John #16

Northside Church

The Gospel of John

Jan 9 2022

John #16 Peter’s denial

Jamey Mills

Northside…

Good morning, my name is Jamey Mills, I am the lead pastor here at Northside.

It feels great to be back with you guys today…

Before I jump in too far I wanted to say thanks to Kurt for jumping in and leading worship last week…

And to Matt who stepped up to preach… what I felt was an incredibly powerful and needed message. If you didn’t catch it, you can see it online on our FB or YouTube.

It will be well worth your time.

It’s interesting, because what Matt taught was very similar to the message I have scheduled today… and in years past I may have skipped it, but I have come to realize that sometimes this stuff happens because there are things God really wants us to slow down and get…

ILL… a time i really fell short

Matthew said it all started like this…

Matthew 4:18–20 NLT

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

(NLT)

18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.

It’s crazy to think about… one moment standing on the shore doing what you do… and the next, Jesus is saying drop everything… that Jesus would be leading them, showing them, teaching them… about what it means to fish for men.

And the craziest thing is… they did. They laid down their nets and set aside the boats… and their lives would be forever changed… in that moment.

Luke… actually gives us more detail…

Luke 5:4–11 NLT

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.” “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

(NLT)

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

8 When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m such a sinful man.” 9 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 10 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” 11 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.

Dang… it sounds like He didn't want to… but he ended up doing what Jesus said and was overwhelmed and humbled so much so that he felt inadequate….

One of Jesus' first messages to Peter… don’t be afraid… there is purpose for your life… and then as soon as they landed… he left it all and followed Jesus.

Not that it would always be… or maybe ever be easy… if that’s what we think being a Christian is about, we’ve missed it and maybe even miss understood a lot of what the Bible actually teaches.

We live in an incredibly broken and sinful world… following Jesus in the face of it… isn’t easy… God’s discipline, his forming, molding, and stretching in our lives… His pruning in our lives isn’t aimless or cheap…

But even within the struggle Peter had no regrets when it comes to the choice to follow Jesus. I don’t think Peter ever looked back at this day and thought… WHY… Why did I lay it down like….

It wasn’t easy… in fact, Peter got it wrong a lot. I mean… a lot a lot.

In Jn 20 it says that when Peter and John heard that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, they got up and sprinted to see for themselves… it says the disciple that Jesus loves… JOHN… outran Peter…

I always wondered why John referred to himself like that… it’s obviously because he's faster. I’m fairly confident that if I had a good 30 minutes to stretch and warm up… I could still outrun the entire staff…

In MT 14 (28)

The disciples were out on a boat far from shore… they were out all night fighting the wind and waves… exhausted… @ 3AM it says Jesus came walking out to them, walking on the water… they freaked out and thought it was a ghost… but it was Peter that said Lord, if that's you call me out onto the water… It says Peter stepped over the side of the boat… took a few steps… and became overwhelmed by the size of the waves… and in his fear and worry… in his anxiousness Peter sank.

There is so much in that for us… realizing the impact worry, anxiousness, and fear can have when we allow them to become the thing that informs our days… our emotions and our reactions…

It reminds me of what Matt said last week…

God isn’t anxious over your sin…

SO GOOD… get this… God isn’t anxious about anything…

Not even over your situation. Jesus could have prevented it right… he could have grabbed Peter right away… or even said no sit down silly… He could have held him up from the beginning… But why didn’t He?

there was learning in it… growing in it… Jesus was right there, unanxious even in the sinking… WHY?

In Mark 9 and Luke 22 Peter gets caught up with some of the other disciples arguing over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom… sometimes it almost sounds like Jesus was running a kindergarten…

In Jn 13 Jesus was giving this incredible example about loving and serving by taking on the lowest of the low positions… and washing the feet of his disciples… and Peter said NEVER… you’ll never wash my feet…

His heart was right, but there were obviously things he didn’t get. I’m so glad Peter spoke up… because it’s exactly how I often feel… Who am I… that Jesus would serve me. Love me… Care for me… die for me. Peter would spend his life wrestling with it.

The second hardest one had to be in Mark 8 Jesus was telling the disciples that He’d suffer many terrible things… and that He’d be rejected… and eventually be killed and it was Peter that pulled Jesus aside and told Jesus that couldn't happen…

To which Jesus said… get away from me Satan… you're only seeing this from an earthly point of view… So, that was rough.

