08.28.22 - Mark 14:26-31

Open your Bibles to Mark 14:26-31.  •We’re continuing our study of the Gospel of Mark.  •This morning we will be considering a text where Jesus tells His disciples, especially Peter, that they would all fall away from Him.  Our culture often tells us to be self-confident.  •We’re told, “You can do it. Believe in yourself. You’re strong,” and many other things like that.  •And maybe there is qualified, limited way that those slogans are true in certain aspects of life.  •But they are utterly inappropriate and false with regard to Christianity and the Christian life.  The Word of God often reminds us to NOT put our confidence in ourselves, but to rely upon the Lord.  •The Scriptures teach us that we are weak, and sinful, and prone to wander from God.  •The Scriptures teach us that apart from God we can do nothing at all. But that, by His grace alone, we can do what He calls us to do. We need only to submit to Him in love and obey His Word. And He will supply those who look to Him in faith with the strength they need to be faithful.  •But nowhere are we taught in Scripture that we are strong, sufficient, sound, or faithful in ourselves (in our own strength and abilities).  •Scripture actually warns us that when we trust in our own power and abilities that we should LOOK OUT because then we are most liable to fall into sin.  I think the text before us this morning serves as something of a warning to any Christian who thinks he or she is strong.  •It’s something of a wake-up call to those who would arrogantly trust in their own willpower or abilities to withstand temptation and remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ.  •But it also contains a great message of hope and grace to disciples who fall and fail.  So this morning I hope to issue a warning about proud and arrogant self-confidence.  •But I also aim to encourage you by reminding you that Christ has grace for disciples who are weak failures.  •In other words, He has grace for each one of us who trust in Him.  •May God help us to see these things today.  If you would, and are able, please stand with me now for the reading of the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.  Mark 14:26-31 [26] And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  [27] And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’  [28] But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”  [29] Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”  [30] And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”  [31] But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. (PRAY) Our most merciful God,  We thank you for the opportunity to worship you this Sabbath day.  And we thank you for the privilege of sitting under the ministry of your Word.  You have put your blessing to the reading, hearing, and preaching of your Word. You have promised to use it to do wonderful things.  And so, we ask that you would be pleased to do what you have promised and bless us as we hear, meditate upon, digest your Word in faith.  Grant us to see ourselves rightly. And grant us to see your grace for us in the Lord Jesus Christ, your Son.  By your Spirit, work in us this morning as we humble ourselves before your Word.  Glorify yourself in us today.  We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.  Amen.  1.) Let’s start with some context.We get that in v26.  [26] And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  •Jesus and His disciples are on their way to the Mount of Olives. Passover has ended. And Jesus has just instituted the Lord’s Supper.  •The time has now come. The night has come.  •In just a few hours, Jesus would be betrayed into the hands of sinful men.  •His suffering, His passion, is upon Him.  •In just a few hours, our Lord would be arrested and taken to a mockery of a trial. And He would be sentenced to death, pending the agreement of the Roman official, Pontius Pilate.  At this point, Bible commentator Matthew Henry points out something worth mentioning: •At the first Passover, the Israelites were to stay inside, lest the Destroying angel strike them and kill them.  •But now, at the final Passover, Jesus, the true Passover Lamb, goes out into the night, goes outside, in order to expose Himself to destruction to save sinners.  2.) And Jesus affirms as much in the next verse. •On the way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus speaks to His disciples.  •He had said something similar in the Upper Room at the Passover (John 13). And now He says it again.  [27] And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’  Jesus is prophesying about what will happen that night. And He is quoting the OT Scriptures as proof.  •Jesus is quoting from Zechariah 13:7. •Let me read Zechariah 13:7-9 so you can see a little clearer what Jesus is getting at: “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand upon the little ones. In the whole land, declares the LORD, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people;’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” That passage in Zechariah makes me ask some questions that I can’t answer yet (particularly v8), but this much is clear: •God’s chosen Shepherd would be struck.  •In the book, Zechariah talks about wicked shepherds and a Good Shepherd whom God has chosen. And here God says that the Good Shepherd would be struck and His sheep would be scattered.  •The final result of all of this is that a fountain that cleanses would be opened. (You can read about that in Zechariah 13:1.) And the sheep will be regathered to God, and they will have fellowship with Him.  •Big picture: The result of the Shepherd being struck is the sheep receiving salvation and cleansing and fellowship with God. We’ll get to the “You will all fall away” part in a minute. But first I want you to see that Jesus says here that He will be struck.  •As He has done many, many times before, He is prophesying His coming death on a cross.  •More specifically, in Jesus’ quotation/paraphrase of Zechariah 13:7, He says, “I will strike the Shepherd…” •Who is speaking in Zechariah 13:7? It is GOD who is speaking. It is God who commands the sword to strike the Shepherd. It is God who is behind this.  •Let’s be clear: Human agents will sinfully crucify Jesus. But God will be at work in it.  God will be doing the most ultimate striking of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  •The stroke of the sword of divine justice will be laid upon Christ by God Himself.  •And it will be done in order that an atonement can be made for the sinful sheep.  •As Isaiah 53:10 says, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.” Jesus would be struck by God at the cross. And in His suffering and death, Jesus would make an offering for guilt.  •Not for Himself. He had no sin. He was without sin and, therefore, without any guilt before God.  •No, His offering was NOT made for Himself. His offering was made for others. It was made for sinners. It was made for us.  •Our sins were laid upon the Shepherd. And the Shepherd was struck in our place to satisfy the wrath of God for our sins.  •And by His death, a fountain was opened up that sinners might wash by faith in Jesus and be made clean.  •By His death, the Shepherd brought His wayward sheep into His fold and made them friends of the God they had once been at enmity with.  This was all written of Christ before He came to earth.  •This was the sovereign plan of Almighty God.  •This is Jesus’ plan to save His People from their sins.  •In the midst of all the suffering that would come upon Jesus, God was at work making atonement for sinful sheep.  •The Shepherd would be struck by God for us to take away our sins and the penalty due to us for them.  But that’s not all Jesus says.  •When He mentions His death, He almost always mentions His resurrection.  •[28] But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”  •Brothers and sisters, Jesus declares here that His atoning work will be successful.  •His death on behalf of others, on behalf of “the many,” on behalf of sinners, on behalf of those who believe on Him, will do what He intends: It will save them.  •He will accomplish His mission for which He came into the world: To save His People from their sins.  •And so, He will rise from the dead as the victorious Savior that He is.  •Death had no claim on Him. He is sinless. He suffered and died for others. And so, death had to give Him up. Death had to release Him.  •I say to you again: Jesus’ work on the cross was successful. He saved His People. And His resurrection from the dead is the proof.  3.) But notice again in v27 what will happen when Jesus is struck:  [27] And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’  •The disciples will all fall away when Jesus is struck. The sheep, His sheep, will be scattered.  •When the time comes for Jesus’ suffering to begin, when the time comes for Him to be arrested by wicked men, the disciples will fall away from Him.  •When the Shepherd is struck, the sheep will scatter.  •They will leave Him in fear.  •Zechariah prophesied hundreds of years beforehand that the Apostles would abandon Jesus when His suffering began.  But what does Jesus mean, “You will all FALL AWAY?” •To “fall away” means to stumble.  •They would fall away on account of Him, as He says in the parallel in Matthew 26:31. •They would be ashamed of Him. They would be afraid to be numbered with Him They would run away from Him.  Now, let’s be clear about something: This is NOT a reference to them “losing their salvation.” •That is simply not possible. Jesus doesn’t lose sheep.  •Jesus is here referring to a temporary falling away.  •He is NOT talking about a total apostasy like Judas committed.  •The falling away of the disciples will be out of fear, not hatred of Christ. It will be out of weakness, not a total unbelief and rejection of the Lord.  NOTE: There are different kinds of falling away. There are different kinds of unfaithfulness.  •There is premeditated rebellion against Christ that calls one’s profession of faith into question. There is an outright rejection of Jesus.  •And then there is falling away for a time or an instance because of weakness and temptation.  •The first is most often done by false professors. The second is done by true believers when we sin.  •For those of you who struggle with assurance of salvation because you fall into sin, hear me: There is a difference. Not all sin calls into question your profession of faith in Christ.  But Jesus says that the disciples would not stand with Him.  •They will be ashamed of Him and afraid of suffering and run away.  •When the heat comes and Jesus’ suffering at the hands of sinners begins with His arrest, when it starts, they will all forsake Him.  •They will not be strong. They will not be faithful in that moment. They will fall away.  NOTE: Hear that again: They will be ashamed of Him and run when the time for trial came.  •They would succumb to the temptation to abandon Jesus in that moment. And they would flee.  •Brothers and sisters, how many times have each of us done this?  •We’ve all, in some way or another, done this in the past week. I guarantee it. How many times throughout our whole life as Christians? •When the heat is on, when temptation comes, when pressure mounts, we have fallen away.  •All of us must confess this sin. And we must confess that, thought it is born of weakness in us, it is still very much a sin.  Christian, let me ask you some questions: •How many times have you been silent when you should’ve spoken up for/about Christ? •How many times have you winked at sin in your life or the lives of others when you should’ve been grieved and hated it with Him? •How many times have you “went with the flow” instead of taking a stand with your Lord? •How many times have you given yourself over to temptation to sin instead of withstanding it with Him? •All of these, and many more examples, are instances of us being scattered.  •We are just as guilty of this as the Apostles would be that night, just in different ways. All of us have been unfaithful to the Lord of glory.  But catch this as well from v27: They will scatter. And the Good Shepherd will be left alone.  •Jesus will be left all alone as He works redemption for sinners.  •He will not be helped by any man.  •He will not have anyone by His side to help Him.  •Just as the High Priest had to go ALONE in to the Holy of Holies to offer blood on the Day of Atonement, so also Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, had to go ALONE as He offered His blood on a cross on the true Day of Atonement.  •Brothers and sisters, there is only ONE Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.  •He will not be co-Redeemer or co-Mediator with ANYONE. He will not share His glory with another.  •And so, He must go alone. He must be alone.  Back to our text: The disciples will abandon Him.  •They will leave when the moment of truth comes.  •They will sin and be ashamed of Him and fall away.  4.) But they don’t think that they will.  •Jesus says they will. He even quotes Scripture that prophesied what would happen. •But they don’t believe Him: [29] Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”  [30] And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”  [31] But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. •Peter didn’t believe what Jesus said about their coming faithlessness.  •He said there is no way that he would abandon Jesus.  •And Peter wasn’t alone on this. He was the most vocal, but v31 tells us, “they ALL said the same.” Now, let’s not be too harsh with the disciples here.  •I think they were sincere when they said this. They shouldn’t have talked back, but they were sincere.  •They loved Jesus. They really did. And so, they hated the thought that they would ever fall away from Him or be unfaithful.  •They recoiled at the thought. They hated the idea. And so, they denied that it would happen.  •We can and should commend their love for the Lord.  •Every true Christian hates the thought of being unfaithful to Christ. And they were just expressing it. They were being foolish, yes. But they did love Him.  But mixed with their love for Christ was a great amount of pride, as we will see in a moment.  •Things are often like this in the Christian life: Our virtue is often mixed with sin. Our best efforts and good intentions are often mixed with sin in some subtle way.  •This is one reason why we so desperately need the mediatory work of Christ. We need Him to take our attempts at obedience and make them presentable to God because they are always imperfect.  They denied that they would fall away that night. But Jesus’ word stands.  •In v30, Jesus says that Peter would deny (literally: disown) Him.  •Peter, the most vocal opponent of Jesus’ words in this passage, would actually do worse than all the rest: They would run. He would verbally deny even knowing who Jesus is.  •But, at the end of it all, they would all indeed fall away.  In vv29 and 31, the disciples display a shockingly arrogant self-confidence.  •Peter was the worst, though. He said, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” •Peter was especially convinced that maybe the others were so weak and unfaithful and uncommitted that they would deny Jesus and fall away, BUT NOT HIM! •And notice that from neither Peter nor the other disciples there is no mention of grace, weakness, or need for help from Jesus.  •There is no plea for Christ’s help.  •There is just a flat denial that it will happen. They just simply don’t believe that they’ll fall away.  It’s as if they don’t believe it is even a possibility for them to forsake Jesus.  •This is vain self-confidence. They think (especially Peter!) that they are simply strong enough to will themselves to remain faithful to Jesus.  •They show here that, in this moment, they were trusting in themselves and their own power to be faithful.  It was pride that led Peter and the other disciples to say such things.  •I know of no other thing to call it.  •There was no recognition of their weakness or dependence upon Christ for grace to withstand the trial that was about to come upon them.  •Hear the words of Proverbs 16:18 with regard to this situation: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” •They had forgotten these words of Scripture. And they had become proud and self-reliant.  And where did that get them? •Where did they proud boasting and self-confidence and supposedly strong wills get them? •In just a few hours, they would all abandon Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  •And just a while later, Peter would deny even knowing who Jesus is.  •Confidence in the flesh got them absolutely nothing.  •Pride in their own strength and abilities got them absolutely nowhere.  •They fell. And they fell hard. Especially Peter.  