Today's scripture reading is Luke chapter 22 verses 54 through 62
Then they seized him and led him away bringing him into the high priest's house and Peter was following at a distance And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together Peter sat down among them Then a servant girl seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him said This man was also with him But he denied it saying woman. I do not know him and a little later someone else saw him and said You also are one of them, but Peter said man, I am not and After an interval of about an hour still another insisted saying Certainly this man also was with him for he to his Galilean But Peter said man, I don't know what you're talking about and Immediately while he was still speaking the rooster crowed And the Lord turned and looked at Peter And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord how he had said to him Before the rooster crowed today You will deny me three times And he went out and wept bitterly May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of his word Have you ever messed up No need to answer that Because I already know the answer Of course you have messed up Of course you have Failed you have no doubt wrong someone or sinned in a grievous way If you say you haven't then the apostle John has a word for you this morning and first John one and eight If we say we have no sin We deceive ourselves And the truth is not in us Unless you're one of those that John is Speaking of then you can certainly relate to our texts this morning We evolve We have all messed up made mistakes and failed And and we can all I am sure testify to the awful emotions That accompany such failures it can be debilitating and devastating to say the least But the truth is the truth is most of the failures and mistakes we experience They happen relative obscurity Very few of us have our biggest sins are grievous sins recorded for all to see Peterson while not unique to him Look many many many have Jesus perhaps and including those of us in here today at times have found ourselves denying Jesus So that's not unique but but what separates Peterson is that it has been recorded in the most red book in all of human history
Peterson two thousand years ago over two thousand years ago and to this day we are Still talking about it doubt that will be the case with your failures
But what we will discover in our text this morning and what I hope we will see is that Peter Peter fell hard He did he fell extremely hard but but we will also see and what I hope gets pressed upon you This morning is that when Peter fell he fell into the arms of a loving and a merciful savior and those safe arms I want you to see it understand and walk away with That those safe arms are there for us as well
It is fitting It is fitting that would come to this encounter this week We could almost take last week's text and this week's text and combine them into a many series entitled the tale of two disciples You see his pastor Tony painted the context for us last week he reminded us that that Judas he was a disciple just like all of the other Disciples We read about in the scriptures and therefore it is helpful for us to understand That Judas and Peter Were not all that different Right both of them both of them follow Jesus and and they ate with him and and performed Miracles and and and preached and served they were brothers serving together to advance the kingdom of God And just like Judas as we look at Peter And this tragic account We will again see That the story like we learned last week is not about Peter This is about Jesus and the story of God You do realize That is what all of human history is about We are all but characters in the grand story of redemption in important characters nonetheless but characters Characters Judas as well as Peter were part of God's redemptive plan to rescue sinners to the praise and the glorious grace of God That is the plot that is a plot line worked and working throughout all of human history And so as we Look as we move through this account of Jesus and and Peter I want us to to do it in in four segments Four segments this morning First we are going to see a life And then we're going to look at a lie We will look at a look And then a lesson Those are the four segments that we will be visiting this morning First a life Whose life Peter's life The apostle Peter could be considered one of the most prominent of all Jesus's disciples He was certainly the most outspoken and could easily be considered the most zealous the gospel Gospels are full of memorable moments in the life of Peter Beginning with that first encounter that he had with Jesus You you remember it don't you he and Andrew his brother had been fishing all night But but they didn't catch anything and and this this man Jesus comes along and tells Peter and Andrew and the other fishermen to hey go go back out Cast your nets into the water and and Peter was like look we've been fishing all night. We're professional fishermen. We know how this goes But doubtful and and reluctant Peter did he pushed out Back out see let down his nets and a catch overwhelmed The nets like they had never seen before and Peter Peter is blown away Overwhelmed by by the catch but even more so overwhelmed by Jesus Oh He declares that he is Unworthy of bringing in the presence of this man named Jesus and Jesus told him from that day forward He would no longer fish for fish, but what would he do? He would be a fisher of
