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Mark 14:54; 66-72
Intro: Our study of Mark's Gospel has brought us to one of the saddest and most tragic passages in the Bible.
Every time I read this story, I am reminded of how fast and how far a saint of God can fall.
Yet, in this tragic account of Simon Peter's fall, I find a message of hope and encouragement.
That may sound strange, but there is a great blessing in this text if we will allow God to show it to us.
Peter failed God, and he failed God in a big way, we all know that.
I do not believe that any other saint of God in the Bible ever sinned as deeply, or fell as hard as Simon Peter did on this occasion.
Even David with his adultery, his murder, and his lies, did not fail God as bad as Simon Peter did.
Peter’s sin, to my mind, even eclipses the sins committed by Judas Iscariot.
The reason I say that is because Judas was a lost man sinning against the Lord.
Peter was a saved man, and the sin of a saved man is far worse than the sin of a lost men!
I said there was hope in this passage, and there is! Peter’s story does not end with him failing God.
Even though Peter failed God in a big way, he was forgiven, he was restored, and he was used by God in a mighty way.
So, while Peter’s story does deal with a despicable and heinous sin, it also showcases the grace and forgiveness of Almighty God.
Today, we will consider both the negative and the positive aspects of Peter story.
We will look at his fall and why it happened, then we will consider God's forgiveness and restoration.
Peter’s story is important to us, because we all find ourselves in the place of failure from time to time.
When we do, it is a comfort to know that our heavenly Father is a God of boundless love, unending mercy, and absolute forgiveness.
It is a blessing to know that, just because we are down, does not mean we are out.
Just the fact that we have failed the Lord and sinned against Him, does not mean that we are doomed to end our lives in that condition.
I want you to know that there is hope for the sinning saint of God.
If you are in trouble, I want you to see that there is a way out.
If you are headed for trouble, I want you to be able to recognize the warning signs.
If you have ever been restored, I want to remind you of God’s great grace in your life.
I. PETER’S REJECTION OF KNOWING JESUS-VS.
67-71
· It might be helpful at this point if we set the scene.
Jesus has just been arrested by the Jewish leaders.
They were aided in His arrest by Roman soldiers.
Jesus has been taken to the palace of the High Priest, where He endured a sham trial, in which the Jewish leadership did everything it could to guarantee that He received a guilty verdict and a death sentence.
When Jesus is arrested, everyone of His disciples run away in fear for their lives, v. 50.
Two of them, Peter and another whom many believe to be John, follow the mob as they take Jesus to stand trial.
When these two disciples arrive at the palace of the High Priest, John, who is known to the High Priest is allowed to enter the palace with the Lord Jesus, John 18:15.
John goes back out and speaks to the girl who is watching the door and convinces her to allow Peter in as well, John 18:15.
· This brings us up to where our text begins today.
As Peter sits at a fire in the courtyard warming himself, v. 54, he approached by a woman.
You can imagine that she did not walk up to him and whisper her accusation to Peter.
She said what she said in a voice that everyone who was nearby could have heard.
· When Peter hears her words, he immediately denies any connection to the Lord Jesus.
He gives this loud denial saying, “What?
I don’t know what you are talking about!
You’re crazy!”
Then he walks away, v. 68.
As soon as Peter makes this first denial, the sound of a rooster crowing can be heard in the courtyard, v. 68.
That rooster was a warning to Peter.
Jesus had told him very clearly that before the rooster could crow twice, Peter would deny his Lord three times, v. 30.
When Peter heard that rooster crowing, he should have walked out of that courtyard.
He should have removed himself from danger.
At this point, Peter was not thinking about roosters, he was just trying to deflect attention from himself.
I can imagine him standing around trying to look nonchalant; just trying not to draw attention to himself.
· Peter’s attempt to hide himself failed.
No sooner does he walk away than another girl sees him and yells, “This is one of them!”, v. 69.
Again, she says it loud enough to draw the attention of everyone within earshot, Matt.
26:71.
Peter denies any ties to Jesus for the second time.
According to Matthew 26:72, this time Peter denied the Lord with an “oath”.
This means that Peter swore before God that he did not know Jesus.
He may have said something like this: “I swear before God that I do not know Jesus of Nazareth!
I do not know this man!”
What a tragedy!
This time Peter did not just lie, he told a double lie.
He lied when he said that he did not know Jesus and he lied when he swore that he wasn’t lying!
According to Luke, when Peter was confronted by the second maid, a man also approached him and identified him as one of the Lord’s disciples, Luke 22:58.
So, the heat is on!
Peter has been recognized.
The people in the courtyard are on to him now.
His secret is out.
His identity has been revealed.
Peter is angry, confused, frustrated and embarrassed.
More than anything, he is afraid.
He knows that his life is on the line.
· Peter is approached for the third time.
He is accused of being one of the Lord’s disciples again, v. 70.
Peter’s accent has identified him as being from Galilee, the place where every one of the Lord’s disciples but Judas called home.
If you are from the south, you know how that is.
You can go out west or up north and simply speak to someone and they immediately want to know where you come from.
Your accent gives you away!
When Peter hears this accusation, he loses all hold on himself.
Peter begins to “curse and to swear”, v. 71.
When the Bible says that Peter began “to curse and swear”.
It means that he invoked God as the ultimate witness to his denials of knowing Jesus.
Peter may have said something like this: “May God Almighty damn me to Hell if I am lying!
If what I am saying to you is a lie, may God Himself take my life right now.”
Peter is on dangerous ground.
He has fallen fast and he has fallen far.
He has come to a place where he has no fear of God.
First Peter lies.
Then he tells a double lie to cover up the first lie.
Then he tries to prove his lies by taking God’s name in vain.
It is just the grace of God that Peter was not struck down by the Lord where he stood that night.
I. Peter’s Rejection of Jesus
II.
PETER’S REASONS FOR REJECTING JESUS
· Peter would have never believed that he could have done what he did.
Jesus tried to tell him, but he refused to believe the Lord.
Peter fell and he fell fast!
Yet, there he stands!
This man who was the leader of the disciples.
This man who swore that he would die for Jesus before he would deny Him, v. 31.
This man who had tried to defend Jesus with his sword just a short time before, v. 47.
There stands the same Peter calling down curses upon himself and swearing before God that he knows nothing about Jesus Christ.
The text suggests that he kept on cursing and swearing.
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