Failing Disciples and an Unfailing Savior

Introduction

Matthew is weaving his story together masterfully. As Jesus has been taken away to Caiaphas the High Priest he tells us that Peter is following behind at a distance. And, he’s telling us this because he wants us to know that there’s a comparison of trials coming for the reader. Jesus is going to stand before his judge, and Peter before his. Jesus’ character and claims will be tested, and so will Peter’s. And so, warning us of Peter’s impending trial, Matthew gives us Jesus’ first for comparison. Jesus is spat upon and beaten. He is condemned by the verdict of blasphemy and mocked by men that black his eyes and swell his face with their fists, shouting at him to tell them who is striking him if he is really the Messiah. And yet, Jesus stays true, not responding back to those seeking to humiliate him and not backing down from what He’s just taught that He is the true Messiah that will return in power and glory to judge the earth. It will cost him everything, but Jesus’ character will not allow him to change no matter how high the costs. Jesus’ faithfulness shines through no matter how painful the blows.

This morning, Matthew brings us back to Peter to see how he will stack up. Like Joe Namath before the Super Bowl, Peter had predicted of himself that when trial and tribulation came that he would triumph impressively. He had even been so bold as to say in verse 33 that everybody else may fail, but he would never fail. Even if he had to die, he would gladly die, he would gladly lay down his life for the sake of Christ. Peter simply could not believe that it was within his character to turn on the Christ that he loved so much. So, the question that comes to bear in our passage today is whether or not Peter is who he thinks he is.

God’s Word

Read

Peter’s First Test

“And a servant girl came up to him...” Jesus’ arresting party has taken him to the palace of Caiaphas the High Priest, where they will hold an improper and sudden trial against Jesus. And, Matthew tells us that Peter had followed Jesus all the way to the courtyard where the guards were so that he could ‘see the end.’ And, you can imagine that as Peter is sitting there in the courtyard, he’s playing the night’s events through in his mind. And, the longer that he plays them and the tireder he gets the worse the potential outcome gets in his mind. Likely within earshot of what is transpiring, he hears the uproars in the crowds and charges against Jesus. He hears as lying witnesses come forward to say that Jesus said what he really didn’t say. He hears as Caiaphas utters the most condemning word of all, “Blasphemy!” He could’ve heard Jesus grunt as the air was knocked out of him or the slap of a hand across his face. Peter’s mind must’ve went back to the Garden that night. What was he thinking? He had actually swung a sword and struck the servant of the High Priest, and everybody knew he was the spokesmen of the group. After they were finished with Jesus, certainly they would be coming after him. So, you can imagine the paranoia that might be setting in for Peter, when a servant girl recognizes him as being one of the men that traveled with Jesus.

“I do not know what you mean” He doesn’t respond with any of the great conviction or self-assurance that we are accustomed to seeing in Peter. In fact, he hardly gives this servant girl an answer at all. He’s evasive with her, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It’s a noncommittal response. One that doesn’t inspire any confidence one way or the other.

This is the first real glimpse we have of Peter away from Jesus. This is the first real test of his faith apart without the cover of Jesus’ wing. And, Peter soon learns just how hollow much of his speech has been.

This is the first real glimpse we have of Peter away from Jesus. This is the first real test of his faith apart without the cover of Jesus’ wing. And, Peter soon learns just how hollow much of his speech has been. With Jesus, Peter would said that he was ready to die. With Jesus, Peter said that everyone may forsake but that he would fight until the death. With Jesus, the arresting party came with soldiers and clubs and swords, and Peter cut the ear off of the Malchus the servant of the chief priest. But now, alone, in the presence of the of a mere slave girl, there is no valor to be found. There is no conviction and no bravery to be mustered. Now, that Peter is standing on his own he is realizing just how exposed he really is. Before he believed himself ready to take on 100 soldiers but now he is overcome by the simple question of a slave girl. As soon as Peter is away from Jesus, as soon as Peter is out from under the cover of Jesus’ wing, he fails. Just hours before he was willing to fight, but now he was was collapsing at an alarming rate.