In Luke 22 Jesus was trying to help Peter understand that hard things were coming, that there would be a day that Peter would vehemently deny Jesus 3 times… and it sent Peter over the edge… Peter told Jesus, I’m ready… to face prison… I’d even die for you…

Peter wouldn't listen, and it seemed like he meant it because in Jn. 18 whence they came to arrest Jesus, it was Peter that tried to start an insurrection… he grabbed his sword and swung for the fence… maiming one of the high priest’s servants… a guy named Malchus… was missing an ear and Jesus said Peter put it away… This is has to happen.

And you can imagine… right then and there as Jesus was arrested… that Peter was all out of sorts…

John 18:12–18 NLT

So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.” Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

(NLT)

So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they took him to Annas, since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.”

And then John goes into talking about Peter denying Jesus, Luke gives a little more detail.

Luke 22:54–65 NLT

So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!” “No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted. About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.” But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly. The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.

(NLT)

54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 The guards lit a (charcoal) fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”

58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”

“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly. 63 The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” 65 And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him.

Peter was there… hiding… almost unwittingly trying to blend in with those who were ready to do away with Jesus.

In that moment, he could have stood up to his promise… he could have made his colors clear… stood with Jesus like he said he would, but Jesus was left standing alone.

You must know Him, you’re one of His followers, right? You belong to Him don’t you? Each denial is deeper and more passionate than the last…

And at that very moment it says the roster did its thing… Jesus locked eyes with Peter… can you even imagine….

It says that Peter ran off and wept bitterly… those two words together…

How broken was Peter over his denile?

It's this uncontainable, inconsolable… very audible agony. Completely torn open and broken…

In my mind… Peter felt like he was beyond hope. There was no coming back from this. He failed… not a little.

Peter was, I believe, the closest person here was to Jesus.

How could he ever face Jesus again? How could there ever be room for him again?

He’d carry that for days… sorrow… regret… failure… compounded by what happened on the cross just a few days ago…

As you read on it almost feels like Peter gives up… in Jn 21 it was peter that couldn’t just sit there anymore… He got up and said “I am going fishing”... It was the only thing he knew… before He knew Jesus.

It says that 6 other disciples went too.

Can you imagine the mood on the boat… in my head it was silent… heavy hearted… confusion.

They fished through the night… Northing…

And at dawn, a voice yelled from the shore… telling them to try on the other side of the boat…

It should have sounded familiar to peter… but he didn't catch it. It was eerily similar to how Jesus first called him years ago. Against better judgement they did… and it says they caught so many fish that it was on the verge of running their nets and sinking the boat…

And that when the one that Jesus loves… because he is faster… the one who was there to hear Peter’s denial looked at Peter and said it’s the Lord… and I can’t even imagine…

John 21:7–8 NLT

Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore.

(NLT)

7 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. 8 The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore.

I had a kid in YG say.. So… Peter stripped for work?

Yes, that’s what it says, but no that’s not what it means. It was an awkward moment.

It was a different culture… where they took clothes off to fish and put them on to swim…

That's not exactly how it worked.

But as soon as Peter hears it… he goes all Forrest Gump…. (PICTURE). He won’t. He can’t wait… he jumps in an

All of this pinned up regret and hurt… compounded by what they did to Jesus on the cross… and all hard questions that came with it… fueling this frantic 100 yard all out swim to the shore…

I read over this passage a ton this week… and then I finally found it.

It says… Jesus had breakfast waiting… this meeting… wasn’t an accident. This was an appointment Jesus had planned.

He was waiting for Peter… unanxiously… graciously…

As the disciples sat there on the shore… they had breakfast with the risen savior of the world that day…

I imagine Peter sat there silently through breakfast… ½ wanting to deal with it and ½ wishing he would have jumped in on the other side of the boat and swam away.

And then finally it happened…

Jn 21:15-17

15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep…

….Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

There is a ton going on in these verses… we don’t have time to hit it all.

But there are 3 things I want to focus on today that we learn from all of this.

The way that Peter saw and responded to Jesus.

How did peter often respond to or relate to Jesus?

In a word it was imperfect… it’s easy to be critical… Peter was passionate and impulsive, even harsh at times… BUT…

He often did what Jesus told Him to do… even when it seems silly. Nets… fishing…

He was the only one to get out of the boat… and even though He sank Jesus never criticized his faith. He was bold and brave in a way that reflected real and true belief in Jesus.

His heart was often seemed right when his actions got away from him a bit.

He was honest with Jesus…

He was repentant and accepted correction from Jesus.

When His world wasn’t right… he didn't swim away.

How easy in that moment would it have been for him to jump out the other side of the boat… and swim miles in the other direction. We do that.

Does that reflect at all how you see, relate to and respond to Jesus… we all have room to grow and so did Peter.

What we learn about who Jesus is.

what do we learn about who Jesus is?

