 trials… 3 Religious Trials and 3 Civil Trials.

Which you can only see in totality if you cross reference all the Gospels…

Our Gospel writer, Mark, felt inspired to only record the 2nd Religious Trial… and we discussed how the first two trials were riddled with illegalities.

The third and final religious trial was the closest to legitimate, but was a mere formality before the Jews sent Jesus to the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, for sentencing (… which we will look at next week).

But, in the midst of the religious trials… all four Gospel writers also detail “Peter’s Denials”… our message title today…

And, when an event is recorded by all four Gospel writers… it’s significant.

So, Let’s Pray… and then get into the word!

In reverence for God’s word, please stand as I read our passage.

Mark 14:66-72 “Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”

71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.”

Praise God for His word! Please be seated.

Our passage today details the three denials of the Lord by the Apostle Peter.

The Bible is such an authentic book to detail not just the victories of it’s heroes… but also their failures.

Which benefits us… because when we can peer into the lives of others… and learn from their victories and defeats… we’re a step ahead in life.

And, God gave us His word… to learn from… and the wise do.

I don’t believe that Peter’s story is on display to smear his name, but his story very much… to some degree… IS our story…

If we’re really honest… at some point… we’ve all failed the Lord… NONE of us have been perfectly faithful, so in essence we’ve all denied him.

Which is a difficult pill to swallow, but it’s true.

None of us are infallible… only one has every been completely righteous… and presently He is seated at the right hand of God…

So, as we enter this passage today… let’s enter with a grateful heart that our Lord has inspired the writers of Scripture…

To record these events… in part for our benefit.

This passage may feel familiar, because a month ago… we looked at the Passover dinner…

Jesus and His disciples had gathered in an Upper Room and Jesus had predicted Peter’s Denials…

So, if you fell asleep during that message… good news… today is a bit of repetition affording you the opportunity to catch up on what you missed.

For the rest of you who DID pay attention… keep in mind the saying… “repetition is the key to learning.”

If you look back starting in V27 of Mark 14… after finishing the Passover Meal… we read, "Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: [Zech 13:7] ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” 30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” 31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.”

So, that was Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s specific denials… AND how ALL the disciples would flee AFTER His arrest.

Now… I don’t call into question their sincerity… at the Garden… hundreds of armed Roman Guards plus Jewish Temple Guards…

And, when the disciple saw Judas betray Jesus with a kiss… and the guards posturing to arrest Jesus… they asked, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”

And, then Peter did… cutting off the ear of Malchus… a servant of the high priest.

I truly think they would have fought to death for Jesus.

But, Jesus instructed them to sheath their swords… this was all part of the Father’s will…

There was a cup of wrath on sin that was His to drink… as a substitution for us who rightfully should have taken on God’s judgment.

But, through faith in Jesus Christ… we are washed clean… and declared righteous.

So, that’s the background of our passage today… Jesus predicted all the disciples would flee… and Peter specifically… before the rooster crowed twice… would deny Him thrice.

And, one lesson we can learn is that sin always has a history. Peter’s denials did not just happen at the trials of Jesus…

They were not spontaneous, but were a build up from the scene we just observed.

There were at least four missteps by Peter that led to this denial…

First, at the Last Supper when Jesus announced one of them would betray Him…

.... the other disciples humbly looked inward… asking “Lord, is it I?”

… But, Peter looked outward, asking, “Lord, who is it?”

So, it would appear there was a bit of self-confidence… perhaps even pride in the heart of Peter…

And, the enemy loves to work with a heart that trusts in itself.

Second, still at the Last Supper… Jesus predicted Peter’s denials… and Peter argued with the Lord… speaking “vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!””

And, it’s never wise to go against the word of the Lord…

Third… now at the Garden… Jesus commanded, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation”… but Peter and the other disciples “slept from sorrow.”

Jesus proclaimed in that scene, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Peter’s spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak.

In times of spiritual battle and just life in general… be alert… and cover yourself and your loved ones in prayer…

Please pray for me and my family as well… I thank you for it.

Finally, after the arrest… Peter found himself isolated from the other disciples… warming himself at the enemies fire…

And, the enemy loves to attack when we are isolated from our Christian brothers and sisters…

Jesus warned Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you [you plural… Gk. y’all… all the disciples], that he may sift you as wheat.”

Sin always has a history… Peter did not just walk into the trials of Jesus and deny him… there was for sure a back story.

