Sermon Tone Analysis

John 18:15-18 (NIV) \\ / /

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 girl/* on duty there and */brought Peter/* in.

17 “You are not one of his disciples, are you?” the girl at the door 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.

[1]

 

25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, “You are not one of his disciples, 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 olive grove?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

[2]

 

Could it have been one of the 12?

 

·         Most of them ran away.

·         It would have been dangerous for any of the disciples to enter the High Priest’s court.

Could it have been a “secret disciple”?

·         Joseph or Nicodemus would have been able to enter the High Priest’s home.

They would have been familiar with them.

If either of these guys had vouched for Peter they would not necessarily have connected him with the disciples.

Could it have been Judas?

In John 18, Peter as well is one of the major players.

In the same chapter he remains true to his word and true to Jesus predictions.

He was ready to face the crowd and fight.

Greatly outnumbered, it was a miracle that Peter escaped after the show of violence.

I would say that Peter was not guilty of any lack of courage.

Others immediately fled.

Peter was prepared for a battle.

He was “packing”.

Perhaps the only one of the number who had a weapon.

Peter had objected to the words of Christ that he would be crucified.

He was chastised for his response.

I believe inwardly that Peter had determined that he would die with Christ.

He would go down swinging.

Do you think it’s easier to die with a sword in your hand or to die without resistance.

People die hard because the will to live is incredible.

God calls his people to lay down their weapons.

·         At times it meant to place your trust properly.

·         It meant to adopt or to relearn a supernatural response pattern rather than doing what comes naturally.

·         At times it meant to get out of God’s way so that He is free to do His thing.

There are times when our attempts to help only delay God’s attempts to answer your prayers.

He wasn’t afraid to go to battle in the garden but he was afraid to be identified as one of the disciples.

He was spooked by a little girl, by a relative of the guy whose ear he chopped off.

He did follow Christ though – right into the lion’s den.

Who was the “other disciple”?

It was most likely Judas.

He was known to the high priest.

We become unwittingly allied with people that we would never choose when we seek our own way.

When we choose to design our own method of service to Christ it puts us in no better stead than the person who betrays Christ.

We become a part of the same company.

I think that Peter was suspected as being one of Christ’s disciples because of his association with the person who had entered.

There is no reason that John should have been in any position of privilege with the High Priest.

If John would not have been in danger, then neither would Peter.

If it were Judas, then he might have been safe because he betrayed Christ.

Peter would not have been safe because he was not a betrayer.

Peter was a most outstanding character among the disciples.

The big brash fisherman.

I’ll bet there were times when he opened his mouth and in the next instant wished he had kept it shut.

His zeal is something that we all admire.

He was definite, bold, adventurous, a unique personality.

Much of our spirituality is colored by our personality.

A person who is generally quiet by nature will still be quiet as a follower of Christ.

It is also true that our personality should be affected by our spirituality.

There are the dark sides that need the enlightening that comes when Christ begins the transformation process within us.

My denial of my sin protects, preserves, perpetuates that sin! Ugliness in me, while I live in illusions, can only grow the uglier.

-- Walter Wangerin, Jr., in Reliving the Passion.

Christianity Today, Vol.

36, no.

7.

 

 

The early stages of self destructive habits such as alcoholism and gambling, provide good examples of this phenomenon.

People afflicted with these habits initially go through a process of denial where they refuse to entertain the idea their perception about themselves may be wrong - even when faced with overwhelming evidence.

For this reason, the first stage in any rehabilitation program is to get the person to change their perception about themselves.

Little or no progress is made until this breakthrough occurs.

How often are our perceptions wrong?

The answer researchers and psychiatrists are moving towards is "very frequently."

This means that our perceptions about ourselves such as that we are good parents, hard workers, great friends, honest citizens, studious individuals and the like may not only be inaccurate, they may be totally wrong.

Abraham Maslow in his research with people who live especially effective lives, found that one of the common characteristics was that they all had unusually accurate perceptions about themselves and others.

How can we develop a more accurate perception about ourselves?

The answer lies in frequent reality testing on our part.

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[1]  /The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984.

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[2]  /The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984.

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.