The Difference Easter Makes
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 16:13-23; 26:69-75; John 21:15-17
Intro: AG: Extreme Makeover
TS: We will see how Jesus does the same thing for 1 man, Peter. Peter is literally torn down and remade because of Easter.
AS: Jesus is doing that very thing today as he transforms our lives.
1) Peter Before Easter (Matthew 16:13-23)
1) Peter Before Easter (Matthew 16:13-23)
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Emotional
Zeal- walked on water
distracted, started sinking
Temper- attacked in the Garden
Receptive:
To God, the revelation
To Christ’s call to leave his fishing and follow Him
To Satan, the temptation
Perspective
Looked for earthly kingdom
Wanted a fight for freedom
2) Peter During Easter (Mt 26:69-75)
2) Peter During Easter (Mt 26:69-75)
At Passover, Jesus gathered with His disciples. There He served them by washing their feet. It became Peter’s turn. At first, “don’t wash my feet” then after Jesus’ explanation – wash all of me!
Jesus foretold 3 denials by Peter
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.”
But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.”
And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”
Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.
And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Peter at Jesus’ trial, Peter warmed himself at the fire with the enemy
a. he was trying to follow the Lord
At least he approached the Lord
He just didn’t go far enough
b. concerned about physical feelings, i.e., he was cold
c. he was with the wrong crowd
Peter’s denials
69-70 still confused why a trial when he wanted a battle
71-72 took an oath
73-75 cursed and swore
Peter fell away from Christ and his boast to “die before deny” was proven empty.
Fear and following the wrong crowd led to his fall.
Peter had saw Jesus die with that guilt on his mind.
3) Peter After Easter (John 21:15-17)
3) Peter After Easter (John 21:15-17)
Obviously, Peter was a broken man. He had reached the end of himself and returned to fishing.
He assumed that Jesus’ death on the cross was the end.
Even though He knew Christ was alive, He thought his denials had made him worthless.
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,
and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
Then the disciples went back to their homes.
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Jesus restores Peter
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Do you love me more than these… (fish grk tenses)
Love – like
Love – like
Like – love
Jesus asks us the same question
Do you love me more than money? Your job? Your fame?
We need the transformation of Easter to become real in our lives.
God can do an extreme makeover on each of us today
1) from sinner to saint
2) from lukewarm or cold saint to an on fire servant of God
Conclusion:
There may be many here today who have denied the Lord in several ways. You have denied Him by never trusting Him for salvation. You have denied the Lord by hanging out at the fire, rather than being with God’s people. You have denied the Lord by never witnessing for Him. You have told you friends, “I do not know this Man.”
The Christian life is about Jesus, not about you.
NOT: how we feel or what we get
IS: about Jesus
The cross he died on to purchase our pardon
The tomb he borrowed
His resurrection as the first fruits
Follow Him! Give Him your all! No matter what, like Peter, we can be restored and used by Him.