When You’re Too Strong to Fail, You’re too Weak to Stand

APPLICATION: There’s a comparison that I think Matthew wants us to have in our minds as we consider this passage as we consider. He’s laying these two people in crisis, Jesus and Peter, side-by-side so that we might compare their character. Jesus is the Son of God, and Peter is the leader, the strongest of the disciples. So, we’re left here to compare them so that we can see the difference between God’s Son and the very best of men. And, as we look at Peter’s testing here, I want to bring into your mind what happened in . In , Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness, and you’ll remember that each temptation was more difficult and more intense than the first. And, Jesus resisted Satan’s attacks each time and quoted to him the word of God, by saying, “For it is written, man shall not live by bread alone....you shall not put the Lord your God to the test....you shall worship the Lord your God.” And, here you have Peter under duress and being tempted three different times to deny Jesus for his own personal benefit, and as we read, each time, it gets more and more intense. What does he do? He caves the very first time under the very lightest pressure. This young slave girl isn’t exactly pinning Peter to the wall with a sword against his neck.

And, Peter thought this was impossible. Over the hours, Peter had continually reasserted his own loyalty and resolve to remain committed to Jesus, even above that of every disciple. He believed of himself that he was incapable of failing Jesus in this way, which mean that he fundamentally misunderstood his own vulnerability.

In 1907, Edward Smith said that he could not "imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that." And, within 5 years, he would captain the mighty, unsinkable Titanic all the way to the floor of the Atlantic. You see, what Smith could tell us and what Peter has learned is that when you’re too strong to fail, you’re too weak to stand. Smith believed that no modern ship could sink, and yet he was the captain of the self-proclaimed unsinkable ship that sank. Peter believed that he was the disciple that would follow Jesus all the way to the point of death, and yet he caves beneath the question asked of him by a girl probably no older than 12. And, this condition is not unique to Smith or unique to Peter, it is true of every sinner that is here this morning. If this morning, you are aghast at the sin of someone else or if you find yourself believing that you could never __________ or would never ______________, if you believe that you are far too spiritual or too old or too saved or too strong, then brothers and sisters, you are too weak to really take a stand for Jesus. You are just the type of person that God is please to humble. You are just the type of person that Jesus is please to look back at and say, “Before the rooster crows in the morning, you will deny my three times.” For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. When you’re too strong to fail, you’re too weak to stand.

Denial Without Speaking

APPLICATION: And, I want you to notice what Peter says for it to be considered a denial. He says absolutely nothing the first time, doesn’t he? He says, “I don’t know what you mean.” It’s a diplomatic, politically correct, socially acceptable answer. It’s answer that allows plausible deniability. And, Jesus calls it denial. He doesn’t say, “I reject Jesus, or I don’t love Jesus, or I don’t accept Jesus.” He say, “I don’t know what you mean.” There has never been a generation of people greater at saying nothing than us. But, we should be warned by this memory of Peter. We deny Jesus as much with silence and as much with socially acceptable, diplomatic speech as we can blasphemous, atheistic rants. When you’re at work and religion comes up, do you look for a corner to hide in? When you’re at school and Jesus becomes the subject of conversation, do you find your way out? You are publically denying Christ so that you are more socially accepted. Brothers and sisters, let not us be condemned by our silence, but rather may our King be glorified by our speech!

Escalating Denial

“And again he denied it with an oath: ‘I do not know the man’” One disadvantage to being loud is that you always stand out. Ask me how I know. And so, as Peter heads out of the courtyard and into the entrance, he’s cornered by yet another young servant girl. Now, these servant girls seem to be especially bold, but it seems apparent that God is using them to drive home his point with Peter. You’ll notice that this girl is more confrontational than the first, and Peter’s denial is more emphatic than the first. First, you can see that she’s more confrontational in that the first girl talks directly to Peter whereas this girl speaks to the entire crowd about ‘this man.’ She seems to be trying to stir others up or to point him out as though others are looking for Jesus’ followers. And, what does Peter say? He doesn’t speak diplomatically this time. This time he actually does what Jesus teaches us not to do in . He swears by an oath. Essentially, he perjures himself, and lies as though he’s on the witness stand, and says, “God as my witness, I don’t know that man at all.” He flat-out denies any relationship with Jesus at all because he is fearful of the social ramifications that could be involved.

