Trial & Denial | Sermon 02/25/2024

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February 26, 2024

John 18:12-27 The narrative of Jesus’s trial is intertwined with Peter’s denial of Him. The faithfulness of Christ is contrasted to the faithlessness of Peter. Courage shines over cowardice. While Peter denies Christ three times, Jesus won’t deny His people the sacrifice He is about to make. Peter’s sin is therefore paid for on the cross. And so while his sin was great, the grace of God was greater still.

00:13: Okay, if you would please open your Bibles with me to John the gospel according to John We're in chapter 18 right now
00:24: John 18 We're gonna be in a bigger section of scripture today, but it's mostly narrative
00:30: And so that should be a bit easier to get through even though it's longer verses 12 through 27 the title of the sermon today is trial and denial
00:43: Trial and denial so starting in verse 12 the gospel according to John chapter 18 here now the inerrant and infallible words of the living and true
01:03: God so the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the
01:08: Jews arrested Jesus and bound him and Led him to Annas first for he was father -in -law of Caiaphas Who was high priest that year?
01:19: Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people
01:26: Simon Peter was following Jesus and so was another disciple Now that disciple was known to the high priest and entered with Jesus in the court of the high priest
01:37: But Peter was standing at the door outside So the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought
01:46: Peter in Then the slave girl who kept the door said to Peter. You are not also one of this man's disciples.
01:54: Are you? Peter said I am NOT Now the slaves and the officers were standing there having made a charcoal fire
02:02: For it was cold and they were warming themselves and Peter was also with them standing and warming himself
02:10: The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching
02:16: Jesus answered him. I've spoken openly to the world I have taught in synagogues and in the temple where all the
02:23: Jews come together and I spoke nothing in secret Why do you question me? Question those who have heard what
02:30: I spoke to them They know what I said and when he had said this one of the officers standing nearby struck
02:38: Jesus saying Is that the way you answer the high priest? Jesus answered him if I have spoken wrongly
02:45: Testify of the wrong, but if I rightly spoke, why do you strike me? So Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest
02:55: Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself So they said to him you are not also one of his one of his disciples.
03:03: Are you he denied it and said I am NOT One of the slaves of the high priest being a relative of the one whose ear
03:11: Peter cut off said Did I not see you in the garden with him? Peter then denied it again and immediately a rooster crowed
03:21: Thus ends the reading of God's holy and magnificent word Let's pray once more as God's people
03:30: Lord we come before your divine word We come and approach it with open hands ready to receive what you have for us today, we
03:45: Recognize as the Bible says your word is like bread Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from your mouth
03:55: Oh God, and so today Lord we come as your people ready to be filled Ready to be encouraged ready to be challenged corrected if need be and also edified
04:06: So Lord we ask today That you would help us to see That not only have we been like the questioning
04:15: Jews but we've been like the denying Peter and In both senses we need to be like Christ we need
04:27: The solution that Christ is about to offer very shortly after this text and so Lord, please
04:35: Be with us this day Help our focus and let us see your truth as your people.
04:46: We pray this in your name. Amen so last week
04:51: We saw Jesus Exarchimai was the word Jesus Exarchimai that was he went forth
04:59: He wasn't passively waiting for his hour to come he marched ahead to both his most glorious and equally most horrific work whilst on earth
05:15: He knew Judas would remember the Garden of Gethsemane. We saw that He knew
05:20: Judas would remember that Jesus often took his disciples to that garden to teach them
05:28: Jesus knew nightfall would be when they sought him. It would be easier that way
05:35: The Jews and the Romans were trying to avoid a riot Why because this
05:41: Jesus just the Sunday a few days before this Friday Came into the city riding on a donkey and it was the triumphal entry and they put palm branches down and they said
05:54: Hosanna Glory to God in the highest calling him a king and So what are they doing?
06:01: They don't want any of the Jews to wake up. They don't want to start a riot they come into the night a Roman cohort
06:08: He knew they were approaching if you remember that and this Roman cohort
06:14: Possibly 600 soldiers we talked about that. There was also Jewish temple officers slaves of the high priests
06:22: Jewish leaders They had lanterns torches swords clubs.
06:28: You name it. They were armed and ready, but these men Were no match for the divine glory that came forth from Jesus's voice
06:39: Do you remember? What do you say when they said we're here for Jesus the
06:44: Nazarene and he said what? Ego a me I am he said the name of God the divine name of God He identified himself in that moment as both the
06:57: Jesus from a city called Nazareth, but also at the same time He identified himself as the one true
07:04: God that they've never really known He is both all at once and with that powerful voice that creates life and raises the dead
07:15: The soldiers seeking him were what they were Knocked flat. He said
07:20: I am and boom with power. They fell back to the ground
07:25: I told you it was like an explosion, you know, when you see the explosion in a distance, you'll you'll often hear it
07:32: You'll see it But then all of a sudden it takes a little bit of time and then a shockwave comes and it knocks you back
07:37: Such was when Christ said I am An amazing divine moment, okay
07:48: Jesus was and still is at this point in complete control. He never lost it
07:54: Never will He has total control and authority even to this day at his word.
08:01: They seized him though It was only when he let them seize him at his word
08:07: Finally, they came upon him They seized him they arrested him and That chaotic scene we saw unfolded right in the garden that dark garden that night
08:20: Peter drew his sword Not in defense of God's plan, but opposition to it.
08:27: He acted in a hasty offense Such offense and violence will only bring death.
08:33: Jesus says that those who live by the sword will die by the sword He says he wasn't acting in defense.
08:39: It was offense. It was the wrong kind this is not the kind of defense
08:44: God is pleased with the kind that preserves life because Peter trying to keep
08:50: Jesus from the cross would result in total devastation to the fallen human race
08:56: If Peter were to grab Jesus and they were to run away and Jesus didn't go to that cross
09:03: He would not actually be preserving life he would be hurting it Well, Jesus was in control.