And, when we see people fall… whether they believers or not…

… when criminal charges are filed for crimes against minors…

… when divorce due to infidelity occurs…

… when financial abuse happens…

… when darkness comes to light…

… there’s always a bread crumb trail.

James wrote that ‘falling into sin is a process.’ (my paraphrase)… it begins with desire (a passionate longing)… and then being enticed (or lured)… this is the beginning of the bread crumb trail… and it leads to the temptation to sin… to miss the mark.

James wrote, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation...” (James 1:12)

A crown of life is promised to believers who endure temptation… what a promise for us to remember!

Peter desired to not deny Jesus… but he went about it in his own strength… and not in the spirit… and when the pressure was on…

He had to choose to either save his own flesh and deny the Lord… or admit he was a disciple and possibly join the Lord’s persecution.

Peter must have forgotten the Beatitude, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:10)

That would have been a good lesson for Peter to remember.

One additional application for our lives today… as we consider this back story of the Last Supper… and Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s denials…

A second lesson we can learn is that when Jesus and Scripture speaks… it WILL come to pass.

Historically… in Biblical predictions… God is batting 1000.

Old Testament prophecies from hundreds and thousands of years prior have literally been fulfilled… much in the birth, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Scholars and critics have been so baffled by the accuracy of biblical predictions that they go through all these exercises to try to explain in human logic how this can be…

For example, because of the accuracy of the predictions in the Book of Daniel… some critics argue there must be several authors… at various dates… otherwise how could the predictions be so accurate?

The answer is… God gave Daniel visions… and the ability to discern Scripture.

The real question is why is the faith of the critics so small? What’s too big for God?… if He can create the heavens and the earth… what is foreseeing the future?

I hope my God forever escapes my ability to comprehend Him…

Job spoke about how God created all things… the North… the water… the horizon… the pillars of heaven…

And, Job said Job 26:14 “Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

We stand at the far edge of understanding God… we hear just a whisper of who He is…

So… when Jesus told Peter, ‘you will deny me’… when Jesus told all the disciples, ‘you will flee.’

While this was beyond their comprehension… and while this was against every fiber of their being…

Jesus’ word was NOT broken. This scene played out EXACTLY as Jesus predicted.

We sit in a time where we can look forward to His second coming… and there is NO REASON we should not trust the Bible about what it says about the future of this earth… AND our eternal future in glory.

This was a lesson that took Peter time… as it does for all of us…

And today… we’re going to peer into the life of Peter… and hopefully glean some wisdom to enrich our walk with… AND TRUST IN… Jesus Christ.

A month ago, when we looked at the prediction of Peter’s denials… I mentioned this is a three-part story…

First the prediction of Peter’s denial…

Second… Peter’s actual denials of Jesus during Jesus’ first two religious trials…

Third… The restoration of Peter by Jesus in John 21.

Today… we will expand this story to a four-part… because…

… in the Book of Acts… Peter is empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Jesus Christ…

He becomes a mighty voice for the Gospel… and through His Spirit empowered preaching… the early church is born.

It’s an amazing story of transformation… and we’ll close there, but first… let’s circle back to our passage in Mark 14…

Picking back up in V66 in Mark 14… The first of Peter’s denials is recorded in vv 66-68…

And, if you cross reference John 18… which records Jesus’ first religious trial before Annas…

It’s clear that Peter’s first denial occurred during Jesus’ first religious trial.

You cannot discern this simply by reading Mark… you have to cross reference John 18… beginning in v12… which is the only Gospel record of the first trial…

Mark records that Peter is “below in the courtyard”… which as we have discussed is the courtyard of the palace of the High Priest which was located in Jerusalem.

John 18 records that Peter has a conversation with the servant girl who… “kept the door.”

So, her job was that of a doorkeeper… and John records that Peter “stood at the door outside”… until “the other disciple” (who most scholars interpret as John)… “… spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.”

John also recorded she “… said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”

Mark records, “… she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

This is a cool spring night… we know that because it was Passover (which falls in April)… and nighttime in Jerusalem during April averages around 50 degrees… with an all time low of 30 degrees… so a fire was easily warranted.

Whatever the actual temperature on this night… it was cold enough that fires were lit for the people to keep warm.

And, John also notes WHO was at the fire with Peter… NOT just common folk…

John 18:18 records, “Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.”

