The Expected Denial of Peter
Matthew 26:69-75
March 10, 2013
As you know we are presently studying the section in Matthew’s gospel
That highlights the death of Jesus.
It certainly matters who Jesus is.
And it certainly matters what Jesus did.
His death is the event that makes all others worth talking about.
We have presently seen:
• THE PLOT (God determined it all, wicked men fulfilled it)
• THE PURPOSE (forgiveness)
• THE PARTICIPANTS
• Judas (The Strange Arrest of Jesus)
• Caiaphas (The Corrupt Trial of Jesus)
And this morning we look at Peter in what we are calling
“The Expected Denial of Peter”
Now of course the reason it is expected
Is because Jesus said it would happen.
The other reason we expect it is because if you look at Peter’s life
You can literally see this event coming from a mile away.
Peter was walking totally in the flesh, puffed up in his own ability,
Not worried about any outcome,
And thus a prime candidate for total humiliation.
For the theological significance of this event we need to go back to the scene just after the Lord’s Supper and listen to what Jesus said:
Matthew 26:31-32 “Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘ I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
Jesus is there quoting from Zechariah 13:7
TURN TO: ZECHARIAH 13:7-9
Chapters 11-13 are all very prophetic about the life of Christ.
Chapter 11 – reveals His incarnation, struggle with the religious leaders, betrayal, and even the cost of His betrayal (30 pieces of silver)
Chapter 12 – reveals the salvation of Israel in the end, when they look on the One they pierced.
Chapter 13 – reveals the effects of Israel’s salvation as they have a total disdain for false prophets.
But the part of the passage Jesus quoted came in verses 7-9
It is a poem, and speaks again to sacrifice
That would purchase Israel’s pardon.
“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd”
• This is God actually calling for the death of Messiah
“And against the man, My Associate”
• The word “Associate” there in the Hebrew actually refers to a family member, and thus confirms Messiah’s deity.
“Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.”
The idea is that the striking of the Shepherd would be so severe,
That all those little sheep He came to care for would be scattered.
This is not just the disciples, but literally all Israel.
The difference is that Christ re-gathered His own after His resurrection.
But this defection, even by Peter and the 12
Points again to the horror and the agony of the death of Christ.
None but Christ could endure it.
None but Christ could bear it.
And He must bear it alone.
That is the theological significance here.
But beyond that we see the actual denial of Peter.
And in Peter we see a man convinced of his own strength,
Yet displaying his enormous weakness.
And we would be foolish to miss such an opportunity
To examine what it is that causes us to fall to temptation.
Let’s quickly look at our text this morning, it is not complicated.
#1 PETER DENIES
Matthew 26:69-70
• We know that Pete has traveled as far as the courtyard and that it was in fact John who spoke to the gate keeper and got Peter in.
• Jesus has already had his pre-trial with Annas, and is presently in the midst of that corrupt trial of Caiaphas that we saw last week.
• Meanwhile Peter is just waiting by the fire to see the outcome.
“and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
I find this interesting.
I can imagine Peter being ready for a soldier or one of the temple police,
But no doubt Peter was not ready for this subtle attack from a servant girl.
(Leave it to Satan to attack outside the realm of our preparation)
She accuses Peter of being with Jesus.
And Peter “denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
Incidentally when you put all the gospels together
You realize that each of Peter’s denials there was a great deal more said
Than is recorded in the gospels.
That is pictured here in the fact that it was the servant-girl who approached him and yet “he denied it before them all”
No doubt there was a bit of a conversation,
But Peter is adamant that he was not with Jesus the Galilean.
Denial #1
#2 PETER DENIES WITH AN OATH
Matthew 26:71-72
Now we recognize that the denials are starting to escalate in intensity.
But here again we are faced with yet another servant girl,
And she again makes an observation that Peter doesn’t like.
“This man was with Jesus of Nazareth”
But Peter is ready to deny again.
“And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.”
All Jews considered all oaths to be taken in the presence of God,
No matter if God’s name was actually mentioned or not.
So without stating, Peter was in effect saying, “I swear in God’s name that I don’t know the man.”
This would have been an ultimate example
Of taking the name of the Lord in vain.
Furthermore you may remember our study on the sermon on the mount
That this was the only type of oath that a Jewish person took seriously.
They could break vows on the temple, or on their home, or even on their own life, but a vow taken in the name of God was considered binding.
The point is that Peter is invoking
The biggest lie he can possible come up with.
He takes an oath that he does not know Jesus.
Denial #2
#3 PETER DENIES UNDER A CURSE
Matthew 26:73-74
And now the stakes seem to be rising.
Apparently Peter failed to satisfy the crowds with his previous answers,
Because now the remainder of the bystanders approach him and say:
“Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.”