09:12: That wasn't gonna happen He commanded Peter put your sword back in its sheath.
09:19: And what did Peter do? He stopped He put his sword back in his sheath and according to Luke chapter 22.
09:26: We didn't go over this but Luke 22 Shows that Jesus in the midst of this crazy scene
09:34: Malchus the slave lost his ear When Peter brought his sword down and Jesus what in this moment?
09:41: it's like everything stops and Jesus is able to take his hand and put it on Malchus's ear and Healed it all the blood stopped
09:50: He was healed completely And some people debate what that means.
09:56: Does that does that mean that? Merely the blood stopped and it was cauterized and it was healed over and he still had no ear
10:03: I think when Jesus heals he heals completely. I Think he had a he had his ear back
10:11: Completely that's what Jesus does You know these people who were lame who were paralyzed on the ground.
10:17: He says get up Walk and they don't need months and months of physical therapy like we do
10:25: I fall off my skateboard and I need physical therapy. I'm getting so much older, right?
10:31: But they don't and so he heals completely. That's what he did with Malchus That's in Luke 22.
10:39: Thank God Peter's aim was horrible. Thank God Peter is not a swordsman, but a fisherman
10:45: Thank God he didn't do worse What if he would have killed Malchus, but he did not
10:53: Christ was in control and you would think that after all we have seen
10:59: Peter do and believe wrongly That this is the height of his of his ignorance and sin in the garden.
11:06: However, as we will see today, that is not the case The narrative of Jesus's trial and Peter's denial is unlike the synoptic synoptic
11:16: Gospels That's Matthew Mark and Luke. It's not like them This is completely different John has decided to relay this account in a different way
11:27: There are essentially four acts to this text four scenes
11:34: Four scenes to this text. Okay, it starts with Jesus and then it goes to Peter Then it leaves
11:42: Peter and it goes back to Jesus, but it'll end with Peter Jesus Peter Jesus Peter four acts to this text right here four acts to this chronicle.
11:54: I Think John did this very much on purpose. Okay Not just in keeping with proper sequence,
12:02: I Think John wanted to show us something even deeper than that You see
12:08: John juxtaposes Peter's lying and shame
12:14: To Jesus's truthful testimony and glory. Okay truth against falsehood glory against shame
12:27: Faithlessness is contrasted to faithfulness Courage is contrasted against cowardice
12:38: In a way though as I told you Peter represents us all Peter represents us all deniers cowards
12:49: Seekers of self those Who have loft and often looked in our lives for self -preservation?
12:57: Over sacrificing ourself for anything or anyone that's who we've been and Within mere hours
13:05: Jesus knowing that we are all like Peter or even worse Jesus would represent us on the cross and That's what's hard to fathom.
13:15: Not that Peter could mess up even more That makes sense. So Peter messes up even more.
13:23: I Would do the same What doesn't make sense is with all that?
13:29: Jesus would still go to the cross. He would still what do what he has to do. Okay so with all that said
13:37: Let's get into it look at verses 12 through 14 so the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the
13:44: Jews arrested Jesus and bound him and Led him to Annas first for he was the father -in -law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year now
13:57: Caiaphas was the one who advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people
14:03: Okay So the Roman cohort came right We see that right here the
14:10: Roman core cohort are still in this scene, but now we see someone new we see a commander in the
14:16: Greek Kiliarkos which is literally a conjunction of combination of two words it literally means a leader of a thousand a
14:28: Leader of a thousand is present here. This is a Fairly high -ranking official
14:34: Within the Roman army if he is a leader of 1 ,000 then the 600 soldiers number
14:41: Becomes very likely. Okay Still still though nothing compared to what the the 72 ,000 angels that Jesus said he could call at his disposal
14:52: Nothing like it Nothing like it at all. So you have Romans you have commanders you have the officers of the
15:00: Jews you have slaves You have priests the one thing that these two groups these
15:07: Romans and Jews have in common is Complete spiritual blindness
15:15: Doesn't matter who you are They have complete spiritual blindness and they have all participated in this arrest and Murder eventually of Jesus in one way or the other so you have the most powerful political entity at that time
15:32: With arguably one of the most powerful religious entities over the years over the centuries
15:39: The world powers are coming together the Jews of the one true
15:46: God the Romans Who've taken over the greater part of the world these two world powers are coming together against the
15:54: Messiah the Messiah of God Why are the nations in an uproar and the people's plotting a vain thing the kings of the earth of the earth take their
16:03: Stand and the rulers take counsel together against the I am and against his Christ.
16:09: That's psalm 2 And so what did they do it says here they arrested and shackled
16:16: Jesus They bound Jesus. I Think there's an interesting parallel here.
16:24: Okay What is one of the most important Old Testament images that you could ever see it's in the book of Genesis Someone being bound someone being tied up If you have
16:39: Isaac on your mind, that's exactly what it is Christ is the picture of Abraham Willing to offer up Isaac his one and only son.
16:50: That's the parallel Genesis 22 9 says Abraham When he was about to offer
16:55: Isaac Bound him to the altar What just happened to Jesus Jesus was just bound
17:02: Isaac was bound to the altar Bound God was gracious You know the story and he spared
17:11: Isaac and provided what there was a ram in the thicket So he he was bringing the he was bringing the knife down Abraham Abraham Here I am
17:22: Lord don't do it for the Lord this day has provided a ram for you
17:28: God went on to say I Wanted to see a demonstration of your faith now.
17:34: I know That you are faithful Abraham. You are faithful to me then from then on According to Psalm 118 27 we read bind the sacrifice with cords on the horns of the altar
17:48: There is something about binding there's something about being bound with sacrifices
17:56: Jesus being bound even though he's simply a rabbi. What is Jesus gonna do?
18:02: Run away when there's 600 men around him. They're binding him to fulfill prophecy to fulfill scripture
18:08: He's being bound like a sacrifice. Okay Isaac if you remember in Genesis 22 had asked his father father
18:18: Where is the lamb for the offering? We're about to offer an animal.
