Passion: Trial and Denial

Being Remembered for the wrong thing.... for a mistake.

In 1962, Brian Epstein, record label Decca were looking to sign an up and coming band. They auditioned two young bands at their studios in London, deciding to sign Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. The one they rejected? A four-piece outfit from Liverpool known as The Beatles.

Tonya Harding

Lance Gunderson (Lance Armstrong)

Got in too much debt, Weren’t there for someone

Neglected your marriage, Hard on kids — Pulling away.

Wake up 1 day — How did life turn out this way?

Messed up. Never thought...

Disappointed myself… and God

Peter — This is the story of Peter that we find today in the beginning of what we call “the Passion” which is going to lead us through Easter this year.

Just as a side note:

For centuries, the Crucifixion of Jesus has been called the passion - you may remember “The Passion of the Christ” - but why? Well an easy answer. The Latin word for suffering Patior or passus which means to suffer, to bear up, to endure.... it was Christ’s endurance.... which sounds like Christ’s passus… which became the Passion.

It’s not that mysterious now is it… simply a matter of mispronouncing a word and it became something new.

Let’s read this beginning of the Passion of Christ together.

John 18:1–27 NIV

1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” 5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people. 15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in. 17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.” 18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself. 19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” 22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. 23 “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. 25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” 26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Pray

This is a wonderful story of Peter… may be something you had never heard… Because when we think of Peter, we usually think of him as being on of these amazing Apostles… you may think of him walking on water with Jesus, or being told “on this rock...” a champion of faith… a regular in Jesus’s ministry... always with Jesus.

Today’s text shows us a different side of Peter. And as we look at Peter, I think we might learn something about ourselves and more importantly, we just might discover something about our relationship with Jesus.

Normally I try to point out what I think the purpose of the scriptures are in general, how to live in relationship with God because much of the bible is filled with people who serve as role models. David repenting, Moses faithful, Mary trusting, Jacob being persistent, Joseph forgiving, Even Peter trusting Jesus to get out of the boat.

But today I think one of the things we will learn from Peter is what not to do as they stand in stark contrast to what Jesus did at the end of their time together.

Because let’s face it, we rarely learn from our successes… we learn from mistakes. That’s what I pray we can do today.

Mistake #1: He couldn’t see his weakness

First of all we find Jesus and his disciples going into the garden of Gethsemane where he encountered Judas and his band of soldiers. Judas knew Jesus would be here, and Jesus knew Judas would be here. Yet Jesus walked right in.

That’s how Jesus’s boldness played out… he was quiet and unassuming. Jesus knew who he was, he knew what he was doing, he didn’t need to draw attention to himself because he wasn’t doing it for himself.

Now Peter was bold as well. Remember when Jesus asked who people said he was, he was the one to answer… Peter was the one to get out of the boat and walk on water… Peter was the one to speak up when Jesus wanted to wash their feet. Peter was bold, he was confident, but his boldness was in himself

And now when Jesus is to be arrested, Peter steps in to defend Jesus. Only to be called out and corrected.

John 18:11 NIV

11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Peter was blind to his own misplaced confidence. And by looking to fight, instead of follow Jesus he was actually working to get in the way of what God is trying to do.

Jesus’s work was to surrender to the Father’s will....

But this wasn’t fair Peter thought. Why should he have to allow himself to be bound and submit himself to being drug away to a kangaroo court… three words… the father’s will.

How much time and energy do we spend defending our position, our status, our dream, rather than surrendering to the God’s purpose?

Someone offends us… someone mistreats us… someone disrespects us...

I’ve got to tell you… I’m alot like Peter, especially when I drive. When I drive I feel like I own the lane… a car too slow, what are you doing? Get out of my way! A car driving too fast… where are they going? I hope they get pulled over! They get too close and I slow down… but I’m learning… just pull over and let them by. I don’t have to be controlled by them, I can stay connected and keep following Jesus.

As they come to the High Priest, the passion begins, but Peter is no longer with Jesus.

Mistake #2: Following at a distance

Trial begins… only it’s not with the high priest, it’s with the previous high priest… so it’s not a legitimate trial happening… but do we expect it to be in the middle of the night? But even still, where is Peter

Mark 14:54 tells us that Peter is following at a distance

Peter wasn’t able to come in at first, but when he was, the fist thing he did was deny that he was a follower of Jesus. This would happen again and again as Peter gathered with others to watch and keep warm in the courtyard.

Deny, deny, deny… it was though everyone knew who Peter was, he wasn’t fooling anyone with his denials… yet he kept it up. The only person he was fooling was himself...

I remember early on when I became a Christian, I felt like I was really making changes in my life, I was really growing… then in a group of friends someone gat to talking about their problem with their eyes… not their ability to see, but they way they looked at women. We got to talking about the fact that our education of women came not from women, but from men’s magazines and now as adults we struggled with keeping our eyes out of the gutter.

What happened was though that day we quit fooling ourselves that we had it all together… I had a long way to go.

What would make Peter deny Jesus? This is such a change from the bold Peter of just a moment ago. What happened?

Well a moment ago when Peter was ready to fight he was with Jesus and the others… now he’s alone… at least he doesn’t have any other disciples with him and he followed Jesus at a distance… he’s no longer walking with Jesus.