men Peter followed Jesus passionately from that day on And that is the evidence we discover from the gospel writers Peter Peter remember was the one that jumped out of the boat when Jesus came walking on the water to the disciples Peter Peter was he was passionate But Peter wasn't just passionate Peter was bold You remember when Jesus asked the disciples for a report on the on what the streets were saying about him and then he followed it up With a question about their beliefs And their understanding Jesus says okay, okay, I know you know what the streets are saying about me But but what do you say about me? What do you believe about me? And it was it was Peter who who boldly stood up and declared you are the Christ declaring him the Messiah Peter Peter was passionate and and he was bold But I think if you were to ask Peter to describe himself I believe that Peter would say that he was loyal He was loyal Peter loved the Lord by the sisters. It is evident from the scriptures He loved the Lord and it was evident that the Lord loved him You see Peter it was a member of what many have considered that inner circle those closest to him The three it was James it was John and and Peter who went with Jesus up to the mount of Transfiguration it was those three that went in to the house when Jesus raised Iris's daughter from the the dead They were in the inner circle Peter loved being a disciple of Jesus and he was committed to the mission before him He was committed to his teacher In John 6 When a number of disciples stop following Jesus because of his hard sayings You do remember that when he said if you eat of my body and and drink of my blood right a bunch of disciples Went away and so Jesus then challenges the rest of the disciples and he says hey, are you guys gonna go to What does loyal Peter say Lord to whom are we gonna go you have the words of eternal life Peter was committed and he was about to double down on it and it was Peter who vowed That he was the one that was going to be with Jesus to the end He was adamant about it brothers and sisters. He was adamant about his loyalty arrogant about his ability to hold on to Jesus but Peter Like we do at various times in our lives Thought the story was about him He made the false assumption That he was the main character in the story of redemptive history But Jesus was going to remind Peter hey Peter there is a far greater story going on here There is a larger narrative taking place Peter this story isn't about you It's about Jesus It's about Jesus While Jesus was sharing the last supper with his disciples Just before he was about to be betrayed by Judas Jesus was explaining to them what was about to take place The religious leaders were we're going to come and arrest him and and ultimately put him to death But but Jesus also shared some troubling news with his disciples He says that when that took place when they would come and arrest him that all the disciples would scatter They would leave him Matthew 26 and 31 Jesus said to them You all you will all fall away because of me this night For it is written I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered They will they will desert Jesus in his in his greatest time of need Now Peter hears this he said in there before his Lord before his teacher and with all the loyalty and pride He could muster up he said in Matthew 26 and 33 Though they all fall away because of you I will never fall away
I can almost See Jesus take a deep sigh look at Peter and say oh Simon Simon behold Satan demand to have you That he might sift you like wheat But but but but I've prayed for you That your faith may not fail and when you have turned again Peter strengthen your brothers But Peter doubled down He doubled down He says I will not deny you Lord I am even ready to die with you
Luke 22 and 34 Jesus said I tell you Peter the rooster will not crow this day Until you deny me three times That you know me that was it That's all Jesus said Saying nothing more We next find Jesus and the disciples being confronted by Judas and the religious leaders in the garden And it is that at this point That it seemed like he was going to play out just as you just as Peter had thought right what when they came to arrest Jesus It was it was Peter who drew his sword right ready to fight Peter Peter was ready to ride and die with his Lord right He was bold living up to his reputation as this loyal follower of Jesus perhaps ready to fulfill what he had just told Jesus Jesus. I will die for you. I will go down fighting for You once again Peter's actions proved He thought the story was about him Brothers sisters That is the insidiousness of pride It is consumed with self confidence And self-importance It makes Self-ability the center of the story This type of pride is subtle But it's oh so dangerous We we we talk a big game and even display actions that put so much Confidence in the flesh But the sisters this was Peter but even more so this is us
Like Peter we say That sin may entrap others But it's not going to get me The others will fall away lord, but not me