18:25: Where's the lamb for the offering and Abraham said what Abraham said son? God will provide for himself
18:34: The lamb for the offering God himself will provide the lamb for the offering and I Find it interesting
18:45: That it was a ram that was offered and the text never says the lamb was given then it never says that it never says
18:52: The lamb was given. It says a ram was given and I think because Isaac's Question is finally answered here in this moment
19:01: Jesus is bound. Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God Here was the
19:07: Lord's provision from from thousands of years earlier father Where is the lamb for the offering?
19:17: God will provide for himself the lamb for the offering. When was this answered right now?
19:23: Jesus is bound and being brought before these judges and rulers and kings and he will be put on a cross
19:30: Because he is the lamb You see Christ was bound so that you would never be
19:39: Christ lost his freedom so that you would be set free That's the reality of what
19:45: Jesus has done here. John tells us that Jesus was first taken to Annas the father -in -law of Caiaphas Now, why is that?
19:55: If Caiaphas is the high priest Why is Jesus going to Annas first?
20:01: You see at this time in Judea the priesthood was all messed up According to historical record
20:09: Annas was high priest from AD 6 until AD 15.
20:14: It's a short reign. In fact, that is unusual in Jewish history
20:20: You see under the Mosaic legislation under the the law of Moses a high priest was what according to the
20:27: Bible? Was to reign until he died a high priest was to have that office until he died
20:34: Then another was to take over They weren't supposed to change priests until that happened.
20:46: So Valerius Gratis Pontius Pilate's predecessor Removed Annas from his position.
20:52: Okay, a Roman man a Roman leader removed Annas from his position as high priest.
21:00: Okay, hang with me in fact Annas had five sons and All five of Annas's sons what they became high priest as well but they had short short terms short terms as high priest and So the the
21:22: Romans would make the Jews rotate in and out of this religious office as often as they wanted
21:28: So that one man didn't have more power or influence than the
21:35: Roman officials You get that you see if you keep changing the high priest
21:41: Whose leader over the Jews if you keep removing him and taking him out if you don't let him Stay in that position until death
21:48: Then the people don't become so endeared to him or follow him so much or there's an issue where?
21:55: The people are following the high priest over the Roman the Roman governor things like that So they would remove them and they would go against the law of God And so the
22:04: Jews had to participate in this as the Romans occupied their land so But what ended up happening is
22:16: A powerhouse family got religious control of the priesthood a powerhouse family
22:21: Annas was at the very top and he liked it that way
22:26: Okay That is some that is why sometimes the Gospels you'll see the
22:32: Gospels sometimes say that Annas and Caiaphas were both high priests, but there weren't two high priests at any given time
22:39: It's a while Annas was still alive because he he didn't die Even though he was removed from that office the people still saw him as a hype as the high priest
22:49: So it was both at the same time. I Honestly think Annas liked this.
22:55: He was the high high priest Out of the limelight, you know behind the scenes.
23:01: He was at the top Five sons were high priests then we see here Caiaphas His daughter married
23:09: Caiaphas and what does he do? He's out of sons. So he goes to his son -in -law. Hey, you're gonna be high priest
23:16: And so you have this Annas he's at the very top the people largely still consider
23:23: Annas to be the the remaining high priest he is the higher high priest and So what's interesting you want to hear something about what the people thought about his family the
23:36: Jewish Talmud which has all these the the Jewish traditions and and laws that are
23:44: You know extra biblical they're outside of the Bible the Jew the Jewish Talmud has a
23:50: Really amazing passage on Annas and his family and the public opinion of him.
23:55: This is what people thought of Annas It says this Woe to the house of Annas Woe to their serpents hiss like a snake.
24:06: They are high priests The sons of Annas are keepers of the Treasury the son -in -law are guardians of the temple and their servants beat the people with staves quite a reputation of Annas and his family and So Jesus went to this man first Jesus went to Annas first.
24:28: This wasn't an official proceeding It was time for Jesus to be brought before the religious mafioso
24:35: You've got to go before the big guy Jesus you've got to answer to him John then mentions the time in chapter 11
24:44: When the chief priests and Pharisees came together as the Sanhedrin To discuss what to do with him
24:51: You remember they said in John chapter 11 this man's performing many signs What are we going to do if we let
24:58: Jesus go on like this all people will believe and what was their fear? Their fear was what that the
25:04: Romans? They said would take away our positions and would take away our state if we let
25:11: Jesus keep going In other words, we're gonna lose our power We're gonna lose our power if we let this
25:17: Jesus continue going and this priestly group Loves its power
25:24: Caiaphas then unknowingly Prophesied that it was expedient for one man to die for the people and that the whole nation not perish
25:34: We talked about the fact that the high priest Caiaphas wasn't a proponent of Substitutionary atonement he had no idea
25:45: Murder was on the mind of Caiaphas. That's what he said. It's expedient It's good for us if one man die instead of affecting the whole nation and so John's purpose in mentioning this link is
26:02: To link together Caiaphas and Annas the priests of God Men who are to be so Discerning of God's will and God's Word and God's law are
26:15: Trying to put to death the Son of God That's radical The men who are supposed to be so in tune with God and his law and his character and his word
26:28: Are the ones actually seeking to put to death the Son of God So that was act 1 act 1 is complete.
26:36: That was Jesus Act 1 is over next scene act 2 moves from Jesus to Peter look at verses 15 and 16
26:46: Simon Peter was following Jesus and so was another disciple now that disciple was known to the high priest and Entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, but Peter was standing at the door outside so the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought
27:07: Peter in So Peter was following After Jesus and this isn't following in the kind of devoted sense in which a disciple follows his rabbi
27:21: He's not following like that right now Peter is in a sense stalking
27:27: From afar from some length of distance. In fact mark chapter 14 verse 54
27:34: Records that Peter had followed Jesus and the word is from a distance from from far away.