5.) Now, there are some principles we can glean from this that are worth our consideration this morning.  •The disciples give us a negative example and a warning at this point. Please, hear me: “I would never do that” is a silly thing for even a Christian to say. Even for a mature Christian.  •In your flesh, on your own, you don’t know what you would do if the circumstances were just right.  •If someone came to you and put a knife to your throat and told you to deny Christ or die an excruciating death, what would you do? •If someone took your baby and said, “I will skin her alive in front of you if you don’t stop talking about Christ,” what would you do? •If the state said, “We will take your freedom and your family’s freedom if you continue to go to Church,” what would you do? •If your ideal specimen of the opposite sex absolutely threw himself/herself at you and you were alone and out of state, what would you do? •If your employer said, “You will endorse homosexuality or you will lose your job here,” what would you do? •If your dearest relative said, “Talk to me about Christ again and you’ll never see me again,” what would you do? Now, we know the right answers to those questions. We know what we should do.  •But can you say that, in yourself, you are strong enough to do it?  •Do you have the strength in yourself to withstand such a temptation or trial and remain faithful?  •No. You do not. And you’re an arrogant fool if you think you are.  •Consider just for a moment how many times you’ve succumbed to temptation and have been unfaithful under much, much less serious circumstances.  Rather, we should say this: •“By God’s grace, I will never do that. If the Lord helps me and I submit to His help, I will never do that. May God have mercy on me if that day ever comes, so I can withstand the temptation and remain faithful to Christ.” No Christian is above any sin.  •“I would never deny being married.” Look at Abraham.  •“I would never kill anyone.” Look at Moses.  •“I would never commit adultery.” Look at King David.  •“I would never get drunk or abuse drugs.” Look at Noah. •“I would never offer my daughter to wicked men.” Look at Lot.  •“I would never let my children do that.” Look at Eli. •“I would never succumb to pressure to distort biblical truth.” Look at Peter in the book of Galatians.  •“I would never deny Christ.” Look at Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane.  •No Christian is above any sin.  To believe that a Christian is inherently above any sin is to be something of a Pharisee who is self-righteous and trusting in your own strength. •It is to trust in yourself instead of entrusting yourself to the only one who can give you strength to be faithful: Almighty God.  •And that is foolishness. We dare not do such a thing.  •Hear me: If you trust yourself and think you’re above any sin, don’t be surprised if the Lord allows you to fall into sin in order to humble you. (I’ve experienced this. And I know many others have as well.) •He does this sometimes to humble arrogant Christians who trust in themselves instead of Him. (Look at Peter just a few hours after this incident in our text.) Brothers and sisters, we are not strong in ourselves.  •We are not above anything. We are weak. And we are liable to fall into sin, even terrible sin.  •And that’s why Scripture gives us warnings like 1 Corinthians 10:12: Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. •Be on guard. Look the Lord for divine aid. Don’t trust yourself and believe that you’re strong enough to withstand. Don’t believe the lie that you don’t need to be vigilant against sin.  •Take heed if you think you stand. If you do not, you are sure to fall.  I hope you’re seeing the point: Self-confidence is foolishness.  •We are utterly dependent upon God’s grace to resist temptation and remain faithful.  •We need divine help if we are to persevere to the end. We need divine help if we are to say “No,” to the flesh and say “No,” to sin. •So then, we must HUMBLE ourselves before God. We must admit our weakness to Him. We must confess it to Him.  •And we must commit ourselves to prayer, daily asking the Lord sustain and uphold us or we will fall.  •We must daily ask the Lord for strength to live as His People and be faithful and resist the world, the flesh, and the Devil. •We must depend upon Him. We must rely upon Him to give us strength for the day of trouble.    •And then we must commit ourselves to diligent watchfulness against all sin and faithlessness.  Be humble, Christian.  •Seek the Lord.  •You are not strong. But He is Almighty.  What Peter and the disciples (and any honest Christian) should’ve said: •“We’re not above doing that, Jesus. We’re sinful and weak. We’ve proven that time and time again. If this is a test, will you help us to not fall away? Only you can make us to stand. Apart from your grace, we will fall.  •But if this is an infallible certainty, and we will definitely forsake you, will you forgive us if we repent?” Jesus’ words here call for humility and dependence upon Him.  •But, sadly, that is not what happened. The disciples were proud and self-reliant. And they all fell away that night as a result.  •And, sadly, we often do the same. So we often fall into sin and faithlessness.  6.) BUT THERE IS HOPE! There is hope for failing disciples! •What I’m about to tell you is something that every Christian glories in.  •It’s something that we all hold tightly to and rejoice in. It is our hope. It is precious to each of us as we follow Jesus and fail every day at some point and in some way.  