Peter's Denial

Good morning, welcome to NHCC, please open your Bibles to Mark 14.

Next week, new sermon series called, Overlooked.

Last week, Jesus had been arrested, and we begin to see the process of His trial.

Beginning of last week’s text, Peter has followed from a distance, keeping watch on Jesus.

This morning, we ask what becomes of Peter.

Read Mark 14:66-72- And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Pray.

Recap:

Two things are happening simultaneously.

Trial of Jesus in the upper chamber, questioning of Peter in the lower courtyard.

Meant to see a comparison of sorts.

Jesus and Peter are on trial, both are endangered, both are being asked about their identities.

Notice the differences- Jesus questioned by powerful men, Peter questioned by a servant girl.

Jesus stands firm in truth, Peter folds in lies.

Kingdoms are being contrasted.

Peter is warming himself by the fire, is recognized and questioned by a slave girl.

Text says that she looked at him. Remember these words- it means she locked eyes with him and recognized him. Sometimes that is what it takes.

She makes her bias known, referring to Jesus as the Nazarene.

John 1:45-46- Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

This is the bias against Nazareth, likely shared by many, especially in the city of Jerusalem.

Consider, perhaps, how city folk today consider country folk, and vice versa.

In fact, keep in mind it is the accent that gives away Peter as a Galilean.

You were with Him, doesn’t know just how correct she was, and likely neither does Peter.

Mark 3:13-15- And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.

Being with Jesus was at the very core of Peter’s identity as an apostle. This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, still for you and me. To be with Jesus, and to be sent by Jesus.

Peter says he has no clue what she is talking about. He then moves to a more secure location, a bit further away. At this point the rooster crows once.

Servant girl becomes more threatening, talking to the crowd. We can imagine the escalation. We hate talkers.

Finally, third accusation is brought and Peter denies in the most harsh of ways, calling down curses.

The rooster crows a second time, Peter hears it and immediately understands what has happened.

The words of Jesus are fulfilled. Mark 14:30- And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

The weight is too much to bear. Peter broke down and wept.

Much to be learned this morning, let’s focus on two specific ideas.

1. The heavy consequences of a moment.

Reflect on the weight of this particular moment in Peter’s life. We have seen Peter sin before. Something different about this.

Consider the clues that Mark gives:

The sin is predicted- Jesus has constantly been telling His disciples to stay awake.

In fact- rooster crows after the first denial. There was even a warning.

There is an adamant denial.

Peter begins by denying, then stating he doesn’t understand even the basic premise, finally calls down a curse, either upon himself or upon Jesus.

The better of the two options- saying he would be cursed if he is not telling the truth.

The worst of the two options- calling a curse down upon the head of Jesus, a sin which in the early church saw as evidence that one was not a Christian.

Polycarp- Swear allegiance to Rome- “Eighty and six years I have served him, and he had done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?”

Letters from early Romans to Emperor Trajan- Asked people to curse Christ, believed that those who were truly Christians would never do such a thing.

Imagine how the early church must have viewed Peter’s curse.

Further, there is the utter dishonesty.

May we not simply be emotionally hurt by the personal denial, but also know that it was an offense against the truthfulness of God.

One moment, with the ability to utterly shatter the usefulness of this apostle.

After all, consider the words that Jesus had used.

Matthew 5- part of the body causes you to sin, cast it away in hopes to be saved from damnation.

Or earlier in Matthew 5- salt losing it’s saltiness becomes worthless.

Luke 6- One is known by his fruit- a good tree does not produce bad fruit. One’s words come from the abundance of the heart.

Jesus is no stranger in His teaching to the impact that sin can have.

Where does this leave us? Are we watchful or careless?

Leaves us with one question- What will become of Peter?

2. Restoration is always possible.

Could have been left out of the rest of Mark’s gospel, like Judas, but there is one more mention.

Mark 16:7- But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Does Mark cut out Peter as one of the disciples? Absolutely not. Why? Because restoration is possible.

Many know the rest of the story. Peter weeps. Broke down literally means lay down.

I’m a lay down sort of person. In my own sin, in my own heartache, in the sins of others, I just want to be horizontal.

This was Peter- broke down physically with weeping. Body gives out. What would have caused this?

Look at Luke’s account- Luke 22:61-62- And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

This detail is horrifying. Jesus in the upper chamber looks into the lower courtyard and they locked eyes. Same word used of the servant girl.

What was in that look? How might we have looked at Peter in this moment?

Was it one of surprise? Likely not.

Was it one of annoyance? of anger? of vengeance?

If this was the case, Jesus would have cast Peter away forever. But in John 21, Jesus not only restored Peter but tasked Peter with ministry. Feed my sheep.

This is likely what was in the look from Jesus- a heart of sadness yet purpose.

After all, this is what Jesus has come to do. To take care of the sins of the world, including those of Peter, no matter how egregious.

This look from Jesus takes us into the very heart of Christ. How does Jesus feel about the sin of Peter? How does He feel about our own sin, assuming we are saved by faith?

Thomas Goodwin- “Christ takes part with you, and is so far from being provoked against you, as all his anger is turned upon your sin to ruin it; yes, his pity is increased the more towards you, even as the heart of a father is to a child that has some loathsome disease, or as one is to a member of his own body that has leprosy, he hates not the member, for it is his flesh, but the disease, and that provokes him to pity the part affected the more.”

How a father must hate the disease that plagues his child, never decreasing in love for the child, but instead growing in pity.

Holding our sick children.

Let’s take this a step further- the church is built on broken and failing, yet forgiven, men and women.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10- But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Marva Dawn- “We never thoroughly realize the power of God at work in us until weakness makes us incapable of doing what we would like to do; then we no longer struggle out of our feeble power. Then God can conform us to His will. Then we are a submitted vessel in His hand.”

Let’s take it one final step deeper. The heart of Christ toward sinners reminds us that the church will be made up of forgiven failures of men and women. But what comes next is also true. The church is made up of forgiven forgivers. Consider just a few texts:

Matthew 18- How many times must I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Seventy times seven.

Matthew 6- If you forgive others their trespasses, God will forgive yours.

Luke 17- If a brother sins against you and you rebuke him, and he repents, you must forgive him.

1 Peter 3- Do not repay evil for evil, but on the contrary, bless.

1 Peter 4- Keep loving each other earnestly, because love covers a multitude of sins.

Peter able to instruct in forgiveness because of what he had received.

The church had better be filled with people who are able, willing and joyful in forgiveness.

Why joyful? Because Christ doesn’t forgive reluctantly.

Husband’s excitement at the healing of his wife- greater even than his own healing.

This is how Christ feels about His bride- He forgives offenses against Him with great joy and gladness.

We are to do the same, recognizing the end goal, always, as restoration of a person, restoration of relationship.

Have you been forgiven?

Dane Ortlund in Gentle and Lowly- “You don’t need to unburden or collect yourself and then come to Jesus. Your very burden is what qualifies you to come. Jesus Christ’s desire that you find rest, that you come in out of the storm, outstrips even your own.”

Who must you joyfully forgive?