27:40: Okay, and Peter follows right to this priestly courtyard Annas and Caiaphas and Other high priests had homes in Jerusalem.
27:53: Okay, Annas Caiaphas all his family They had homes right here in Jerusalem that were in that same
28:01: Perimeter together so that these priests they had separate homes But they shared this one courtyard, okay
28:06: They had the priestly grounds these powerful men owned these homes and some of history even records that Some of these homes were even luxurious in a way their homes are in such close proximity
28:25: That moving Jesus from Annas to Caiaphas later was a simple task
28:31: You know some people have said wait John records that Jesus goes to Annas But then he goes to Caiaphas.
28:37: How can that happen? They must be so far away No, no, no, the priestly living quarters the houses and they share that one priestly courtyard
28:45: They're right there. So you could easily do something like this and move Jesus to the other
28:51: To the other high priest you could easily hold a secret trial if you needed to stir and wake other priests, that would be easy and The citizens of Jerusalem would be none the wiser
29:04: No problem, they won't know So we have Peter finding his way into the priestly courtyard not too close to Jesus so that he isn't associated with him
29:15: But also not too far Because Peter wants to see what happens He wants to see what happens now.
29:24: We see there's also someone referred to here as another disciple This other disciple was known by the high priest and he was able to get
29:33: Peter in To the priest private grounds. Okay Some scholars have sought to identify this other
29:43: Disciple of Jesus who helped Peter out. Okay Some have said that this is simply an unknown
29:50: Jerusalem follower of Christ. We don't know who he is Some have thought that this was
29:57: Nicodemus From John 3 and other sections of Scripture some believe that this was maybe
30:03: Joseph of Arimathea He had a connection with the high priest with high up people.
30:09: He got Peter in I Personally think that this
30:16: Another or other disciple is one in the same of the one in this book who is called
30:23: The disciple whom Jesus loved the beloved disciple the other disciple the another disciple
30:32: The one who didn't want his name remembered in his own gospel when he wrote it.
30:38: I think that this is John. I Think this is John. He's never identified himself before he's not going to do it again now
30:46: The question is though. How would a fisherman have a connection with the high priest family, right?
30:53: That is something that we have to kind of get over and understand
30:58: How could he gain such privileged access to the high priest grounds? And I'll tell you what
31:06: Because the Bible doesn't say it. We don't ultimately know We don't know there is evidence though that Zebedee John's father
31:17: Was a business owner of this fishing Company in the north his services could have been used
31:27: The Levites and the priests had to use other people to bring in supplies They could have had a connection with John's father
31:34: Zebedee. Maybe they had an acquainted Acquaintanceship, maybe John was brought with his father sometimes to the priestly grounds.
31:41: They knew each other things like that because the fact is Priests and high priests.
31:49: It's not like clergymen today. You see clergymen and not a lot of them have any skilled labors
31:56: Right. They're just religious men, but that wasn't the way back then it was expected that if you were a priest you would have a skilled trade
32:05: We say we see that with Paul who was a who was a Pharisee who was a leather worker and a tent maker.
32:11: Okay There wasn't such a separation as we see today with the white -collar professional crowd and the blue -collar
32:20: Laborer crowd that wasn't what the case was. They they often mix it and so it's possible that the high priest
32:27: Labored in some way with John's family and John did the same There's another possibility though John and James's mother was believed to be
32:39: Salome Salome was according to scripture sisters with Mary the mother of Jesus and so The fact is if you kind of put the correlation together there, that's right.
32:59: John may be the younger cousin of Jesus John may be the younger cousin of Jesus Mary, of course had relation to who?
33:09: Elizabeth Elizabeth who was of the priestly family and so was
33:14: Salome Salome if Salome is sisters with Mary then Elizabeth is
33:19: Salome's cousin as well Elizabeth was of the Levite priestly family the family of Aaron and married to who?
33:28: Elizabeth was married to Zacharias who was a priest and So it's possible
33:35: That these family gatherings entailed mingling with the priestly family of Annas Okay with that connection
33:45: You see many of these people were related. They were distant cousins They were cousins, you know
33:53: Once removed things like that that was that that was very natural to happen in that time. And so John was even able to Talk to the doorkeeper and let
34:04: Peter in John and John didn't try to kill anyone in the garden John didn't try to kill anyone in the garden.
34:10: He stood there. He didn't have the same worries as Jesus and You know, what's interesting is this makes sense possibly because what we see
34:21: John later in this gospel He's at the cross with Mary Jesus's mother
34:28: Do you remember that Interaction where he calls him to take care of his mother John was present so it seems like John could have possibly been here at this moment and Followed Jesus all the way to the cross
34:42: But in humility, he never mentions it But we can't give
34:47: John too much credit because he also went back to his old life Later on he went back to fishing
34:55: When he thought that Jesus was dead in the grave And so we can't give John that much credit.
35:01: Nevertheless. This was possibly John who let Peter in so It's pitch black
35:07: It's in the middle of the night in the courtyard of the high priest. Jesus has been taken to Annas He is once again the higher high priest while Caiaphas is technically high priest
35:20: And John speaks with the doorkeeper and she recognizes the one she's letting in She knows
35:28: Look at verse 17 Then the slave girl who kept the door said to Peter you are not also one of this man's disciples
35:36: Are you Peter said I am not That's number one.
35:42: That's first denial of Peter number one Seeing as how she knew
35:47: John and John was clearly a disciple of Jesus Christ for three years the doorkeeper girl assumes
35:55: Peter is of like association It's possible the way the servant girl asked the question was in a cautionary way implying the danger
36:04: To be lumped in with the one who was just arrest You're not also one of his disciples.
36:10: Are you? Maybe she said it in a mocking way or a cynical way, but all that really doesn't matter.
