You Must Deny Something - Mark 14:66-72

Mark 14:66-72 You Must Deny Something 2020-05-31 Walk in God’s grace of repentance “As ruler of the world… Education is a good thing and some of you don’t have it. Sports are a good thing because they keep kids off drugs.” These are from a paper I wrote for English class when I was 10 years old, titled Brilliant Ben. Apparently my teacher didn’t think I was that brilliant because I only got a “B” on the paper. But I certainly thought if the world would follow my lead we’d be in a better place. Unfortunately, too much of that 10 year old me has survived the last 30 years, and too often I still think too highly of myself and my ideas. I want things my way and I want them now. Can you relate? Do you also struggle with this human condition called the flesh? Scripture Passage: Mark 14:66-72 In our passage this morning we see a spectacular failure, as Peter attempts, in his own fleshly strength, to stay faithful to his Master. Peter’s First Denial (vv.66-68) 1. vv.66-67 “And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself…” - Before we get too far into this account, it’s important that we understand just where we’re at. 1. Jesus has been captured in the Garden of Gethsemane and brought to the place of the high priest. Before the time of prayer in the Garden, Jesus told the disciples that they would all fall away. Peter, the one to never keep others guessing about what he was thinking or feeling, tells Jesus that he would not fall away. In fact, Peter said he was even willing to die with Jesus rather than deny him. Then, when Judas came with the crowd wielding swords and clubs, Peter (according to John’s gospel) pulls a sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Peter was serious in his commitment; he was determined to do everything within his power to not deny Jesus. When Jesus was brought to the high priest, Peter followed at a distance, right into the courtyard, even sitting beside the guards and warming himself at their fire. This was a bold move; this was a serious commitment; this was a man determined to do everything within his power to not deny Jesus. But we have a problem. Peter was doing everything within his power. 2. Remember back in the Garden, when Jesus separated himself from the disciples? What did he say to Peter, James, and John? The first time it was, “Remain here and watch.” When he came back and found them sleeping, he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 14:37–38 Why did he single out Peter, and not also address James and John? Why did he tell Peter about the weakness of flesh, and the need to watch and pray to avoid temptation? These things were equally as true for James and John, but I believe that Jesus, with a foreknowledge of what Peter was about to encounter, especially needed to tell Peter to not trust in his own strength, his own power, but to pray and depend on the Holy Spirit. 3. So at the point in the story where we’re picking up this morning, Peter is still pretty bold. He’s huddled around the fire with the guards, in the courtyard of the high priest, while Jesus is being falsely accused. But Peter is about to run out of steam. Chinks in his armor are beginning to show. The weakness of his flesh is becoming more apparent. 2. v.68 “But he denied it, saying, ‘I neither know nor understand what you mean.’” - A servant girl questions Peter, and Peter pleads ignorance and resorts to avoidance. 1. These are common tactics of our flesh, aren’t they? Someone asks us a tough question or brings up a topic that we’re uncomfortable with and we claim we didn’t hear them, or that we have another important engagement we have to get to. 2. So here we have Peter’s first compromise. This is Peter’s first denial, and at this point Peter has sinned. Peter is weak in his flesh and doesn’t even stand up to the inquiry of a little servant girl. I think this is largely due to Peter’s lack of dependence on God in prayer. Jesus told him to watch and pray, but instead he resorted to sword-wielding and fire-sitting. This is Peter’s first denial, but it is not his first sin. His first sin was not something he committed, but something he omitted - namely, prayer. And sins of omission will tend to produce sins of commission. 1. Do you understand what a sin of omission is? It’s the failure to do something we’ve been commanded to do. In Peter’s case - watch and pray. God’s Word is full of instruction about what we should be doing. Prayer. Scripture reading. Giving. Evangelizing. Fasting. These are only a few. But when we leave off what we’re supposed to do, don’t be surprised if you find yourself having a hard time resisting the things you aren’t supposed to do. This leads us to some good diagnostic questions then, doesn’t it? Is there a sin you’re struggling with? Something you want to stop, but seem to keep going back to? You might want to ask, if there is something you keep committing, is there something you’re omitting? Sometimes the emphasis needs to be less on, “stop doing this” and more on, “start doing this.” Transition: Peter didn’t do what he should have done, and