Peter was like a New Yorker trying to blend in at the Turn Around café.
His Galilean accent was all too distinguishable.
He might could deny knowing Jesus, but he couldn’t deny being from Galilee.
And since they figured Jesus to be the Galilean,
They were seriously doubting Peter’s claims not to know Him.
The evidence is stacking against Peter here.
And as Peter feels the noose tighten around his neck,
He produces the most adamant denial yet.
“Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!”
More specifically Peter was pulling down curses on his own head.
In effect he was saying, “If I am lying may God strike me dead and destroy me forever in hell!”
It was as about as drastic as a man could get.
Peter not only denied, he denied under oath,
And he denied under penalty of death and hell.
He is adamant that he does not know Jesus.
“And immediately a rooster crowed.”
The prophesy was accurately and completely fulfilled.
#4 PETER REMEMBERS
Matthew 26:75a
“And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
It may have been that Peter was filled with such fear and concern
That he never had really thought about what he was doing as he denied.
But the second that rooster crowed,
Peter’s mind instantly went back to the upper room.
Matthew 26:33-35 “But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.”
It probably seemed like a strange statement at the time,
That Jesus would use a rooster as the sign of Peter’s denial.
But none could deny how obvious it was now.
That rooster crowed and Peter realized what he had done.
He had failed the Lord.
Peter was not just one of the disciples,
Peter was the leader of the disciples.
Matthew 10:2 “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;”
Matthew unequivocally called Peter “The first”.
That Greek word does not indicate first chronologically (Peter wasn’t)
It indicates first in importance or rank.
Peter was the leader of the disciples.
That is why Peter was always the one speaking up to Jesus.
He was the closest to the Lord.
While Jesus taught all the disciples, there were times of specific teaching that were reserved just for Peter.
• Like the conversation about paying taxes in Matthew 17
• Or in Luke’s gospel when Jesus reveals that Satan has demanded to sift
Peter like wheat
Peter was the closest disciple.
Peter was the leader.
And here on this night, the closest disciple,
Not only fails to witness on His behalf,
But adamantly denies Him three times.
And that truth sunk deep into Peter’s heart as that rooster crowed.
#5 PETER WEEPS
Matthew 26:75b
“And he went out and wept bitterly.”
This is what we call remorse.
This is what we call defeat.
At this moment the reality about who Peter really was
Hit Peter squarely in the face.
Now, we could all take a moment and throw our shots at Peter,
But the reality is we have all had times like this in our lives.
• Times when our sin is revealed to us…
• Times when we fail to obey…
• Times when we cave under the pressure…
And we hate those things about us so much
That we are literally broken before the Lord in despair and regret.
I’ve certainly had those moments of failure and regret and shame.
And I would venture to say that every believer has.
Peter failed.
But the issue we need to deal with is WHY Peter failed.
The issue we need to touch on is why we fail in such moments.
If we want to learn anything valuable from this story,
We need to learn how not to fail in those situations.
Before we get to Peter, I want to take you to an important passage about temptation in Scripture.
TURN TO: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:1-13
Now obviously we can’t spend an enormous amount of time here,
But the lesson is so important.
Paul starts with an illustration from Jewish history.
(Read Verses 1-5)
So we have there a very religious people.
• People who had experienced the Protection of God through the sea
• People who had experienced the Pattern of God in Moses
• People who had experienced the Provision of God with manna
• People who had experienced the Presence of God with the rock of Christ
In short these people were as experienced in religion as one could get.
• They had seen, touched, and tasted it all.
• They had painted blood on the doorpost
• They had walked through the red sea
• They had done it all.
And then the shocking statement.
(5) “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.”
So despite having all that religious experience,
They were still not pleasing to God and they were killed in the wilderness.
Now obviously participation in religion
Does not equal acceptance before God.
BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT PARTICPATION IN RELIGION DOES NOT GUARANTEE VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION.
Now when remembering the tragedy of those Israelites,
Paul makes two examples for us to learn from.
1) DON’T CRAVE EVIL (6-10)
And obviously that was one of their problems, and an explanation
As to why the failed so miserably despite all their closeness to God.
They failed God because they craved evil.
Idolatry, Immorality, Insurrection
And this is one of the reasons we stumble during trials and temptation.
It is because we desire the wrong things.
This would be what it means to walk according to the flesh.
• When you walk according to the flesh you desire the things of the flesh.
• When you walk according to the Spirit you desire the things of the Spirit.
And desiring the things of the flesh will cause you to stumble.
Temptation is the way Satan snares the believer.
And if you want carnal things, then rest assured that Satan
Will offer them to you in order to cause you to stumble.
If you crave evil, you are prone to stumble.