36:17: Okay Looking around at his surroundings Fearing man
36:24: Intimidated by having no familiarity with the priestly families Remembering that Malchus was somewhere around here
36:32: Malchus was a slave of the high priest. It's like Malchus is around. I just sliced off his ear
36:38: Word may have taken flight and gone around to everyone that one of the disciples in that garden
36:45: Where this Jesus and of Nazareth just got arrested one of those disciples just brought out his sword sliced off one of the slaves ears word got around All of it and more.
37:03: This is what Peter's thinking about. He fears man. He sees the priest
37:08: He doesn't have the connection. He just maimed Malchus he's worried about all these things
37:15: It's sin It's sin. It's just egregious sin It's sin all this caused
37:25: Peter to begin his shameful decline Okay He denied that he was a follower of Jesus Christ.
37:34: He was no pupil to the teacher No student to the master No apostle of God if Jesus is the
37:43: I am Peter is the I am NOT He is the opposite he said
37:49: I'll lay down my life for you and Here Peter reverses that actually it's got to be
37:55: Jesus who lays down his life for him. That's a failed promise by Peter He will not lay down his life right here, and he wasn't just following at a distance now
38:06: Not just physically Peters now spiritually in a sense
38:13: Trying to create distance between him and Jesus have you ever found yourself in a situation when someone asks you something and You create distance between you and Jesus you ever done that before This isn't something we do in front of church people with the church face on This is something we maybe do at our work
38:40: With family with friends It is terribly evil when they specifically ask about our beliefs, and then you might just say well
38:54: Christianity is Just one option that suited me. It's good enough for me, but I understand
39:02: It's not always good enough for other people you may have your beliefs It was just what I needed at the time in my life
39:11: We have to come to a place where we would more greatly fear the disappointed expression of Jesus than the scorn of our peers
39:22: And think about it This was just a slave girl This is just a slave girl
39:29: Peter was tempted to self -preservation in front of a slave girl who kept the door
39:36: And that's how temptation comes doesn't it? That's how temptation comes before you and I can muster up any courage or ignite our defenses
39:48: Okay, this is what I should do. This is what I believe remember remember Gird up your loins build it up But when we're in our moments of weakness
39:58: Those shocking and unexpected blows hit us unaware that specifically bring out our natural and sinful reactions
40:08: You see when you and I get warned about a challenge We have time to prepare
40:14: You mentally get ready. Okay. Okay this time. I'm really gonna tell My brother about Christ And you spend weeks and you ask people to pray for you and you're in the word and you're like God I give it to you, but I've got to do it.
40:30: I'm gonna do it but when these moments come up and We haven't looked through the arsenal and we haven't picked out a weapon and we haven't gotten ready when we haven't done that in a split -second
40:47: Peter denies Christ to a slave girl that quick No time to think
40:54: Self -preservation Verse 18 tells us after this now the slaves and the officers were standing there having made a charcoal fire for it was cold
41:05: And they were warming themselves and Peter's was also with them standing and warming himself this
41:14: This warming scene this fire warming scene is also depicted in Mark and Luke It confirms that this was indeed in the middle of the night
41:25: Remember you got to think think about even the Springs here when spring comes you can have a warm day
41:34: What happens when the Sun goes down and the and you have the the temperature swing Still in April or May it can be it can be chilly here at night
41:43: So the same thing's taking place here. This is around Passover time. This is around March and Jerusalem is at twenty five hundred feet in elevation
41:54: They're not at sea level. They're up there. They're on a small mountain. And so boom night comes they're cold
42:01: You have all these slaves and soldiers warming themselves at this fire, okay
42:07: But what this also shows us this also proves that this trial that they're having and This questioning they're conducting is illegal.
42:19: It is illegal Jewish trials were not allowed to be held at night never
42:27: And they were especially not allowed to be held in secret and this is where at this moment at night in this dark place where loopholes may be found in the law and The law may be bent for their purposes.
42:40: This is perfect that night They can't be held accountable by the people
42:46: This is illegal This allows murder for take place for murder to take place
42:55: But what is interesting as we end act two with Peter is that after his denial of Christ he doesn't simply leave
43:03: You know, I don't know about you some some people I've heard people say this
43:08: They said after I denied Christ once I would have left. I don't know what
43:15: I would do But some people have said that I would have left But Peter stays
43:23: Peter stays MacArthur says Peter is trapped between fear and love. He doesn't want to leave but he doesn't want he doesn't want to get any closer
43:32: And so what is Peter doing? He's warming himself trying to remove discomfort
43:40: When we deny Christ we often want to remove discomfort remove the sick feelings feel better warm yourself
43:48: But there's only one way to truly do that We'll look at that. We'll look at that a bit later.
43:55: So moving on now to act three Scene number three the scene has gone from Jesus to Peter and Now back to Jesus.
44:04: This is act number three of this drama Verses 19 through 24 starting with verse 19
44:14: The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching
44:21: So Annas is questioning Jesus According to one commentator. It was an essential regulation of Jewish law
44:29: That a prisoner must be asked no questions Which by answering would be an admission of guilt
44:38: You see is in the Bible and in Jewish law. You have the right to not self incriminate
44:45: They are not supposed to be questioning Jesus this is also illegal
44:51: So first of all the high priest who is the judge says to Jesus tell me about your disciples
44:59: Tell me about your teaching He has no right to do that He has no right to ask that He has no right to question him at all.
45:08: He is presumed innocent until he is proven guilty and Jesus cannot be the proof that's in that's in our law today.
45:16: You cannot be the proof When charges are brought against you that's illegal.
45:21: So there must be witnesses who have brought charges This has never been about the law or justice or a fair trial.
45:30: This is a murder plot Annas asked Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
45:38: What why does he ask those things in particular? I Think the first one is to gauge for them how widespread
45:46: Jesus is teaching is Who are your disciples Where are your disciples?
45:56: How much do they follow you? How much do they support you? Who are your followers? How many need to be quieted as well?