Peter warmed himself with “servants and officers”…

When Jesus was arrested… John 18:3 records Judas… Roman soldiers AND “… officers [same Gk. word] from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.”

Servants is the Gk. word “doulous”… meaning a “bond-servant”… this was the lowest of slaves…

Malchus… who had his ear lopped by Peter was described as the “high priest’s servant” in John 18:10.

It’s a word Jesus also uses for those who follow Him…

‘A servant [a doulous] is not greater than his master.’ (Jn 13:16; Jn 15:20)

“… whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave [doulous] of all.” (Mk 10:44)

And, one of my favorites… “No longer do I call you servants [doulous] , for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

A servant is simply expected to do the work… but a friend is taken into confidence…

And, that’s what Jesus did for us… giving us revelation of future plans through His word.

Officers is an interesting word in Gk. that can translates as “under-rower”… these were the lowest of the ships crew…

And, what’s interesting about that is the word also translates as “minister.”

So, if you want to be a minister of the Gospel… keep in mind that it’s a life of serving the Captain of the Ship.

These officers were NOT ministers though… these were servants of the Sanhedrin… the Jewish High Council… these were the Temple Guard… and these… plus the servants… are who Peter is warming himself with… at the fire.

And, if you’re going to warm yourself at the enemies fire… you better be prepared to defend Jesus… because otherwise you’re going to deny Him.

Peter was in so much shock of all that had happened in the night… that there was NO WAY he could have been prepared for his connection to Jesus to be called into question.

And, don’t think the enemy is going to go easy on you either… at the most inopportune times… that’s when the enemy likes to strike.

When you’re coming home from a retreat… you’ve had a mountaintop experience… and then a valley low.

When you’re isolated from Christian connection… and that serpent tongued voice of the enemy whispers, “No one will know.”

When you’re already down and out… and you’ve cried “uncle”… the enemy loves to kick you when you’re down.

If you go back and look at this day… it landed Peter in the garden “sleeping from sorrow” only to be woken by the “betrayer’s kiss” and the violent arrest of His Lord.

Now… Peter is trying to be discreet in the camp of the enemy… and he’s called into question… and he freezes up.

A young servant girl… a door-keeper asks him, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

And, Peter responds… V68 reads, “But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

John records this first denial with Peter saying, “I am not!”… meaning ‘I am not a disciple!’

Luke… and I find this interesting… Luke records Peter said, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

As vehement as Peter was at the Last Supper that he would not deny Jesus… even if it meant his death… upon by being questioned by the equivalent of a ‘school girl’… he caves…

I mean… I might understand feeling intimidated by some big burly… armor clad soldier… but a young girl?

A young child is not intimidating at all… EXCEPT for what her voice could expose.

And, she could connect Peter with Jesus.

Now, what’s very interesting is… in the entirety of the records of this event of Peter denying Jesus… in all four Gospels… never once does Peter say His name.

Peter has walked with Jesus now for three years… and he can’t even utter His name.

Peter could have said, “I don’t know Jesus”… but he only refers to Jesus as “Him” or “this Man.”

25x in scripture, mostly in Acts, we read the phrase “the name of Jesus”… or a variation… like “the Lord Jesus”… or “our Lord Jesus.”

It’s a name men are justified and baptized with… people are healed with… it’s a name the disciples are forbidden to teach or even speak… and yet a name they boldly preached…

Jesus said, “… no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.”

Earlier we sang “there is power in the name of Jesus.”

And, in this moment when Peter is denying Jesus… it’s a name he does not speak.

We’re not told WHY… but I can imagine…

Human nature… when an offense is caused against another… and your feeling the pain of it…

It leads to avoidance. You try not to be in the same room with the person.

And, if that fails… and you’re forced into that awkward conversation… how difficult is it to even make eye contact with the other person?

And, we know Peter is dying inside… when he finally does make eye contact with Jesus after the third denial… Luke 22:62 records, “Peter went out and wept bitterly.” (Bitterly could be rendered “violently.”)

Simply eye contact… and Peter finds himself in a violent episode of crying.

The word “wept” that you see in V72 by definition means “to wail aloud.”

The Gk. has a whole different word for “crying silently” and that is not used here.

Peter is wailing aloud… he’s sobbing.

It’s that kind of crying where you’ve lost control… and you hyperventilate…

So, there’s obviously a ton of inner turmoil… and a complexity of thoughts and emotions brewing inside of Peter…

Peter’s like a balloon filled with water… and just the slightest pin prick…

A question from a young girl…

A look from Jesus…

And, he bursts.