And, think about this. These are the same lips that in declared first among all of the disciples that Jesus was the messiah, the Son of the Living God. And, Jesus had told him that in that moment that his confession was so great that it was directly from God himself that it was the rock upon which he would build his whole church. And, here with those very same lips that had with crystal clear clarity identified Jesus as the Christ was just as clearly denying any knowledge of him whatsoever out of nothing more than sheer self-preservation.

What are we to make of Jesus’ words from -31 in light of Peter’s failure? 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. How are we to process that Jesus has said that if we do not persevere until the end, that if we deny him before men that He will deny us before the Father? Well, it’s not the end. In fact, Jesus has not only predicted Peter’s denial, but He has also predicted Peter’s repentance and Peter’s usage by the hand of God for the perseverance of the others. In , Jesus had predicted that Peter would deny him, but He had told Peter this. “Satan demanded you. Satan called for you. But, he could not have you. And, I have prayed for you! So, when you have repented, when you have turned back, when you have wept bitterly over your own betrayal, strengthen your brothers. Be there for your brothers.

What are we to make of Jesus’ words from -31 in light of Peter’s failure? 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. How are we to process that Jesus has said that if we do not persevere until the end, that if we deny him before men that He will deny us before the Father? Well, it’s not the end. In fact, Jesus has not only predicted Peter’s denial, but He has also predicted Peter’s repentance and Peter’s usage by the hand of God for the perseverance of the others. In , Jesus had predicted that Peter would deny him, but He had told Peter this. “Satan demanded you. Satan called for you. But, he could not have you. And, I have prayed for you! So, when you have repented, when you have turned back, when you have wept bitterly over your own betrayal, strengthen your brothers. Be there for your brothers.”

Jesus Won’t Quit On You

APPLICATION: Do you see this? If Peter’s faith was dependent upon his faithfulness, it failed. But, Peter’s faith was dependent upon Jesus’ grace, Jesus’ mercy, and Jesus’ relentless grip on him. This is the glory, the beauty, the wonder of the doctrine of election. If your salvation was about holding him fast, you would fail. It’s not! It’s about him holding you fast so that your faith won’t fail! Jesus didn’t quit on Peter because Peter quit on Jesus. In fact, Jesus prepared Peter to quit on him. Prayed for Peter to have strength to be sustained as he quit on him. He shepherds Peter from the midst of his own trial by looking at him to bring to his memory the perfect fulfillment of his words in order to bring him to repentance. And, planned to use him instantaneously upon his repentance. Peter may have quit on Jesus, but Jesus never quit on him. And so, because Peter was one of his, because Peter was one of his disciples, his claim on Peter could not be turned, could not be broken, could not be changed. In fact, his commitment to Peter carries forward as He ministers to Peter on his way to the cross and ultimately dies for Peter on the cross!

APPLICATION: Brothers and sisters, Jesus will not quit on you, even if you quit on him. We find something in the world more appealing. A man or a beach house or the marriage we’ve always wanted or our sports dreams for our children, and we quit on Jesus. But, if we’re his, He won’t quit on us. We let go of Jesus trying to hold on to all of the mesmerizing treasures our neighbors parade in front of us and to find happiness in all of the deceitful ways that sin promises that we can finally be really happy and really exhilarated for the first time in a long time, and we quit on Jesus, but if we quit on Jesus and we are really his, He will never quit on us. So, maybe you’d say, what difference does it make if I sin then? This is how the Muslim would push back against this message of grace that we love so much. And, here’s what I’d say: The kindness of Jesus is never a license to sin. The kindness of Jesus is meant to bring you to repentance. TRANSITION: If you visit the cross of Jesus and come away with a license to sin, then you have come to the cross and received your own condemnation, not your salvation. For true children of the cross cannot visit that blood-stained marker of divine love without crying out in godly sorrow for their sin and awesome praise for their salvation. Children of the cross having been set free from the penalty of sin can never sin freely again.

