I Will Not
Notes
Transcript
Getting closer and closer to the cross
We see a setting change; they have celebrated passover and Jesus has now instituted the Lord’s Supper
What happens in our passage today sets up further events that happen throughout the night
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”
30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
I Will Not. These are the words that we hear from Peter in defiance of the prediction of Jesus.
When sin creeps in, how will we respond?
In May of 1989, students in China protested the government due to decisions it was making. This led to what we know as the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Over the month and a half period where the protests were going on, over 300 people were killed and the number of injured was in the thousands. When something like this is going on and it is coming from such an imposing force from socialistic and communistic governments like China, it seems that they cannot be stopped.
Yet, in the midst of gun fire and tanks running over bystanders, there was a glimmer of hope. On June 4th of that year, a man walked out in front of the tank convoy and stood in there way. And, miraculously, he stopped them for a moment. Not just one, but all 18 tanks stopped for this man. The tank would try to maneuver around him and he would just move in the way. Then, out of what many may consider sheer stupidity, he climbs onto the tank and it seems that he was trying to get the attention of the soldiers or possibly argue with them.
This man, who is still unidentified to this day, stood in defiance to the government he opposed. There are certain acts of defiance that have shaped history. Today, we will look at this verbal defiance from Peter and I think we can say that it has shaped history for us. This sinful thought of pride plays an important role in the road to the resurrection for the disciples.
Main Point - Sin can still influence even the closest followers of Jesus
Main Point - Sin can still influence even the closest followers of Jesus
It does not matter how close you are to Jesus, you are still influenced by sin. It sometimes is very big and very obvious. But there are other times where it creeps in and it slowly takes over someone.
In our text today, we will see this prediction from Jesus and we will see this prideful answer from Peter and the disciples. Let God’s word speak to you this morning.
The Prediction
The Prediction
There have been many failed predictions over time. Recently in sermons, I have mentioned that people have predicted the end of the world with things such as Y2K. But one that I came across this week has been proven to be utterly misjudged. In a TIME article that came out in 1966, long before the rise of the internet and the introduction of Amazon, they stated that remote shopping would flop because women liked to go out and go to stores to shop so that they could put their hands on products to decide if they truly wanted them. This has been proven to be very false because in 2024, Americans spent $1.3 Trillion on online shopping.
We have seen many false predictions in our world. Jesus himself made predictions. The difference was that none of his predictions were proven to be false. In this scene today, he makes a very bold prediction to his disciples.
27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
You will ALL fall away. Now, we know about Judas, but now he plainly tells all of them that they will all fall away. Not just because he says it, but because it was prophesied about beforehand. Jesus quotes Zechariah here. (strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered)
7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.
The imagery here in the prophecy that Jesus quotes is that of a shepherd and his sheep. These parallels between the sheep and shepherds are used quite often in scripture because it was easily understandable for them. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus is described as the shepherd. He even uses this to describe himself. In John chapter 10, he is speaking to his disciples and painting a picture for them of how he is the shepherd. I want to encourage you to go and read this entire chapter after service, but I want to read a little of it for you here.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd and tells his disciples that they are his sheep. But he says that he has sheep that were not of that flock that he will gather. If you have repented and believed in Jesus, then this is you. You are now part of the one flock that is led by the one shepherd.
Gospel presentation
When you repent and believe, you are now part of the flock under Jesus who is the good shepherd. The good shepherd who was struck down by going to the cross. And what did the sheep(disciples) do when this happened? They scattered. They fled. The KJV says they will be offended. They will all fall away.
Does this mean that they are not his followers? That it was all a show? No, it doesn’t. But it does mean that they are sinful men. You and I are just like them. Sin can still influence even the closest followers of Jesus. They loved him. If they did not love him, they would never have left their lives behind to follow him. The God of creation called these men personally to follow him. They have shown their devotion to him through their faithfulness. Even to the point of putting themselves in harms way.
The group did not know it at the time yet but sin had completely consumed Judas. His heart was never fully captured by Jesus because his greed would not let him go. So he sold him out. In the hours that follow, Judas would be consumed with guilt. He would actually return the money that was paid to him for selling Jesus out and would go and hang himself.
They would all scatter. But the story does not end there. Because even though they scatter, they will gather back. They run from the difficulties of the present situation, yet the truth will find them.
28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
You guys will fall away, but its okay. You will not be there for my death, but death will have no hold on me. I will be raised up. Time after time, Jesus has predicted his resurrection. And he is telling them that they will witness it.
It is easy to say that Jesus was a great teacher, but he was also a leader. He told them what he was going to do and told them how he was going to lead them. He is going to go before them to Galilee. Galilee is where he first called them to himself. He is taking them back to the beginning. And it will be here where he will commission them to go and take the gospel of the resurrection to all nations.
Just as Jesus went before the disciples to Galilee, he goes before you too. He is our good shepherd. You see, shepherds did not follow the sheep around wherever they would roam. They lead the sheep to where they knew was best. Just as a pastor is the shepherd of a church and leads them, Jesus leads all of his children. Never think that it is okay for a Christian to roam around aimlessly in life. Jesus must be the one leading our steps.