46:06: How many are we up against who and where are these men and women? How many can the priests and Pharisees expect to oppose them after they kill the
46:15: Lord Jesus? That's what they want to gauge. How widespread is this? Yeah, they asked him about his disciples.
46:22: How many need to be unconverted? How many do we need to? Get rid of if we have to Which leads to the second question, what is your teaching about?
46:34: What is your teaching about? You see the primary nature of their concern was not what
46:39: Jesus was teaching about them, but what he was teaching about himself Why?
46:47: Because in their eyes The priests of God are the mediators between God and man.
46:53: They're the mediators They get to go into the Holy of Holies They get to have the authority of God's Word and law.
47:02: They get that They were the ones seen as consecrated before the people
47:08: They got to bring in the sacrifice and make atonements for sin. What Jesus teaches is not a fulfillment of all those things in their eyes, but an interference a rejection a desecration of what they get to do
47:25: They fear losing their roles and their power you see because Jesus is the rightful high priest
47:32: He is the God of the Holy of Holies He is the one meteor between God and man
47:40: He is the spotless Lamb who makes atonement for sin not many times over and over again
47:47: Jesus makes atonement for sin once and for all as the book of Hebrews says and most of all
47:54: What we have seen in John's gospel is just what they charged him with In John chapter 5 they said this man makes himself out to be equal with God He sure does
48:08: He is the I am He is the way to the Father's house.
48:13: Not these men They want to be the solution They are the hindrance
48:20: The solution sits right in front of them. So Jesus answers
48:25: Annas perfectly look at this verses 20 and 21 Jesus answered Annas.
48:32: I have spoken openly to the world I always taught in synagogues and in the temple where all the
48:37: Jews come together and I spoke nothing in secret Why do you question me question those who have heard what
48:44: I spoke to them? You know what I said So concerning his disciples
48:51: Jesus says what when they ask him about his disciples. What does Jesus say nothing?
48:57: nothing He won't give them that in for met that information. He'll die with that information
49:04: What do you say? I've guarded them and I've kept them until the end. He won't give them up He won't say a word about whose disciples are in I'm sorry.
49:19: Oh Here we go. Now Jesus Isn't saying he didn't sometimes have private discussions with his disciples
49:28: He did Jesus did have private discussions with his disciples. In fact the past couple of months.
49:34: We've been seeing in the farewell discourse Jesus speaking privately with these men That's not what he's saying.
49:42: What he's saying is what he has taught his disciples. He spoke the same things to the world
49:48: He's spoken openly about what he teaches Unlike what is happening right now
49:57: With this faux trial Jesus was not secret about what he is
50:02: Who he is or what he came to do Jesus isn't secret about it He was open about it
50:08: Jesus didn't have one message for the disciples and then one message for other people.
50:14: He's not double -tongued He's not double -minded What he's given the world
50:19: He's given his disciples what he's given his disciples he's given to the world
50:26: And you might say well, what about the things he said in the farewell discourse? There's several chapters Jesus merely expanded on things.
50:32: He had already talked about his whole ministry with them It's been open to everyone
50:39: He taught the people in their arenas. He says he taught in the synagogues.
50:45: He taught in the temple Where do priests and rabbis go synagogues and temples
50:52: Don't they have one single person here who could bring a legitimate charge?
51:01: So what is Jesus doing? He's opposing this injustice
51:07: He doesn't need to answer these questions And at other points in the other
51:13: Gospels, he will be silent and he's allowed to be a lamb
51:20: Silent before its cheers, but right here he is saying bring on the witnesses against me
51:27: Bring them on. I have spoken openly Ask the people yourself Ask them
51:35: Find something wrong with my teaching do it orderly and us Do it legally and us
51:45: Even so witnesses for the defendant were brought out first then witnesses against in Jewish law.
51:52: You know that Witnesses were always for the defendant were brought out first And then witnesses against so that you wouldn't hear the argument against the defendant and then have your mind framed with the accusations
52:06: You would hear first righteous defense of the person being charged then act people who are witnesses and would bring
52:15: Charges then came second that was Jewish law They're doing it differently But they have no witnesses
52:24: Even while sovereignly Jesus knows where this is going having predestined it himself
52:30: He still calls out injustice He knows he must go to the cross, but I love how
52:36: Jesus will always do the right thing. He'll still call out injustice He does not self -incriminate
52:44: He'll show us how it ought to be done in Matthew 26 59 through 60.
52:49: It says Now the chief priests in the whole council kept trying to obtain false
52:55: Testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death They were looking even now for false testimony
53:04: Who would come up and give a false word against this man who's going to come up?
53:10: And it says in Matthew 26. They did not find any Even though many false witnesses came forward
53:22: No legitimate ones really did and so Jesus was right in John chapter 15 25
53:28: He said they hate me without a cause They hate me without a cause Doesn't matter what
53:34: Jesus does or does not say they want him dead Even if it meant using false witness and a false trial to do so lying and false witness then
53:48: When you think about it is of the same class of sin that brought about our
53:53: Lord's death False witness and lying brought about our Lord's death So we ought to think about that next time we lie or bear false witness.
54:02: It was the sin that brought about his death So, let's see what happened after Jesus said these things look at verses 22 and 23
54:11: When Jesus had said this one of the officers standing nearby struck him Saying is that the way you answer the high priest
54:19: Jesus answered him if I have spoken wrongly testify of the wrong But if rightly why do you strike me?
54:27: So the officer understood Jesus's challenge his righteous challenge to Annas and was quick to punish him for it this word
54:38: Rapids ma means to give a sharp blow to the face with the flat of the hand
54:47: And as Peter said later in his epistle, although Jesus was reviled
54:52: He did not revile in return, but at the same time Jesus is no coward Jesus was no coward
55:01: You see when he got struck in the face he did not cower before them He did not cower before them.