Not Who He Thought He Was

“And immediately the rooster crowed” This is exactly what Peter experienced. By the third time Peter is asked, the whole surrounding crowd has become intrigued by him. And, you can see an emphasis, if you’ll notice, on where Jesus and Peter are from. The locals from Jerusalem are approaching this from a condescending tone that’s a bit difficult for us to pick up on here, but it’s there. The first girl calls Jesus the ‘Galilean’, and the second girl notes that Jesus is of ‘Nazareth.’ The final crowd says that Peter’s accent betrays that he is from Galilee as they had trouble with their guttural sounds. There was a snobbish down-looking on the part of the Jerusalem crowd here toward those from Galilee that oozed of superiority in a way that only a good southerner could understand. You know, how we don’t always perfect our -ing sounds or we draw out a sound, and suddenly there might be a propensity by those from other regions to believe they are our intellectual superiors. And so, with his greatest force yet, Peter with both an oath and a curse denies that he has any knowledge of Jesus. The curse is a form of the word anathema, and the object of the curse is unclear. It’s likely either Jesus or himself. He’s saying one of two things. There’s some debate as to what exactly he’s saying, but both of them are startling terrifying realizations on this side of the resurrection. He’s either saying, “Damn me to hell if I’m lying to you, or to hell with that man for he means nothing to me.” And, it’s in that very moment that the rooster cries out to alert the coming morning, and Luke tells us in his account that Jesus and Peter’s eyes meet so that Peter begins to weep bitterly the tears of godly sorrow in repentance.

As Peter peered into the eyes of Jesus, the difficult reality that struck him like a freight train was that he wasn’t who he thought he was. Peter wasn’t as ready for the day of trial as he believed himself to be. It’s an awfully hopeless realization to realize that you aren’t nearly as strong as you believe yourself to be. Peter believed that he would fight to the death for Jesus. He believed that he would go to the cross for Jesus before he would allow Jesus to go to the cross for him. Peter believed that he loved Jesus so that there was no price that he wasn’t prepared to pay, and yet here he was buckling in fear because of the questions from a servant girl. He wasn’t who he thought he was. He wasn’t as tough or as strong or as dependable as he believed himself to be. Peter declared, “I do not know the man!”, but with every declaration, he was more certainly speaking of himself than he was of Jesus. In his heart, he fully knew Jesus, but he was only beginning to know the real Peter, the Peter that was actually capable of something as awful as denying his own Lord emphatically to servant girls and crowds of people.

What a painful realization this must’ve been for Peter, but what a beautiful reminder it is for us that this is the very reason that Jesus was embracing that bloody cross. This was the very reason that Jesus was accepting the cup of the Father’s wrath. Peter wasn’t strong enough to be who God had called for him to be, and it was this precise reason that Jesus had come to take his place. And, you aren’t strong enough or good enough or sufficient enough to be either, and this is why Jesus has come as your substitute so that your righteousness might be supplanted with his, your weakness with his strength, your erratic faithfulness with steadfastness.

What a painful realization this must’ve been for Peter, but what a beautiful reminder it is for us that this is the very reason that Jesus was embracing that bloody cross. This was the very reason that Jesus was accepting the cup of the Father’s wrath. Peter wasn’t strong enough to be who God had called for him to be, and it was this precise reason that Jesus had come to take his place. And, you aren’t strong enough or good enough or sufficient enough to be either, and this is why Jesus has come as your substitute so that your righteousness might be supplanted with his, your weakness with his strength, your erratic faithfulness with steadfastness. Oh brothers and sisters, don’t you see the difference between the character of Christ and the best of men. In the lowest moment of despair, the best of men reject the Christ but the Christ himself cares for the worst of men.