I would I would never be the one to get addicted to drugs I would never get a divorce
Can you believe that so and so would do such and such a thing
I would never treat people like that. I would never deny the Lord Brothers sisters these are the statements that come out of our mouths I know they do because they are statements that have come out of my mouth
In fact, I bet some of you read this account before maybe heard it this morning And said man if I was in Peter's shoes, I would have never said that
Oh, this Never say never is a real thing Oh, just in a side Just in a side young parents. I remember I was there
Oh, I'll never do that with my children Oh, okay Keep keep keep living Keep living Been there by the sisters believe me have eaten those words See subtle We trust in our own abilities Not realizing just how weak our flesh is
None of us have the ability in our own strength to withstand the evil desires of the flesh The wiles and the schemes of the devil Self-confidence is no confidence at all Believing you can't succumb to the sin that entrap others Is setting yourself to be trapped by the evil one
Peter With sure of himself He wasn't going to leave the Lord He wasn't going to deny him Which leads us to our next segment in the story Alive Alive After the religious leaders arrested Jesus they take him to stand before the high priest but by this time Most of the disciples have scattered except John right We learn that John perhaps was able to get Peter into the court of chiasis's house where Jesus was was being kept And asked questions When when things had had gotten hot in the garden the rest of the disciples everybody is scattered that is all but Faithful Peter He was still following But don't miss what Luke tells us in Luke 22 and 54 Then they they seized him Jesus and let him away bringing him into the high priest house And Peter was following at a distance At a distance Peter was still around Peter was there. He was there But you see fear and apprehension has started to creep in He he he was following but but at a distance he he remember he had been talking a big game But as as it got closer to the event he started to follow at a distance right It's like that friend when when you're with and you're on your way to six flags They they start talking a big game you start talking about all the roller coasters that you're gonna ride when you get to six flags And they're saying I'm going on the Batman and I'm going on the Superman I want to be on all those rides with you But as you get closer You start looking back and your friend is way back there nervous. He sees there But he's following at a distance At a distance This was Peter He was there But apprehensive He was in the Courtyard outside the house of the high priests along with others from Caius's court Waiting to see what was going to come of Jesus At a little blue A servant girl begins looking at Peter As she tilts her head She starts pondering There in a mine and he looks familiar I've seen him before And she concludes that Peter was one of them who had been with Jesus and she calls him out on it And and hearing her accusation Peter lies and says he doesn't know the man. He doesn't know Jesus You see we have called this encounter Peter's denial of Jesus, but he didn't just deny Jesus. He did that He also lied that he didn't know the man He didn't lie once But three times two others in the courtyard recognized Peter And also accused him of knowing and being with Jesus But Peter instead of conceding you do understand that between the second time he denied Jesus and the third time he denied Jesus It said an hour of time had passed That means Peter had opportunity to think about what he had just done that second time He had time to reflect upon the mistake he had just made but instead of conceding He denied Jesus Again He ramps up the denial adamantly claiming his ignorance of Jesus even Another account tells us invoking a curse upon him. I do not know the man
Brothers sisters the power of sin is no joke It's no joke We underestimate its influence and we overestimate our ability to handle it
You do realize that Peter Less than 24 hours ago Was beating his chest talking about lord I will never deny you you might be asking
Question I'm asking how does something like this happen How does this happen I think I think the writer of Proverbs has something to say about this something like pride goes before the fall Or Paul's admonition in 1 Corinthians 10 and 12 therefore let anyone who thinks he stands Take heed Lest he fall
Peter fell brothers sisters And he fell hard Like Judas Like Judas Satan got a foothold in Peter's life He he hooked onto his pride and then he began to turn up the heat and when he turned up the heat Peter's pride followed suit his pride turned up His pride turned up he went into self-preservation mode And what was in Peter's heart came out Peter's loyalty and commitment wasn't about Jesus. It was about Peter It's about himself Peter had himself at the center of the story because you do understand in his mind He was the one that was going to save and rescue Jesus He thought that was the what what what what he what he was about to do He thought he could rescue Jesus until he couldn't And when he couldn't save Jesus he was going to try and save himself And that's what you do when you put self at the center self-preservation becomes your goal And Peter lying about his relationship with Jesus was simply an attempt to save himself