55:09: He didn't plead before them. This is strength
55:16: Demonstrated under unwarranted punishment some men would say Yeah, if anyone ever were to slap me
55:25: I'd come after them If anyone were to slap me I'd get them back and I get them harder if anyone were to slap me that make me look like a weak man
55:35: But on the contrary It's because Jesus has restraint
55:43: That he is seen as incredibly strong What he is capable of but doesn't unleash
55:52: That's true strength Having the power to go after these men, but withholding it you see there are times to defend yourself and There are times to take the blows
56:07: That's true You see that example in Scripture in Micah chapter 5 when the prophet talks about a ruler who were come forth from Bethlehem This ruler whose days are from eternity and this is the
56:21: Messiah one born in Bethlehem The first verse to that prophecy is also fulfilled in Christ.
56:29: It says with a rod they will smite the judge of Israel on the cheek and The root word of rapids my rapids ma is rod.
56:39: In fact This goes together This is being fulfilled in Christ one commentator says
56:46: Jesus did not call anyone names He had nothing for which to apologize to them
56:53: Nor was Jesus refusing to turn the other cheek That ought to be clear with the fact that he went to the cross
57:02: But turning the other cheek Without bearing witness to the truth is not the fruit of moral resolution
57:09: But the terrorized cowardice of a wimp The theologian says in other words
57:16: Jesus is not sorry for telling the truth Even though he did not fight back, even though he didn't say a bad word against these men
57:28: Jesus still told the truth No matter the cost we should never be sorry for telling the truth and So justice at this point has to release him
57:43: Justice says We've got to let this man go. There are no witnesses. There is no crime.
57:49: There is no indictment. There is no arraignment But instead what what happens verse 24 anise sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest
57:59: They can't release him Not when they want him dead. They sent him bound to anise's son -in -law
58:07: Caiaphas This was to be handled easily by the high priest anise, but Jesus is this is what's amazing anise is the religious mafioso
58:18: Jesus comes before him, but Jesus is so astute so wise
58:25: And the way he answers and the way he handles the situation anise is like okay, I'm sending him to my son -in -law the high priest and the
58:37: Sanhedrin will be called which is The assembly of the Jewish leaders
58:43: Sadducees Pharisees priests They are the high court. So to speak.
58:48: They'll be assembled in the dead of night something unheard of Never before as the
58:53: Sanhedrin come together in the middle of night. This is unlawful This is unlawful these
59:01: Sadducees Pharisees and priests would decide Jesus's fate or so they thought
59:08: He does nothing he obeys no man he goes willingly
59:14: And now to the final act the final scene act 4 of our narrative tonight
59:21: So you had Jesus bound act 1 Peter denied Christ act 2
59:27: Christ Interrogated and slapped in the face struck in the face act 3
59:32: And now we finish this drama with act 4 ending with Peter once more so We see we return to the fire in the courtyard where Peter was last seen warming himself on this cold night
59:48: He doesn't want to be at Jesus's side nor does he want to leave exactly he is stuck in limbo.
59:53: Look at verse 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself
01:00:01: So they said to him You are not also one of his his disciples.
01:00:06: Are you and he denied it and said I am not That's denial number two
01:00:14: Jewish slaves and officers were standing by the same fire that Peter was at word has gotten around quickly
01:00:21: About Malchus being accosted in the garden when they arrested Jesus the Nazarene Maybe word of Jesus even healing
01:00:29: Malchus went around too and Peter thought it was dark enough in the garden That they wouldn't recognize him
01:00:37: It was dark enough Possibly but now they see him Are you not one of his disciples also?
01:00:47: This pronoun in his disciples is in the is in the genitive which implies possession.
01:00:53: Do you belong to this Jesus? Do you belong to Jesus Christ? No Are you one of his the one being questioned right now?
01:01:05: I'm not are you not one of his followers the one up there with the high priest?
01:01:12: I don't belong to him That's what he says. He denied him the word specifically used here is
01:01:22: Erna seto denied Jesus uses this word as well
01:01:28: And we'll look at that shortly in the conclusion, but look at verses 26 and 27 our last verses for the night
01:01:36: One of the slaves of the high priest being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off Said did
01:01:43: I not see you in the garden with him? Peter then denied it again and immediately a rooster crowed
01:01:53: So sure enough He was recognized from the garden act with the sword, okay perhaps in this moment
01:02:03: They're standing around this fire and maybe someone a soldier put in a fresh log and the fire flared and all of a sudden a light shone on Peters face and it's like oh, oh
01:02:14: I Do recognize you? You were that one from the garden.
01:02:20: I'm the relative of Malchus the one whose ear you cut off Yeah, you were there
01:02:27: I was there too I saw you You're not one of his disciples also and he denied it he denied it
01:02:36: I'm not Peter denied it again and immediately the rooster crowed
01:02:52: Everything happened just as Jesus said it would still in control who's in control over this whole thing
01:03:00: Jesus Luke's gospel gives us another angle of this moment
01:03:05: So the Lord was as we saw in verse 24. The Lord was bound. He left
01:03:11: Annas he was being escorted to Caiaphas and My understanding is that as Jesus was bound he was taken across the courtyard.
01:03:20: Where was Peter? He was around a fire in the courtyard Jesus is being escorted through the same courtyard
01:03:28: And so as Peter denied Christ for the thirst for the third time listen to this
01:03:34: Luke 22 61 through 62 says then the Lord turned and he looked at Peter in the face and Peter remembered the word of the
01:03:46: Lord How he had told him before the rooster crows today you will deny me three times and Peter went out and he wept bitterly
01:03:59: Peter just denies him the third time He's at the fire warming himself
01:04:06: Jesus was being escorted taken down through the stairs out the door across the courtyard
01:04:13: Going over to Caiaphas Sanhedrin was about to be called and at that exact moment and He denied him.
01:04:23: I do not know him another another gospel says that he cursed to change the way he sounded
01:04:29: He cursed to make him sound different And he curses he says
01:04:34: I don't know him that moment Jesus turns and looks at him in the face.