I’ve said before that Christianity is a full contact sport… but it’s also a team sport. Theres no such thing as a private faith for a Christian… you can’t be a Christian and not be with other Christians… for one reason that Jesus told us to love one another.

But what happens often times is that we get in a jamb, we make a mistake, we say the wrong thing, we do the wrong thing, finances get tough, the pressure is turned up and what do we do...

Often times we simply deny we have a problem… I can handle it… it’s not that big a deal…

I’m a christian… but I don’t follow closely though. I follow Jesus at a distance.

I watch football… watching it is ok… going to a game you feel the excitement… being on the sidelines makes you feel like you are part of the game… being on the team is what it’s all about

I don’t want to follow Jesus at a distance. I want to be so close that I experience what he does.

I pray this Lent that you are able to get close to Jesus, that you are practicing some spiritual disciplines that will help you see your weaknesses, the places in your life where you need to depend more on Christ.

Lest we stumble like Peter… But if you do.. if you are walking now in a mistake you made, know this, God wasn’t finished with Peter.

Jesus forgives, period.

This trial that Jesus was submitting to was just the start of him willingly taking the punishment we deserve for our mistakes. While Jesus’ offenses were only to man, our sins are against God… and God credits us for Jesus’ sacrifice… no matter what you have done.

Jesus knew when he called Peter what would happen… and all along Jesus loved him, never treated him like a weak link. In fact, Peter was one of Jesus’s closest apostles… Jesus treated Peter as though he were capable of great things for the Kingdom of God… AND HE DID… because that’s who Peter was when he was connected to Jesus.

That’s the peter we know.

He knew what God would do in Peter’s heart afterwards!

Our mistake doesn’t erase God’s purpose… it may change the path, but not the purpose

Peter the one whose words, whose declaration that Jesus was the son of God, would become the foundation of a church that would last for eternity

God never wastes a failure!

Satan asked to sift you like wheat — when you turn back — When you messed up, God still has a calling on your life.

That’s what Satan wants to see.

The book of Job sort of reveals this desire of Satan. When you make a mistake, Satan wants to see that take you completely off course. Bad things happen and Satan’s desire is to use that to separate us from God’s desire for our life.

Bad things are going to happen. I’m going to make mistakes. I’m going to let you down, you will let me down. We need to accept God’s forgiveness, forgive each other… and forgive ourselves.

When you messed up, God still has a calling on your life.

I heard a preacher one time say…

Never put a period where God puts a comma

I’m a worrier. I’m an alcoholic. I’m addicted to porn. I’m a gossip.

Don’t put a period where God puts a comma.

I used to be a worrier, but God is changing me, and I realized what it meant to trust

I was an alcoholic, but one day I met Jesus and he changed my thinking

I was addicted to porn, but when I surrendered to Christ my eyes were opened

I was a gossip, and then Jesus showed me the power of my words...

God forgives us… god begins to change us… but often we get stuck with the mistake of not forgiving ourselves

Jesus forgives us… We need to forgive ourselves.

We will lose some things when we make mistakes… but God’s love isn’t one of the things we will lose.

Pride — Arrogance — Self Confidence — Impulsiveness — Unreliability!

Those we should lose when our mistakes humble us… That’s how God uses our mistakes… he uses them to turn us to him.

I’ve shared before that I love the Kairos prison ministry because it’s a chance to see men and women who are bathed in the consequences of their mistakes 24-7… and see them respond to loving grace. Powerful things can happen when we humble ourselves before God

When we stop denying our trials and commit to following Jesus… we are humbled … and as we are we gain things much more valuable than what we give up… we develop a

Deep abiding humility, Unshakable confidence in God, an Unwavering Faithfulness to Christ

For Peter it was the sort of faith that when it came time for him to follow the path of Jesus to the cross, that he didn’t want to die like Christ because he didn’t see himself as worthy to suffer like Jesus, so he chose to be crucified upside down

Some of you need help.

If you want a deeper faith… what are you denying… what is it that you want everyone to think you have under control… but you don’t. this is standing in the way of a deeper relationship with Jesus… surrender it to him

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Communion

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The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

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Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

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Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

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It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

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You brought all things into being and called them good. From the dust of the earth you formed us into your image and breathed into us the breath of life.

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When we turned away, and our love failed, your love remained steadfast. When rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, you bore up the ark on the waters, saved Noah and his family, and made covenant with every living creature on earth.

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When you led your people to Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, you gave us your commandments and made us your covenant people.

When your people forsook your covenant, your prophet Elijah fasted for forty days and forty nights; and on your holy mountain, he heard your still small voice.

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And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

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Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. When you gave him to save us from our sin your Spirit led him into the wilderness, where he fasted forty days and forty nights to prepare for his ministry.

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When he suffered and died on a cross for our sin, you raised him to life, presented him alive to the apostles during forty days, and exalted him at your right hand.

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By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your Church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

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Now, when we your people prepare for the yearly feast of Easter, you lead us to repentance for sin and the cleansing of our hearts, that during these forty days of Lent we may be gifted and graced to reaffirm the covenant you made with us through Christ.

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And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

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Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

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Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

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By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and for ever.

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Amen.