it leads to doing what he shouldn’t do. And this only progresses further. Peter’s Second Denial (vv.69-70a) 1. vv.69-70a “And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders… But again he denied it.” - Progression of accusation, an increase in pressure, and a stronger denial. Peter’s first response was pretty weak. It was a claim to ignorance. It’s ignorance no longer, but flat out denial. Maybe Peter thought with the first question that he could squirt his way around it, leave the heat, change the subject. But now that he has started down the path of not identifying with Jesus, it becomes even more difficult to coursecorrect. Peter’s Third Denial (vv.70b-72a) 1. v.70b “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” - The accusers have escalated. First it was just the servant girl, but now all of the bystanders are chiming in as well, identifying Peter as one of those with Jesus. He was undeniably associated with Jesus, try as hard as he could to deny it. And try hard he did. 2. v.71 “But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear…” - Peter is doing everything he can to try and convince these bystanders that he isn’t associated with Jesus. He puts on these theatrics for his accusers, calling on God to curse him if he is lying, making solemn promises that he isn’t associated with Jesus. 1. Just hours earlier Peter was so sure of himself, so confident that he would never deny Jesus. Look at how quickly that has changed. When the pressure gets turned on, when the heat gets turned up, when expectations don’t match up with reality. Can you relate? Have you ever found yourself somewhere you never thought you’d be, mired in something you didn’t think you ever could be? I hope that, for all of us, we can relate to Peter in this way, that we recognize the weakness of our flesh is surprisingly weak. I hope we learn this so we don’t trust in our flesh. 3. v.72 “And immediately the rooster crowed a second time.” - Just as Jesus had told Peter, so it happened. Peter’s Broken Beauty (v.72b) 1. v.72b “And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him… And he broke down and wept.” 1. Peter is broken. By the grace of God he is broken down and he weeps. The language is interesting; it means something like “throw down, struck.” Have you ever had an impact, or a fall, or something fall on you and the wind is knocked out of you? Imagine a vine-ripened heirloom tomato, big and fat and so juicy that the skin is about to burst. Imagine that amazing tomato getting smashed with a 2x4. It’s decimated. It bursts open, broken apart, juice splattering, tomato seeds flying. If you can picture that, I think you can visualize what was taking place inside of Peter at this moment. Luke adds in his gospel that right after Peter’s third denial, Jesus looks at Peter, then he remembered Jesus’ words predicting his denial, and he went out and wept bitterly. It wasn’t a look of condemnation. It’s God’s kindness that leads to repentance. It did work to bring about great conviction for Peter. 1. It was the Holy Spirit, working by the power of God’s Word. What is it that Peter remembered? The words of Jesus, which are the words of God. And how did he remember these words at this moment, except for the grace of the Holy Spirit bringing these words to his remembrance. Not condemnation. No, condemnation comes from our enemy, who wanted to sift Peter like wheat. But Jesus had prayed for Peter, and those prayers were effectual, so that he was not destroyed at this moment. Broken yes, but destroyed no. 1. 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” 2. If you go into my son’s room you’ll find an old green tackle box sitting on his desk. If you open that tackle box you won’t find any lures or bait. What you’ll find are all sorts of parts and pieces from broken electronics. A switch from an old flashlight, a led from an old night light, a power source from an old toy. Each of these parts and pieces came from broken down electronics, but they’ve been redeemed. They’re not destroyed. In fact, in Joel’s eyes these electronics are even better, because now he can take them down to their basics and rebuild them in all sorts of creative and useful ways. 3. Peter is broken. Finally. Terribly. Painfully. Completely. Beautifully. Mercifully. Graciously. Redemptively. To borrow a phrase from John Piper, this is a sweet and bitter providence. Peter has finally reached the end of himself. Conclusion: There is no Pentecost Peter without the Peter that denies in the High Priest’s courtyard. His message at Pentecost isn’t one of spiritual superiority, but one of forgiveness. He was no longer debating about who was the greatest of the Twelve, but preaching repentance for sinners and salvation by the grace of God through the work of Jesus. I don’t prescribe a season or occasion of denial like Peter had, but I do recognize that God’s grace is greater, and that this event was formative for Peter. He reached the end of himself and realized, like we all need to realize, that our flesh will lead us only to failure. Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”