We see crazy consistency with the way Jesus relates to Peter… and it matters because within that we learn about who he is, but it also paints a similar picture to how Jesus relates to you too.

Jesus is patient… gracious… present… forgiving… oddly understanding… unanxious about your sin, your failure, and or even your situation. Jesus is near… Jesus knows you. He is aware of what's going on in you and He has the ability and the wisdom to speak needed truth into your life. Jesus isn’t anxious… have you ever wondered why?

He sees things and knows things you don’t. Over it all.

3 times Peter denied… each one more passionate than the last.

3 times Jesus asked the question… each one more painful than the last.

And this wasn’t for Jesus’ sake. He didn’t need to hear it. This was about Peter.

In that culture

the #3 served symbolically as this idea of completion,

Which really adds some depth to our understanding of the trinity yea…

But here it shows us that Peter completely denied Jesus

And that Jesus completely forgave Peter but that's not all…

Each time Peter answered the question… he didn’t get a pat on the back or an atta way.

But a command… that sounded so much like the one Jesus gave on the shore… when Jesus called him to follow … and be a fisher of men.

A command to feed Jesus’ baby sheep… to take care of the flock… to feed the mature sheep.. Each time… the painful question was aiming at helping Peter deal with Himself… and it wasn that He’d never struggle again, but Jesus completely restored Peter.

He wasn't beyond the grip of grace… He didn't lose His place or His favor with Jesus. He hadn’t somehow made himself unusable in the hands of God for the Kingdom or God… in fact that leads us to #3

We get a nervous glimpse of the bigger picture.

What do we learn about the bigger picture? Do you believe this?

I feel like what I am about to say is going to be met with resistance…

But I think it's incredibly important for us to wrestle with this…

There is a reason that a lot of people say they can relate to Peter… and it doesn't have a ton to do with his greater moments…

It would be easy… to get angry… where was Jesus… in the sinking… in the failing… in the hurt… in the heartache… in the denial… where did he go for those days that Peter had to carry that stuff…

Couldn’t He have stopped it…

Can you imagine part

I had to read this passage 100 times but I finally found it… do you know where Jesus was on those days that Peter felt abandoned, hurt and helpless…

Making breakfast. It sound dumb but its not.

It says that when Peter hit the shore that day, Jesus had breakfast waiting… and I love this… This meeting… was planned. Jesus was waiting… patiently… anxiously… graciously…

It would be easy… to get sideways with God in all of this.

And it shows us that Jesus completely forgave Peter but that's not all.

which really adds to the way we view the trinity…

But here… it shows that Peter completely denied Jesus.

It also shows that Jesus completely forgave peter… but that's not all.

He was unimaginably patient… He wasn’t anxious about Peter’s sin… His failure… His big mouth… Why do you suppose that is?

Jesus sees things you don’t see… He knows things you don’t know… and… there is not need to be anxious when you’re over it all.

And it would… it would be easy to get a little sideways and ask where was Jesus in all of this… in all of the hurt… regret… when life was hard or even when he felt like God abandoned him….

I read this passage about ton this week, and I finally saw it… do you know where he was? Making breakfast. It says that Jesus has breakfast waiting for Peter… this meeting… was planned.

Jesus had breakfast waiting… This meeting with Peter… was planned. It was intentional.

The #3 culturally served symbolically as this idea of completion, which really adds to the way we view the trinity…

But here… it shows that Peter completely denied Jesus.

It also shows that Jesus completely forgave peter… but that's not all.

I read this passage over a ton the last couple of weeks… and then I finally saw it…

Jesus’ consistent reaction and interaction with Peter matters because it helps us have an idea not only of who Jesus is, but also in how He relates to us.

3 times Peter denied Jesus…

3 Times Jesus asked the question…

This wasn’t for Jesus’ sake.

This idea that we have to have it all together before we come to Jesus is destructive.

We get a glimpse of the bigger picture.

This is hard… and uncomfortable… but I believe it is incredibly important.

3 times… Peter denied Jesus… each one more passionate than the last.

3 times Jesus asked the question… each time… more painful than the last.

And that wasn’t for Jesus’ sake, He didn’t need to hear Peter say it.

The #3 in that culture was a symbol for completion… which… adds some light to the trinity… right…. But in this case… Peter completely denied Jesus… and Jesus completely forgave Peter… but that wasn’t all.