That's what we do we go into self-preservation mode Trying to save our self Because we're at the center of the story What Peter failed to realize was that Jesus didn't need saving Peter was the one that needed saving Peter couldn't save Jesus and he wasn't going to be able to self save himself You see that's why we lie that that is why we sin we go into self-preservation mode trying to save ourselves We get into tough and difficult situations the heat gets turned up in our lives And and and Jesus we believe wrongly that Jesus can't help us and so we try and save ourselves Trust We trust in chariots and horses And don't trust in the strong arm of the Lord we forget Like Peter that there is a grand redemptive story going on a narrative greater than us taking place We forget that Jesus came because you and I and every human being is incapable of saving ourselves
Or was taking place that night Was part of God's plan to save us people And that included Peter Peter needed to be saved And it took him hitting rock bottom to realize it Which leads us to the next segment of our account a look a look at the moment that Peter denied knowing Jesus for a third time the rooster crowed He heard a rooster crow And immediately he was transported back to the conversation he had with Jesus This this moment you do understand you see had been predicted he was told This was going to happen and he was adamant that it wouldn't but now here he was at the place He never thought he would be
He had failed He felt he messed up. He sinned grievously You've been there I have been there Brothers and sisters and I don't like those emotions I don't like that feeling We all know that feeling that Peter was experiencing in that moment He didn't just let down a friend He didn't just let down a teacher apparent He let down Jesus He had failed Jesus Peter was experiencing significant despair at this moment And then came the moment That utterly devastated him Once the rooster crowed Luke says in verse 61 we don't know how it happened If Jesus was looking through a window If maybe they were leading him out the house But at the moment that the rooster crowed which again speaks to the providence of God We read in verse 61 of Luke 22 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter
At this look the Bible says that Peter went out and wept bitterly He went bitterly Now we have all received looks before That communicate a message that doesn't require words Like the look your mother used to give you When you were cutting up inserts right We all know that look We all know that look Looks can communicate a lot And so it is important that we understand the look That Jesus gave Peter Because I am tempted to think we are all tempted to think That the look that Jesus gave Peter Was a look of disgust or anger
That Jesus shot a look at Peter of disappointment Like like a father or mother would With a child who has sinned or messed up this this disapproving look this disappointed look
But brothers and sisters I am convinced And I am more than convinced that this is not the look That Jesus gave to Peter It's not the look This look was a look of compassion It was a look of care and concern You do remember Jesus new Peter had messed up And he knew Peter knew he had messed up Remember Jesus told him that this was going to happen He wasn't caught off guard Jesus you do understand wasn't mad at Peter He wasn't disappointed with Peter His desire was to look at Peter with compassion With love With care Presence sisters this is the nature of our Lord He is compassionate and abounding instead of fast Love Isaiah 42 and 3 says a bruise read he will not break And a faint faintly burning wick he will not quench Oh this so instructive For us as it relates to our failures In our sin and our mistakes We need to see that the character and the disposition of our Lord That is being displayed here is one that we need to see And understand for ourselves God brothers and sisters is not quick to anger Listen, he is not like us We you do understand Our quick to point out when others have done something wrong Quick ready to say oh I told you so I told you how come you didn't listen to me
We heap condemnation on them But not Jesus He is full of compassion looking at his children Lovingly and tenderly and tenderly Assuring them that yes, it's going to be okay It's going to be all right Listen Jesus understands the power of sin He knows the difficulties that you and I face And therefore he knows that we are going to fall He saves sinners brothers and sisters He's not caught off guard When you fall when you fail when you sin He knows he knew before he saved you Therefore he is compassionate And so when we fall he's not looking at us with this this disposition Of anger but he's looking at us with love and compassion Because as Hebrews 2 and 18 reminds us He himself has suffered when tempted Because he himself has suffered when tempted He is able to help those who are being tempted He helps us So here's my question for you in light of that Do you believe that about Jesus?
