Mark 14:66-72 The Jesus denied scene. Small group questions

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1 Mark 14:66-72 The Jesus denied scene Small group questions 1. Think back to Mark 14: Why was Peter so confident that he d stand beside Jesus do you think? Can you make a list of all the experiences that Peter went through with Jesus? 2. Given all they went through, how would you have felt if Jesus told you that you would end up denying even knowing him three times before the next day? 3. By Mark 14:66 Peter has already slept through Jesus praying and run away from the soldiers. Do you think he has gone to the courtyard pondering the prophecy that he would deny Jesus or is something else taking him there? 4. Why do you think Peter lied about knowing Jesus? Why was he so threatened by a lowly girl? 5. Would you have lied about knowing Jesus? Why? Why not? 6. Can you share with the group a time when you have denied knowing Jesus or being a Christian or have remained silent instead of sharing you know and love the Lord? How did you feel afterwards? Were the threats you felt you were under real or perceived? Read John 21: Why do you think Jesus asks Peter three times do you love me? What do we learn from this incident about sin and failure? 8. Do you have a genuine means through which you acknowledge your sins to God? Are you confident in forgiveness and restoration? Where is our confidence grounded? As a group, briefly skim back over Mark 14: Of all the characters we have encountered in this series so far, who do you most easily relate to, and why?

2 Three points: 1. Peters betrayal 2. What influenced it 3. And what lessons can be learnt Leave bibles open at p1009 [1] For Christians, there are few more heart-breaking sights, then a fellow-christian back-sliding. It s tough and it s common and even if you are passionate about Jesus and compassionate about the backsliders situation so often they just won t hear your words of encouragement or warning. I ve been there myself, with friends and family Scores of my friends I used to get lovingly mocked for being an Anglican of all things by my Christian mates from more conservative or modern churches So many of them have put their relationship with Jesus well where?! Nowhere in sight I don t understand it and I m hurt by it I ve become the god-botherer in my family and amongst my old friends but my hurt is nothing compared to the humiliation Jesus experienced in the denial of the cornerstone of His coming Church; Simon-Peter. [2] Today we re going to look at that humiliation and what lessons we can learn from it by particularly looking at: [3] 1. Peters betrayal 2. What influenced it 3. What lessons can be learnt Now you ll recall from last week that Jesus had been brought under the cover of darkness to the Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin is a court made up of 71 Jewish leaders - something akin to our Supreme Court. It can be said that policing is often done by night but justice is never served under the cover of darkness. And this was certainly true for this situation. Why did they do this? Well, yes Jesus had a name for himself but he was arrested at the time of the Passover. First century historian Josephus records that typically three times the population of Jerusalem visited the city at the time of the time of the Passover. With that many people crowded in the city, they needed to keep Christ s arrest quiet. 2

3 And so it was that, under guard and out of sight of the tens or even hundreds of thousands of his supporters; Jesus found himself alone facing humiliation and false accusation against a troubled and indecisive Court of leaders. Which is where we turn now to what we heard this morning in Mark 14:66 on page 1009 While this trial of Jesus was taking place Peter was waiting outside the chief priest s house in the courtyard. Jesus examination is his final and climactic confrontation with the hostile and unbelieving Jews whereas Peter is facing his first recorded confrontation as a disciple of Christ. How does he go? [4] Well, we know that Simon-Peter was an avid apostle and follower of Christ. He received a divine praise for his revelation to Jesus that yes I understand that you are the Messiah! (Matthew 16:16-20) 16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. 17 Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. He was one who had enjoyed special privileges and in the presence of Jesus met with God in a unique and incredible way. Of all of them his faith was most tested and revealed in the Gospels and yet here we see this very same man; so entirely overcome by fear that he actually denies his friend, his messiah, his Lord. The haze of shame and humiliation for the name of Jesus is only amplified as it is revealed in verse 66, 69 and 70 that it is not to the council, or leaders or Pharisees or Kings to whom Peter passionately denies and even curses the name of Jesus but to a un-named group in the dead of night; and even amongst those lowest in stature a young servant and a girl I mean no disrespect but in first century Jerusalem a young girl who could be bought and sold she had no standing. Her opinion weighed nothing and meant nothing. His denial of Christian discipleship to this lowly audience is a sham a lie with no purpose or meaning or logic behind it. What are the consequences of saying to a servant girl yes, I am a disciple of Christ. None! None whatsoever. Truly logic and faith so quickly run when fear is their master. 3