Jesus had led them to this point where they will all decide to not make this journey with him. But God is going to use this falling away for his glory through their return to Christ. Jesus has given them a prediction that would come true.
Not only do we see the prediction that Jesus gives them, but in the response that Peter makes, we see the pride.
The Pride
The Pride
I enjoy movies. And I am sure that just like you, there are movies that I have seen that had this extremely prideful character in it and you were just in this great anticipation waiting for him to be humbled. But, I think that it would be great to be able to see scenes from the bible like this on the big screen. They try this sometimes but it doesn’t do it justice. Like with Samson.
Samson had great strength. He was so mighty that he took the jawbone of a donkey and killed 1,000 men. His strength gave him pride. He fell in love with a woman name Delilah. She was paid by Philistines to seduce him into telling her his weakness. He had told her lie after lie of how he could be defeated. And he finally gave in and told her the truth that his strength came from his hair never being cut. So she had someone come in while he was asleep and cut his hair and because he broke his sought his personal pleasure in a woman, he let his guard down, and his pride got the best of him.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Pride is often one of the bigger sins that we have to deal with in life. Peter was no exception. He dealt with it as well and it became something that led to a moment in his life that many would think would define who he was.
29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”
Jesus, I hear what you are saying. These guys, I could totally see them falling away and running. But me? No way Jesus. I love you too much to do something like that.
Pride. It will cause him a moment of destruction. It will cause him to fall.
There are times that I am talking with people and to a degree, discipling and counseling people. And it seems as though they are just stuck in their walk with Christ. They are struggling and just cannot seem to move. What if pride is what is in the way of them growing deeper with Jesus?
What if pride is what is holding you back in your walk with Jesus. I am not talking about some sort of great breakthrough of sorts where you are now financially rich. This is not some sort of health and wealth gospel. But what if pride is the reason you are floundering in the faith. Thinking that you are good where you are. You have made a profession and been baptized so you don’t need to grow. Thinking that you don’t need to read or pray or be involved in Christian relationships in the local church because you have some sort of get out of hell free card like this is Christian monopoly. That is prideful. Thinking that you don’t need to trust God with your money because you are the one who goes to work and you deserve all of those things that you pay for. That is prideful.
Pride is all about ourselves. Living for ourselves and not Jesus. This may look like some of those things I just mentioned. But it may be changing how you act around certain people because you don’t want them to see you as some sort of Jesus freak. Or changing how you act around people who are Christians because you want them to think you are a Jesus freak.
Pride will lead you to destruction.
30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
He points Peter out specifically. Tells him exactly what will happen. And Peter doubles down. Says that he will go to death with him, even if he is pushed to deny him. And as we will see in a couple of weeks, he does exactly what Jesus tells him he would do. All of the disciples said the same thing to Jesus and they would all desert him.
Don’t let pride get in the way of following Jesus. Sin gets in the way here of Peter following Jesus. We see here that sin (the sin of pride) will still affect even the closest followers of Jesus.
In our text, we have this prediction of Jesus and we have this pride of Peter. But I don’t want to just end with that. I want us to see what happens when we do deal with our sin and we commit ourselves to devoting our lives to working for Jesus.
Conclusion
Because if we only see someone like Peter in the low moments, we may think less of them. It is easy to get in our heads that change cannot happen in someones life. But change can happen quickly actually. Jesus recognized this. Just days after what we will look at here in Mark, Jesus finds them fishing and shares something with Peter. We find this in the book of John in chapter 21. They were out fishing and Jesus told them to throw their net out on the other side of the boat because they weren’t catching anything and the net became full. Then they shared breakfast together and he singled Peter out in the moment here just as he does in the prediction of his falling away.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
You don’t always have to be the same person. People change through the working of the Holy Spirit in them through their faith in Jesus. Because Peter was one of the main figures in the spread of the gospel in the book of Acts. He does not stay the coward. He does not continue to run from the accusation of knowing Jesus.
The same man who cowered from knowing Jesus will soon stand before a council in Acts 4 and declare to them who Jesus is.
11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
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.”
Do not ever let a situation or an instance define who you are. If Peter would have sulked about his poor decision to deny Jesus, how would the book of Acts turned out?
When sin creeps in, how will we respond?
This week, for each and every one of us, there will be a sin that creeps into our lives. Maybe it is pride, maybe it is greed, maybe it is the sin of trying to fit in with everyone around us. The question is how will we respond?
Our response should always be to take up our cross and die to ourselves. Maybe our response should be one of openness like Peter had when he said, “Lord you know everything, you know that I love you”. And we ask Jesus what we should do in the moment. But what if we fail. And chances are, there will be some sort of response that is required of us this week that we will fail in. So what do we do then?
Our response to failure, to falling away, should always be repentance. Crying out to Jesus, confessing what we have done, and committing ourselves to following him yet again. This morning, I believe there are 2 responses we can have to our text. Today, each of us either need to response through repentance or through a prayer of asking God to protect us by growing us in our love for him.