There is something glorious and hope-giving in v28: [28] But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”  •Jesus tells them to meet Him in Galilee after He is raised from the dead.  •To summarize vv27-28, Jesus says, “You will all fall away. I will die. I will rise. And after I rise, I will go BEFORE YOU to Galilee.” •Jesus expects them to meet Him there. That’s what He is telling them.  Now, why would He tell them to meet Him in Galilee? •BECAUSE HE IS NOT FINISHED WITH THEM! •They would run away. They would fall away. They would sin and deny Him. They would leave Him all alone.  •But He is not finished with them.  •The scattered and sinful sheep would be regathered by the Good Shepherd in Galilee.  •WHAT A PROMISE! WHAT GRACE! •He would not disown them. He was going to DIE FOR THEM! There is no way He was going to let them go! •They were His sheep! Because they scattered did not mean that they were no longer His sheep!  •They had been chosen to belong to Him from eternity past! He purchased them with His blood!  •Nothing would change that. EVER! Please hear me: We may forsake Him for a time.  •Even true disciples do that.  •We shouldn’t. It is sin. God hates it. But it does happen. That’s the reality.  •But the glory of it all is that Jesus will not forsake us. He will never forsake His People.  It doesn’t matter how hard you have fallen or what sin you’ve committed, Jesus will always take back those who repent and come to Him in faith.  •The fallen are restored by His grace. They need only to return to the Lord.  •He took back Peter. He took back the others. He will take you back when you fall.  Please hear me: Jesus has more grace than you have sin.  •He is infinite in His grace and mercy. He will not run out.  •Jesus died for weak, failing, fragile, fickle disciples.  •Praise God for such mercy! Earlier I asked you to reflect on all the ways and times that you have “fallen away” from Christ.  •All the times that you have been ashamed of Him. All the times that you refused to stand with Him.  •Well, there is Good News for sinners like us: He is not finished with us! And He never will be because He is the God of infinite grace for those who come to Him! •As we often sing, “Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more. Praise the Lord! His mercy is more!” Something else to consider with all of this:  •Remember that Jesus knew what they would do before they did it. AND HE CHOSE THEM TO BE HIS APOSTLES ANYWAY! •He chose them to be His anyway.  •He invited them to His Table anyway.  •Christian, take comfort: Your sin does not surprise Him. He doesn’t wink at it or approve of it. But He is not shocked by it.  •And He chose you anyway. He died for you anyway.  •He knows what you are and He loves you anyway.  •He knew how sinful and corrupt and guilty you were before conversion.  •And He knew how weak and erring and wayward you would be after your conversion.  •And He chose you anyway.  As JC Ryle said,  “Let us take comfort in the thought that the Lord Jesus does not cast off His believing people because of failures and imperfections. He knows what they are. He takes them, as the husband takes the wife, with all their blemishes and defects, and once joined to Him by faith, will never put them away.” Be encouraged, Christian: •You are weak and sinful. But Jesus Christ is a mighty Savior.  •You are fragile and fickle. But He is immovable and constant.  •You may fail. But He remains faithful to His covenant promises He made to you.  7.) As we come near to the end of this sermon, I have two things I want you to keep in mind: 1. Dear Christian, pray for humility.  •Pray for strength to persevere.  •Recognize that you need God’s help to stand firm and remain faithful.  •So cry out to Him each day for persevering and preserving grace.  •He will help you. He will certainly help you.  •1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” •He will help you. He delights to give strength to the weak who seek Him.  But if you are arrogant and think you’ll remain faithful on your own, look out. You will fall.  •The Lord will humble you. And it will be a painful thing.  •He will not abandon you. But He will chastise you and teach you a painful lesson in humility.  Humble yourself before the Lord.  •He will come to your defense.  2. And when you fail, and you will, rest in the grace of the Christ who is not finished with failing disciples.  •Christian, repent and come back to Him! •Every single time you sin, repent and come back to Him! •Acknowledge your sin, look to the crucified, dead, and risen Christ, get up, and keep following Him.  •He will never cast you away. He bought you with His blood and He does not do returns on His purchases.  •He will never grow tired of you.  •He will never forsake you.  Keep looking to Him for grace and forgiveness! •Don’t give up. Keep going by His grace.  •I promise you this: You will hold on to your guilt longer than He will continue to hold you guilty.  •You will condemn yourself longer than He will condemn you.  •His forgiveness is immediate. Restoration of fellowship is immediate.  •You didn't earn your salvation. And when you fall, you certainly don’t earn your way back into His fellowship, either.  •Just come! In faith come to Him! Return to Him! And be restored every time you sin.  He is the patient God.  •He is the most gracious, most merciful, most compassionate, most forgiving, most patient God.  •When you fail, and you will, rest in the grace of the Christ who is not finished with you.  May God grant that we would all follow Jesus in humility, watchfulness, repentance, and faith in His unfailing, unwavering love for weak disciples.  •Amen.