So, V68… the first denial at the first trial… and after the denial… look again at the end of V68…

Peter leaves the courtyard and heads to the “porch” or the “vestibule.”

You may call this the lobby area… it’s as if he is pacing… of course lot’s of inner turmoil…

And, then… the first of two rooster crows.

And, that may seem like an insignificant detail… especially to us here in Indiana where there are roosters a plenty…

But, NOT in Jerusalem… No Sir… this was an unusual happening to have a rooster present in Jerusalem.

Practically scandalous. Roosters were banned from Jerusalem… they were outlaws.

Reading from the Jewish writing… the Mishnah… Bava Kammah 7… we get this insight about the chicken ban… I quote: “One may not raise chickens in Jerusalem, due to the sacrificial meat that is common there. There is a concern that chickens will pick up garbage that imparts ritual impurity and bring it into contact with sacrificial meat, thereby rendering it ritually impure.”

This is NOT surprising AT ALL… Jews had mile wide hedges of protection around everything.

So, we read a rooster crows… and we think, “oh yeah… no big deal.”

A Jew in Jerusalem reads this, and they think, “ Vhat in heaven is a vrooster doing in the City of David!?”

That rooster could have spoiled ALL the sacrificial meat… it would be a crisis.

This was like a Ninja Rooster… sneaking his way into the forbidden city…

So, for Peter… the Rooster crowing was not just white noise in the background… it was not just reminiscent of farm life back in Galilee… it truly was a rare sign.

In John 18… the second Jewish Trial before Caiaphas is recorded… and at this trial we observe Peter’s 2nd and 3rd denials of Christ.

V69 in Mark 14 IS the second denial… and reads, “And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.” [“… he denied with an oath” according to Matthew. So Peter has upped the ante… and now takes a vow that he was not with Jesus.]

If you read all the Gospel accounts of this second denial… you get a sense where Peter is at the palace of the high priest…

Matthew records Peter is at the “gateway”… probably the same as the “porch” that Mark recorded.

John records Peter stood and warmed himself… a fire is not mentioned… so, perhaps Peter is pacing… rubbing his arms… trying to shake off the cold…

And, again he catches the eye of the people… Matt 26:71 records, “And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

So a second girl… different from the first says to “those who were there”… likely the officers and servants of the high priest…

… that Peter is a disciple of Jesus.

So, then multiple people start to question Peter at this second denial…

Luke 22:58 records, “And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

So… a man now questions Peter…

This was NOT a school girl who identified as a man… that might be our culture, but it wasn’t theirs…

Peter was questioned by a girl… then a second time… by a man…

And, then John 18:25 records, “Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they [plural… several people] said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”

So… Peter’s being questioned by several people… and you can imagine the pressure and intimidation he was feeling.

And, again… he folds under the pressure and denied Jesus a 2nd time…

And, I certainly am not casting stones at Peter… but, let’s learn from him.

In the second part of V70 to V71 in Mark 14, we see the third denial recorded, “And a little later [an hour later according to Luke] those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” [Luke wrote, “another confidently affirmed” this.] 71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

At this point… at this third denial… I’m losing sympathy for Peter.

I could see him getting caught off guard after the first denial.

I could see him getting ganged up on and folding under pressure after the second denial.

But, here… I wonder, ‘why is he still here… why not leave?’

“Get of Dodge man!”

Jesus didn’t need Peter to defend Him… Jesus could pray and 72,000 angels would come… as He said in the garden.

Jesus could say, “I am” and knock everyone down… which He did in the garden.

At this third denial… Peter is questioned multiple times…

John 18:26 records, “One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

“Hey man… aren’t you that guy that cut my cousin Malchus’ ear off?”

So, that’s the first question…

And, the second question, which is more of an observation… is what we just read in Mark…

Peter is questioned about his speech… his accent sounded like he hailed from Galilee…

The Galileans must have had an accent different from those in Jerusalem.

I imagine a country accent being that Galilee was a rural area… about 125 miles North of Jerusalem…

It was a more blue collar area… Jesus was a carpenter… Peter a fisherman.

The religious elite… the scholarly… they were from Jerusalem.

I imagine they spoke with proper Aramaic and for sure understood Hebrew.