Like when you mess up When you fail When you sin Do you believe Jesus is looking at you with disdain and disgust Perhaps you think he's disappointed with you Perhaps you think he's looking down his nose at you If that's what you think then then you don't understand the God of the Bible For God of the Bible that is slow to anger And a bounding instead fast love and compassion He is overflowing in mercy and grace You do understand that Peter went bitterly He went bitterly because he was ashamed of his actions A shamed of his behavior guilty of his trespass But Jesus was going to the cross to bear his guilt And to take away his shame That is why Jesus looked with compassion And loved toward Peter because he knew what he was about to do for Peter He was going to the cross Peter I know you feel the guilt and the shame right now I'm looking at you because I'm going to the cross to take that away All of it I'm about to take away Brothers and sisters you do understand that is why Jesus looks at us with compassion and love when we mess up
We have done doesn't catch him off guard He knew you and I would mess up He knew you would fail He knew it
He came to save sinners Not saints Of course we fail So when he looks at us He looks he looks at us as one who has gone to the cross for us And with that act He eliminated the condemnation Removed the guilt and took away this shame Peter Peter may have wet bitterly that night But joy was coming Sunday morning Joy was coming Sunday morning you see it was Mary Magdalene who saw the empty tomb that Sunday morning And she went and told all the disciples who are hiding in a room and no doubt Fearful that perhaps they were going to be next that that that that the rigid religious authorities were going to come And arrest them and so when they hear Mary come and tell them hey, I've been to the tomb And it's and it's empty the tomb that they lay Jesus in is is empty and they think this is craziest doesn't make sense But but you know who was out the door first Peter God up we're told and he ran he ran to the tomb and and he looked in the tomb and stoop stooping in and Luke 24 and 12 it says looking in he saw The linen clothes by themselves And it says and he went home marveling at what had happened marveling at what had happened I think Peter was marveling that he was amazed because the empty tomb told him that his sin wasn't the end of the story His weeping may have endured for a night But joy met him that Sunday morning at that empty tomb His sin was not the end of the story and brothers and sisters our sin is never the end of the story It isn't Isn't Peter may have fallen But he fell into the arms of a loving savior who redeemed him restored him and forgave him
And in all that Is a lesson A lesson at the The start of this message we discussed the similarities between Peter and Judas There was one other thing That they shared in common that we left off They both you do understand Send against Jesus in a grievous way
Judas betrayed Jesus Peter denied This isn't don't don't start thinking that this is a case of whose sin was worse Right, we can't say that Judas sinned against Jesus in a greater way than Peter And that is why Peter received mercy And Judas did it and we cannot say that that's not how it how it works No, we need to say and understand that this is about the purposes and the plans of God and the mission of Jesus Jesus came to save sinners sinners only he could save He Needed to be the mediator Between God and man standing in the gap for those who trusted in him the only the only difference between Peter And Judas is Peter trusted in it in Jesus Judas didn't Peter trusted in Jesus Judas didn't Peter trusted that Jesus was praying for him That's what we learn In Luke 2231 when Jesus Heard Peter's pride rise up He says Simon Simon Behold Satan demand to have you that he might sift you like wheat But I have prayed for you That your faith may not fail And when you have turned again Strengthen your Brothers Strengthen your brothers Peter You know the accounts we can't go into it long, but we can't work with where our Thomas is gone But you know the Lord restored Peter Put him in ministry Because Peter was good Because because Peter like made up for his mistake No Because the Lord prayed for him When Peter fell He fell into the arms of a loving merciful savior who died for him And that's the lesson we learn Our sin and our failures are not the end of the story They're just not brothers sisters. They're not I know how to feel don't trust your feelings I know how it feels you can't trust your feelings. They will betray you all day long We go to the truth We go to that objective reality That Jesus saves sinners and when we fall we too fall into the arms Of a loving savior the one who has redeemed us for restored us and forgiven us Who looks at you With compassion And grace Your sin Your failure It's not the end of the story Not if When you fail When you fail Look to Jesus And you will see that he is looking back at you With compassion With grace Because he went to the cross for you Let's pray