Each time Jesus asked and Peter responded… it wasn’t met with a high five or atta way…

It was met by a command… a charge… something that sounded a lot like what Jesus said years ago when He called Peter to follow Him…

Feed by lambs, care for the flock… feed by sheep…

Jesus completely forgave and He completely restored Peter…

And it’s not that Peter would never struggle again… or that life would be easy…

Three things I think we see that are incredibly important…

The way Peter saw Jesus

The way Jesus consistently reacted to Peter

Even though I bet it often didn't feel like it, the struggle was for His good.

There is a lot going on in these verses we aren’t going to touch…

But each time Jesus asked… the more it seemed to hurt.

It’s easy for us… to look at Peter’s life… and almost get angry at God.

If Jesus is who He says He is, why did Peter sink? Where was He in the struggle? Where was He in the hurt? Where was He in the denial?

And it hit me… Jesus was unanxiously making breakfast.

Waiting… for Peter.

He was never anxious… He was never far away… and sometimes we come to these places where we want to take that away from Jesus… Do you honestly think that Jesus is helpless to prevent any of it? Sometimes it’s easier for us to believe that…

Pandiesm… that God created it… and then walked away.

He could have prevented it all… but He sees things you don't see… and He knows things you don’t know…

In the midst of the sinking, in the midst of the struggling…

Jesus was making breakfast…

Why did you let Him sink… why the struggle… why did hard things happen… why the denial…

And it really hit home for me this week…

Can you imagine a world in which Peter didn’t sink? Where the denial didn’t happen?

And it's easy for us… to look at Peter’s life and ask what did Jesus see… or why didn't Jesus walk away from that mess.

It’s even easy to start to ask things like…

If Jesus is who He says He is, why did Peter sink? Why did He let Peter struggle? Why did He let Peter hurt?

IMAGINe a world in which Peter never sank… or never denied Jesus is to imagine a world without lesson… the growth.. Development that changed his life and challenged his faith dramatically… and has challenged others for melinia.

In some ways… it was Jesus in the midst of his sinking… in the midst of his denying… in the midst of his waiting… and now… in the midst of his healing…

Keeping in mind what Matt taught last week… that Jesus is not anxious about our sin…

And it’d be easy

And each time Peter answered, it wasn’t met with a pat on the back…

But actually a command… that must have reminded him about what Jesus said about fishing for men…

Three times… each time Jesus asked… the question got harder.

This needed to be dealt with if Peter was ever going to be fruitful… or even faithful again. Sweeping it away… ignoring it…

I can’t even imagine the sort of healing… and affirmation.

No one knows you like Jesus and no one restores you like Jesus.

3 in that culture was a symbol for completion…

Peter… Completely denied Jesus

And Jesus… completely forgave and completely restored him.

One of the reasons I came to see the truth in the Bible is right here… we see real people… really struggling… just like we would.

Peter thought he’d lost it…

And some would say… Jesus didn’t allow that… but I’d push back on that? Jesus was helpless to stop it? We can’t have it both ways I don’t think.

Peter struggled… Jesus even called him out for his propensity to think only from a human perspective… of not being “kingdom minded”.

Jesus was never anxious about Peter’s sin… He certainly didn't ignore it… so many times we see the hurt and pain and brokenness that sin Causes and we allow it to become the gospel… Jesus… is the gospel.

3 times… one for each time Peter denied Jesus… Jesus asked do you love me… and there is lot to unpack there… but each time, the question was more purpose filled… and more intense to the point of breaking Peter’s heart.

Jesus didn’t repeat the question for his own good… This wasn’t for Jesus’s sake… this was about Peter’s restoration… healing… growth… leadership… development…

And we have a lot to learn here… seeing the way Jesus responded to Peter’s denial… to his failure… his hard questions… his running… should inform us as to the way He sees and deals with our own.

Not anxious… patient.

Not wasting… teaching.

Not simply forgiving… although it is incredibly dangerous if we move passed that.

But also… restoring.

Jesus was saying… Peter, you're forgiven not forgotten.

Each time Jesus asked and Peter responded, it wasn’t met with a pat on the back… but with a command… a command that sounds a lot like what Jesus told Him when He called Peter in the beginning… but somehow deeper… stronger… in a sense… as it if to say and now Peter… you're ready…

Peter obeyed…

Peter repented…

Peter ran to and not away from Jesus…

Peter was changed by… grew from… would move forward informed by and almost empowered by… he’d grow in his understanding through…

His failure and mistake and doubt and fear and even denial…

What did peter FIND? Judgement?

Purpose… a command… respiration… forgiveness… purpose…

Can you even imagine…

The denial.

CONC.

The way Jesus handled Peter’s denial… should inform us on the way Jesus sees and handles our shortcomings too…

This idea that we have to have our stuff together before coming to Jesus is met with what seems like unreasonable grace… which also should inform the way we see others too.