Peter's Denial of Jesus (Part 1)

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. Proverbs chapter 29 verse 25 says, The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

The Fear of Man and Peter's Denial

And I'd like to talk to you this morning about this subject of the fear of man. The fear of man. So if you would please open in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew 26. Up until recently, Christians throughout the centuries were often called a God fearing people.

That's the way people would refer to believers. Christians feared God. That was understood. Christians feared God. There's not a lot of fear of God these days, I've noticed. There is, though, a lot of people who fear man.

People fear man more, it seems, than they fear God. People fear man because they fear what people might say, what people might think. They're afraid of losing friends. They're afraid of losing their jobs.

Maybe they're afraid of backlash on social media. But the fear of man can manifest itself in a variety of different ways. And it can really prevent people from moving forward in their Christian walk. It can prevent people from serving God.

And maybe most of all, it can prevent people from sharing their faith with others. Everybody's afraid of man. I want to say everybody. That's a general statement. There's some people who don't really fear man, but anyone can fall into it.

This is a very common thing. So this morning, we're going to be looking at the Apostle Peter and the account where Peter denies even knowing Jesus three times. You think about this. This is the Apostle Peter.

Peter was a strong man, right? You think of him as bold and courageous. He's arguably the leader of the 12 apostles, and yet he denies that he even knows Jesus. A young girl says, hey, I know you. You're one of Jesus's followers, and I don't even know him.

Why?

Why did Peter deny knowing Christ? Because he had a fear of man. And many of us struggle with this. So let's read Matthew 26 verses 31 through 35. This is the night on which Jesus was betrayed. Verse 31.

Then Jesus said to them, all of you, speaking to his disciples, all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.

But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. And Peter answered and said to him, even if all are made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble. And Jesus said to him, surely I say to you, this night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.

And Peter said to him, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And so said all the disciples.

Let's pray.

Lord, I pray that you would give us the strength to never deny you. Give us the ability to persevere in our faith. Help us to stand strong when we are pressured by others. Lord, we may never find ourselves in the same situation as Peter.

Maybe we will, maybe we won't. But Lord, we know this world is putting intense pressure on all of us to bend, to compromise, and even to deny you and what your word teaches. So Lord, we ask that you would lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

If we face a test, Lord, help us to stand firm for Christ's name's sake. And we pray this in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

Amen.

Taking Jesus at His Word

So in that passage that we just read, notice that Jesus warns them about what's to come. Jesus knows exactly what's going to happen. And he tells his disciples, this is what's going to take place. I'm going to be arrested and you're all going to scatter.

You're all going to run and hide. And he tells Peter, you're going to deny me. And they don't believe Jesus. And this is the thing that really gets me in studying. He's telling them what will happen, and they just don't believe him.

That's the way it seems. Jesus tells Peter directly, you will deny me three times. And what's Peter's response?

No, I won't.

That's unbelief, my friends. If Jesus says something, Peter's basically saying, you're wrong. No, I will not deny you. And, of course, he does. So this is the first problem. There are many people who read the words of Jesus.

They heard the words. But there's people today who read the words of Jesus. They hear the words of Jesus preached. So they just simply don't believe it. They wouldn't say they don't believe it. But in their heart of hearts, when it comes down to it, they don't really believe what Jesus said.

Or they don't really believe what the Bible says. So this is point number one. If Jesus says something, or if the scripture says something, we need to take it at face value. We need to take it seriously.

So if the Bible teaches something, certainly if Jesus teaches something, says something, we need to believe it. And we need to take it, here's what would be helpful, take it literally as if it were written to you.

Internalize it.

I quoted this verse from Proverbs 29, 25. The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Peter trusted in the Lord, but at least for this moment, at least at this time, when Jesus said, you will deny me, Peter was doubting.

Right?

Can we agree with that?

Peter was doubting. Let's keep reading. Verse 36, Matthew 26, 36. Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples, sit here while I go and pray over there. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, that's James and John, and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

And he said to them, my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me. I think it's implied, watch and pray. Jesus had taught them enough that they should be praying in a moment like this.