Still today, geographical accents are not uncommon…

I was just at a Pastor’s conference… and the people from Wisconsin… they had an accent.

I’m from the East Coast… and I struggle because my family pronounces so many words incorrectly.

They have an accent.

I try to tell them, that it’s NOT “TERNament”… it’s “TOURnament.”

T. O. U. R. spells Tour, not Ter.

But, it’s ok… I’m longsuffering…

I actually researched this a bit for what it’s worth…

Ter-na-ment is an American English pronunciation… and the mid-west pronunciation.

While Tour-na-ment is a British English pronunciation… and the East Coast pronunciation.

So, both are acceptable… but, I do prefer the Queen’s English pronunciation.

NONE of this will be on the test… just free information to enrich your lives.

This accent of Peter’s associated him with Jesus… who was known to be from Nazareth in Galilee…

And, Peter too was indeed from Galilee… his hometown was Bethsaida, and he lived in Capernaum.

And, Galilee didn’t have the best reputation…

You may recall in John 1… when Phillip told Nathaniel they found the Messiah… Jesus of Nazareth…

Nathanael responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

So… something about the accent of Peter gave him away.

By his Galilean accent… he was being associated with Jesus…

And, I imagine those from Jerusalem looked down upon the Galileans… just as Nathanael did at first.

So, after Peter is now connected to Jesus by his accent… Peter begins to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

This has got to be the worse of his denials…

Peter refers to his beloved Lord as “… this Man of whom you speak!”

Not only does he again not say Jesus’ name, but he also pretends like he has no idea who Jesus is.

What a terrible low point…

How amazing is it that when Jesus later restores Peter… never once does Jesus mention this moment.

Graciously, Jesus asks, “Simon… do you love me?”

Most of us… when we have been wronged by another… we don’t act this way.

I mean… imagine a trusted friend stating you’re NOT friends… in fact they have no idea who you are.

That would hurt…

But Jesus later rises above His human emotions… He doesn’t condemn Peter… He doesn’t tell Peter how disappointed He is in him…

He asks Peter, “… do you love Me?”

And, then re-commissions Peter, “Feed My sheep.”

We are not used to this kind of grace. Retribution for injuries caused is the mindset of most…

But, Jesus wants restoration of relationship.

That’s God’s mindset.

What do you do with a guy like Jesus who after you spit in His face… He comes at you and asks, “Do you love Me?”

Essentially… “I want to be in relationship with you. I unconditionally love and believe in you. I have a plan and a job for you.”

With all the grace and love extended… what do you do Jesus?

I’ll tell you what you do… you worship Him.

You recognize that Jesus is the One who can save you from yourself… from your sin.

Because God’s kindness, and tolerance and patience leads to repentance. (Rom 2:4)

It will take us eternity to understand the grace of our Lord…

Eph 2:7 declares that God…“… in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Peter got a real taste of this grace and kindness during his life on earth.

And, can you say, “Amen?” … if you as well have tasted that grace of God.

Amen?

Before moving to V72… notice in V71… that Peter begins to “curse and swear.”

I’ve heard Pastors say over the years, that there are no curse words in Biblical Hebrew.

Modern Hebrew certainly has adopted Arabic and English curse words… or invented some of their own.

I’m not sure about Aramaic… the common language Peter would have spoke.

In our English language, when we say ‘cursing and swearing’ we typically think of a foul-mouthed person… one who speaks with many profanities.

And, while Peter indeed was a sailor… he was not cussing like one… I’ll explain in a moment…

But, this past week… a former Navy man was repairing an appliance for me… and he met the stereotype of “cussing like a sailor.”

Very colorful speech… and he said he goes to church…

Which in one sense you kind of turn your head at… seems a bit incongruous…

Eph 4:29 states, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth...”

But, we all have things that God is refining in us… conforming us into the image of His Son.

So, I pray my sailor brother is filled with NEW and wholesome words to express himself.

Going back to Peter… if you double click into the Gk. “curse” by def. means “to devote to destruction”… meaning “to declare one's self liable to the severest divine penalties.”

And, swear means, “to affirm, promise, threaten with an oath, to call a person as a witness.”

Peter’s cursing and swearing was not profanity, but an attempt to add vows to his denial of knowing Jesus… and calling down curses upon himself if he was lying.

Someone today might say, “Damn me to hell if I’m lying.”

Peter was attempting to establish his truthfulness through an aggressive appeal to the sacred.