4 But how did it get to this point?! Why is Peter even in the temple courtyards right outside the High Priest s home if he so afraid? He has placed himself somewhere where he has to make a choice. And the weakness of our human nature would surely be screaming to you don t be here Peter! You are setting yourself up to fail. It s happened before to great biblical leaders. - Do you recall Lot, who lingered outside of Sodom and whose sin then cost him his family? - What of David, whose kingship rightly led him to the rooftops above the city but whose lingering drove him into sin with Bath-sheba and all that followed? Why linger there Peter?! [5] This friends, is my second point that of what influenced it - and it shouldn t surprise us, for the answer I m sure is familiar to us. For it is foolishness and pride. Could we believe for a second that Peter went thinking he had at that time having already slept instead of praying; having already fled Christs presence at his arrest could we believe he had then the strength of will to storm into the high priests home and boldly proclaim I am a follower of the Christ! No, he couldn t even state it to a slave-girl. His pride not his faith drove him to be near Jesus at that point and Peter was setting himself up to fail and fall in a big way so big a way that it was recorded as a lesson to be passed down over the centuries to all who believe in the name of Jesus. Arrogance and pride comes before the fall; and Mark Calder noted well two weeks ago just how toxic Peters statement of faithfulness and certainty was in the Gospel of Mark verse 31. But there s more to it than just human pride. [6] The Gospel of Luke recorded more conversation than the Gospel of Mark did in gethsemane. Jesus says to Simon-Peter in Luke chapter 22 verse 31: 31 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. So it was then, that by his own doing in his own pride and by way of the subtle workings of Satan that Peter now, in verse 71 and 72 found himself for a third time denouncing vehemently His messiah; hearing rooster crow and then falling to his knees in tears. 4

5 I ask you at this point, and this is my final point, if Peter is not safe from the grasp of worldliness and whispers of doubt from Satan then who is? [7] What lessons can be learnt? Well, there are young Christians amongst us both in age and Christian maturity. We might lovingly expect that mistakes will be made at that stage in your lives and your faith and we might then encourage each of you to further grow in faith and to not make such mistakes again. But our church is also full of those with great faith, great knowledge of God and the Scripture; and clearly blessed with a presence of the Holy Spirit. I hope you know the kind of people I m talking about just look around we are surrounded by mature followers of Christ. You are the ones who have walked with God for a long time through seasons of joy and blessing and adversity and strife. Although we often make light of the clear fact that the disciples of Christ didn t always understand what he meant they had been blessed with three years in his presence. They had his confidence to be sent out to proclaim his name and heal in his name. Peter knew who Jesus was he professed him as Messiah he met with God from beyond the clouds at the transfiguration of Christ surely he was a mature faithful man. And here these three simple questions throw his faith to the wind. [8] A girl asking: Do you know Him? The mature Christian Peter would have replied: - You mean the man who saved my mother? (Matthew 8:14) Of course I know Him, would you like to know Him too? Again the girl quizzes him: Do you know Him? And again the mature Christian Peter says: - You mean the man whose very words stilled sea by whose encouragement I could walk on water by whose hand I was saved from drowning? (Matthew 14:22-33) Of course I know Him, wouldn t you like to know Him too? From a crowd of un-named no-gooders standing around a fire by night ask the mature Christian Peter: Do you know Him? - You mean the man who on the mountain-top spoke with God Himself and was transformed into a being of light? (Mark 9:2-8) Of course I know Him, wouldn t you like to know Him too? No. His answers are: No. No. Damn that man No! One of those standing before Jesus in the High Priests house at this very point is mockingly requesting him to prophecy at the very same time that his final prophecy is being fulfilled as the rooster crows. 5

6 Are we proud enough to think that we are beyond making these same statements ourselves? Even after conversion even after commitment we are vulnerable to failing and to falling. It has forever been this way; that even in the best of men and women human nature and our susceptibility to sin and to Satan is so quickly be revealed. What then must we do? Of course we must acknowledge that we fail but we must also guard ourselves ensuring we don t seek out of pride or the wiles of Satan to put ourselves in a position where sin is so much more likely. One of my Roman Catholic lecturers once said to me do you not believe that hot blood still runs through my veins? I am pursued at every corner by sin, but I am as shrewd as serpent and gentle as a dove and with the Lord s help I resist being in the times and places where my weakness would overcome me. You know where this is for you release your foolish pride and release yourself from temptation and in doing so guard your faith. We must also rejoice what is the likelihood that in a world so vindictive so full of pride and so willing to build yours falsely up when humility is the better foundation what is the likelihood that your integrity and your faith will remain true? When you overcome pride-filled temptation celebrate it. Lastly friends, we do ourselves a great service by also remembering that on the shores of the lake Peter was restored and so to can we be in full so if today, you are thinking of a time when you have sinned don t dwell on the sin as much as you immerse yourself in your forgiveness and assurance of God s faith in us. 6