01:04:40: I mean, can you imagine? Can you imagine? well
01:04:50: Church, I hope you saw the immense Contrast that the Apostle John was trying to show us between Jesus and Peter Some have even asked though.
01:05:01: What makes Judas different from Peter? Judas betrayed
01:05:06: Jesus and there's no doubt Peter betrayed Jesus as well
01:05:12: I'll be in a different way, but he betrayed Jesus. What is the difference between Judas and Peter?
01:05:20: love That's not to be something that's corny That's real.
01:05:28: That's love Peter had actual love for his master Judas did not
01:05:34: Judas hated Jesus and That love that Peter had for Jesus gave way to true regret and repentance
01:05:46: Judas though went out Saw no hope and what says he hung himself
01:05:54: He hung himself. The reality is as others have rightly said though Peter cannot follow cannot truly follow
01:06:04: Jesus until Jesus has died for him Peter cannot truly follow
01:06:10: Jesus until Jesus has died for him first That's what's that's what's got to happen
01:06:19: Peter denied the Lord and it brings to mind Jesus's word on denial.
01:06:24: What is what is Jesus's words on denial Matthew 10 32 through 33? Therefore everyone who confesses me before men.
01:06:32: I will also confess him before my father who is in heaven But here it is, but whoever denies me before men
01:06:41: I will also deny him before my father who is in heaven You see it's one thing to sometimes not have boldness about Christ That's gonna happen.
01:06:55: We're sinners But it's an entirely different thing to make your own life a priority higher than serving honoring worshiping and obeying and confessing
01:07:08: Christ First Corinthians chapter 12 verse 3 says therefore
01:07:13: I made known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God can say Jesus is a curse and Then on the flip side and no one can say
01:07:22: Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit Now you might think what's stopping an unbeliever?
01:07:31: From saying the phrase Jesus is Lord out loud number one
01:07:38: It must be believed and true inside of someone as well as outside of them
01:07:44: It doesn't matter if someone says the words, they're not an incantation It's an outward expression of the reality that is inside But number two
01:07:52: Paul is talking about a time and context in which saying that phrase out loud saying
01:07:58: Jesus is Lord out loud could cost you your life pretty quickly and To be able to say
01:08:05: Jesus is Lord to be able to confess him and not deny him is a power of the
01:08:11: Holy Spirit Within a believer. That's what he's saying. No one can say Jesus is Lord Except by the
01:08:16: Holy Spirit and what was Peter waiting for? Who was
01:08:21: Peter waiting for? Peter was waiting for as Jesus promised in John 14 and John 16 the one who we call the paraclete
01:08:31: The helper the Spirit of truth. They were waiting for the Spirit of truth to come upon them no one can say
01:08:38: Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit and it be true and They mean it and Peter was waiting for that the
01:08:46: Spirit gives us the grace to not deny Christ But this isn't just the gun to the head, you know, do you remember back?
01:08:55: I remember as a teenager seeing images of Al Qaeda and and these terrorists and you saw
01:09:01: Christians with bags over their head and they Were kneeling in the desert and they had the gun to the head and they were told to deny
01:09:07: Christ and then they were shot And that's often what we think about when we see that verse, right?
01:09:14: We think of that gun to the head moment Oh goodness, I will not deny Christ But it's not always like that in many ways large and small
01:09:26: You and I may have denied him the difference Like Peter we repent we ask for forgiveness we course correct we exercise boldness once again because that's the thing denying
01:09:41: Christ So as to be denied in heaven is not an accident.
01:09:47: It's not something you just stumble upon It's someone it's something that someone does when in apostasy
01:09:55: The lacking boldness sometimes is not the unpardonable sin unbelief is unbelief and True unbelief leads a life of outright denial of Christ in many ways and it never repents and it never turns in true regret and remorse
01:10:16: That's the difference so what do we learn from this passage today?
01:10:25: We're weak just like Peter. We're weak. We learn never to be self -confident
01:10:34: Always depend on God always lean on God always ask for boldness
01:10:40: When you're going into work, are you gonna see relatives?
01:10:47: When you least expect it pray for boldness Cultivate a fear of the
01:10:55: Lord over a fear of man What does John say he says perfect love casts out fear
01:11:04: Perfect love casts out fear. So cultivate your love for Christ as well
01:11:10: We will see at the end of this gospel Gospel of John fast forward
01:11:17: Peter is restored to Jesus. He's restored to him
01:11:23: Peter ends up telling Jesus three times Lord I love you.
01:11:29: Lord. I love you. Will you tend my sheep? I will Will you follow me
01:11:36: I will I love you So today tell the
01:11:42: Lord Jesus Christ you love him He will forgive you because what we see in this narrative today with Jesus and Peter is that while sin abounds greatly
01:12:00: Grace abounds even more That's the hope of the gospel
01:12:07: Let's pray Heavenly Father, thank you for the word that went out today.
01:12:15: Thank you Lord for redemption Thank you Lord Jesus that you came specifically for deniers
01:12:24: You came for people who would deny you and you still gave your life for them for us
01:12:33: But Lord I asked today That that passage in Matthew chapter 10
01:12:39: Would challenge us. I don't want to pacify us Lord. I don't want us to Just put a grace stamp on that verse and just think
01:12:50: Okay, if I deny him, I'm all good I want us to feel the weight of that Lord And not deny
01:12:59: Christ But I also want us to see Lord in this moment With Peter how great your forgiveness is and so Lord I ask in this moment for the sake of your name
01:13:12: For your people that you would give us boldness God that you would help us to never deny you in whatever situation to whatever degree
01:13:23: How big or small? Let us fear you more than we fear the scorn of our neighbors
01:13:33: What does it matter if a man or a woman close to me or not is Offended by what
01:13:40: I say as long as I'm saying the truth Jesus you showed us that You said it was right, even though you got hit in the face for it so Lord Help us this day to honor you and what we say do and think