But he says, stay here and watch with me. And he went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed, saying, oh, my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.

Then he came to the disciples and found them staying awake, watching, praying. No, he found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, what? Now, I realize exclamation points are added by the English translators, but I think it gets the idea across.

Jesus, what are you doing?

What?

Could you not watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation, because the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak. This happens a couple of times. What do they do? They fall asleep.

They're not listening. Do they believe Jesus? Well, they're not doing what he says. So that would indicate they're not taking what he said seriously. So if there was ever a time that Peter needed to pray, it was right now.

It was right then. Presumably or hypothetically, if Peter had taken the warning of Christ seriously, if Peter had stayed awake, and if Peter had prayed, Lord, lead me not into temptation, presumably he wouldn't have denied him.

I guess I can't prove that, but that seems to be the indication. Now let's turn to John chapter 18. John 18. Most of you have heard this story, how Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Judas then shows up in the garden with a detachment of troops.

Jesus is arrested. He's hauled off to stand before the high priest for trial. So Peter and another disciple follow at a distance. John 18 verse 15 tells us that the other disciple, who is not named, but the other disciple with Peter was known to the high priest.

Most commentators believe that this anonymous disciple was the apostle John himself, because John does not refer to himself in his gospel. Remember, he is the disciple whom Jesus loved, but he doesn't say, hey, that's me.

He just is anonymous about it. So most people think that Peter is with John. That makes sense, because in the book of Acts, it's Peter and John. So most likely that's the case. So think about this. John is known to the high priest.

We would say today John has connections. We don't really know how. We don't really know what those connections were, but he is able to gain access into the courtyard of the high priest. To put that in modern terms, it's like John is known to the president.

John could get into White House grounds. I don't think John could get into White House grounds these days, but that's the idea. He had access to get close to this seat of power, and because Peter was with him, he was able to get Peter into the courtyard of the high priest.

Why?

Because they're curious. They want to see what's happening. They love Jesus. They obviously want to see him released and all the rest. But then something happens. Look at John 18, verses 17 and 18. Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, you are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?

What does he say?

I am not. Okay, so this is a denial of Christ. Are you a Christian? Me?

No. No.

You think any believer has been in a group of friends, coworkers, and they're bad-mouthing Christians? Well, you're not a Christian, are you?

No, not me.

You realize that's denying Christ. Well, that's what Peter does. He says, I am not. Now the servants, verse 18. Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coal stood there for it was cold and they warmed themselves.

And Peter stood with them and warmed himself. So he's just trying to blend in with everybody else. So this is the first denial. Jesus is inside being questioned by the high priest. He has already told his disciples that he is going to be betrayed, tried, you know, put to death.

And now it's all of a sudden starting to become real. And when this girl turns to Peter and says, hey, wait a minute, I recognize you. You're one of them. All of a sudden, the fear of man kicks in. That's what the problem is.

Peter is fearing man. So that leads him to deny Jesus.

Why?

Because he's realizing, hey, what Jesus said is true. This wasn't some metaphor or some parable. He actually was arrested. He's actually going to be tried. And it looks like he is going to be put to death.

And then Peter makes the connection. Uh-oh, I'm probably next. Or at least I could be next. So to get out of it, he lies. If you take notes, write this down. Every time we lie, that is us fearing man.

Why do you lie to people? Because you're afraid of what they're going to say, what they're going to do, what they're going to think. You know that God doesn't want you to lie. You're displeasing God when you lie, but you lie to try to wiggle out of something with other people.

So when you lie, that is the fear of man. Is it the fear of God? Well, you're not fearing God in that moment because you know God doesn't want you to lie. So anytime someone lies, that's the fear of man.

And what does the scripture say? Let God be true in every man, what?

A liar.

Everybody lies. That is the fear of man. So I would argue that everybody has this fear of man at least sometimes. But when it grows and you're just fearing man all the time, and what are people going to do, what could happen to me?

It's going to stunt your Christian walk, and it will be a great hindrance with a variety of things, including evangelism. Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Moores Cornick Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message, or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, moorescornickchurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.