Sadly, I’m reminded of Peter’s previous oath to Jesus, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

Peter strayed from that oath…

And, now he is in a downward progression of denying the Lord with greater intensity.

He dug himself into a deep hole…

And, it’s in this moment we read V72…

“A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.”

Luke gives a better account of this moment… Luke 22:60-62 reads, “Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.”

So in the midst of Peter’s words… the rooster crows.

There’s that Ninja rooster again.

Peter probably thought it was a safe bet when Jesus said, “before the cock crows twice, you will deny me thrice...”

"There’s no roosters allowed in Jerusalem”… safe bet.

But, God sent a chicken to humble Peter to his knees.

This was like a Prophet Chicken… sent by God with a message… it was the most divine cock a doodle doo the world has ever heard.

But, I believe… what pierced Peter’s hear more than the fulfillment of Jesus’ word that the rooster would crow twice…

… was what we just read in Luke, “… the Lord turned and looked at Peter.”

Those are seven of the most piercing words you’ll ever read in the Bible.

They get me every time. It’s like all time stops in that moment.

I imagine for a moment… Peter’s heart stopped… his brain froze…

… and then his world came crashing down…

His realization… “I denied the Lord three times just like He predicted.”

And, he departs the scene… bitterly weeping.

And, I think what get’s me is this… Jesus is at the precipice of mankind's redemption…

… He’s been beaten beyond recognition…

… and He pauses for a moment to look at Peter…

The word “looked” in Gk. emblepō means “to look intently at; to look searchingly or significantly at a person; fig. “to look at with the mind.”

It’s the same Gk word is used in John 1:42, when Jesus first looked at Peter. “Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas.”

Oh that look of the Lord when He peers into our lives..

I believe Jesus looks at Peter the same both times… with a look of love…

Perhaps a bit heart broken the second time… but still with love…

Not with condemnation… we don’t read that Jesus scowled at Peter.

I believe Jesus saw deep inside Peter… and still saw the same thing He saw the first time them they met… a rock… it was still there.

Despite the present failure… deep inside… Jesus still saw Peter’s potential.

You could be living a life at present that denies Jesus, but God still sees your potential.

The Father always runs to His prodigal who returns.

He sees deep inside you… He knows you, and loves you.

And, if you’ve strayed… come back to Him today…

I think for Peter… this was a defining moment… where Peter would finally come to the end of himself… knowing that it’s not by might or by power that he will prevail in his walk with Christ…

It’s not by might or power that he would succeed in ministry…

It’s not by might or power that he would prevail against his flesh…

… which always wants to deny the Lord.

No… Peter would prevail by something else…

It’s what we read in Zech 4:6, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.”

Peter prevails by the Spirit of the Lord…

Which is exactly how this church… and how ALL of us in our lives prevail…

By the Holy Spirit…

After Peter is restored by Jesus at Galilee… “Peter do you love Me?”

Three denials of Peter countered with three charges of commission by Jesus, “Feed My Sheep.”

And, after Jesus’ ascension…

The disciples find themselves back in Jerusalem…

… in obedience to Jesus… because He promised the Holy Spirit would empower them…

Luke 24:49 (words in red), “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; [which is clear language for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit] but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Acts 1:5, Jesus promised, “… you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

For what purpose? Acts 1:8 “… you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...”

And, we know as we read in Acts 2… the Spirit descends and these men were forever changed…

Peter preaches his first sermon… a mighty message… and the church is birthed… and about 3,000 souls were saved.

And, that same power to be a witness is available for you today, but you have to ask.

He gives good gifts to men.

If you have never prayed to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit… pray with an elder today to receive that gift.

Worship team please come…

Peter is a picture of what many of us need to be broken of…

His boldness, and conviction, and confidence led him to that place where he promised he would never deny the Lord.

But, he… like many of us would learn the lesson of humility…

… and he would learn that this Christian life is not victorious in the flesh… self-determination… and self-confidence eventually fail us.

Not even Peter’s love and passion for Jesus prevailed… and I believe he truly loved the Lord.

Victory for Peter is found in Acts chapter 2… after Peter was “… endued with power from on high.”

Not that Peter was perfect… Jesus didn’t promise we would be perfect…

He promised power.

Ask for God to empower you today.

Let’s pray!

If you need prayer today, our Elders are available to pray with you.

Pray to be baptized with the Holy Spirit… it was the turning point in my life…

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’