James 1:13-15 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
All Satan does is reach into his bag of temptations and throw them at you to see what will stick, and when something turns your head he focuses in on it.
This is the easiest way to stumble and fall into sin before God.
Just crave worldly things.
That is why Scripture so emphatically tells us not to love the world.
• Not to seek mammon or money
• Not to long to get rich
• Not to lust
Love for the world just opens up a target for Satan to tempt you,
And that is one reason why believers stumble and fall.
They walk according to the flesh and they fall.
Now there is another reason believers fall to temptation.
Don’t crave evil
2) DON’T BE ARROGANT (11-13)
Again, they are an example to us.
And the overall warning?
“Therefore let whim who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”
In other words, on that day you feel invincible you had better watch out,
Because it is then that you are ripe for the picking.
It is the old adage:
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
If you are arrogant and assume that you will never stumble,
Then you are a prime candidate for Satan to attack.
Pride and arrogance are weaknesses when it comes to temptation.
WHY?
Because Satan can only be defeated in God’s strength, not yours
And if you are certain you are strong,
Then you are less likely to depend upon God.
SO BELIEVERS FALL TO TEMPTATION WHEN THEY CRAVE EVIL THINGS AND WALK IN THEIR OWN STRENGTH.
Let’s give EXHIBIT A – Peter
Flashback with me for a second.
Matthew 16:21-23 “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
There we have Peter craving the world
Not to mention Peter has the audacity to rebuke Jesus.
Matthew 17:3-6 “And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.”
Here Peter is presumptuous.
What made him think his voice needed to be heard on that mountain.
Matthew 18:1 “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Peter is mentioned by name, but certainly he was in on the conversation
As to who was the greatest.
Again we see him seeking the wrong things.
Matthew 18:21 “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”
Here Peter is self-righteous
Actually wondering how often he has to forgive his sinful brothers.
(note he isn’t worried about his own forgiveness, just how often he has to give it.)
Matthew 19:27 “Then Peter said to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?”
Again Peter just seeking the things of the world,
Wanting to know what he can get out of following Jesus.
AND THEN LOOK AT PETER RECENTLY
Matthew 26:31-33 “Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.”
There Peter is over confident and even argumentative with Jesus.
Matthew 26:34-35 “Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.”
Here Peter continues to be stubborn and arrogant
Matthew 26:38-41 “Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Here Jesus has told him to be in prayer, not just for Jesus,
But that he might not enter into temptation,
And yet Peter didn’t feel the need for prayer.
Matthew 26:51-52 “And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.”
Peter is impulsive, seeking to bring about a desired end
By the result of his own strength.
Matthew 26:57-58 “Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.”
And here the overconfidence of Peter shows up,
Actually following Jesus into the lion’s den.
See, when you read the denial of Peter it can at first be shocking That Peter, the first, would actually deny Jesus.
But when you look at Peter’s life, and especially the last 24 hours,
It isn’t surprising at all.
Peter is walking completely and totally in the flesh.
• He wants earthly glory
• He trusts fully in his own strength
• He sees no need for prayer
• He really thinks he can handle it on his own
And that friends is a recipe for failure and stumbling and denial.
Temptation is not fought in the flesh.
If you face temptation, and you try to will yourself against it,
You will fail every time.
Temptation is only defeated through the Spirit of God
And relying upon the strength of Jesus Christ.
Many of you have been studying Hebrews in Sunday school,
And what tremendous truths we have learned there about temptation.
Hebrews 2:14-18 “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Christ is the victory over temptation.
Christ is the One we cling to and lean on.
Not our own strength, but His.
But if you are determined to leave Christ out of it,
Namely because you want the things of the world,
Then you are on a course for failure.
And that is where Peter found himself.
He walked in his own strength, and he failed miserably.
But now let me give all who have stumbled the good news.
Mark 16:5-7 “Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘ He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'”
Jesus was willing to give Peter a second chance.
We all know what it is to fall and fail.
It is important that you also know that if you have fallen,
That God offers forgiveness and the hope of victory in the future.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
And what an effect this had on Peter.
Just a few months ago Peter, clothed in self-righteousness, was asking Jesus, “How many times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?”
But after being humbled by sin and forgiven by Jesus,
Peter instantly found himself preaching a different message.
Acts 2:36-39 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
And that is the message for you as well.
If you want to overcome temptation,
You will have to quit seeking the things of the world (Satan’s bait)
And you must quit relying on your own strength.
Draw near to Jesus.
Cling to Him in prayer.
Put on the gospel armor and stand.
And if it is too late and you’ve already stumbled,
And you feel the bitter weeping of Peter,
Then know there is forgiveness.
• It is forgiveness purchased by the One Peter denied.
• It is forgiveness purchased by the One we betrayed in our sin.
Such is the glory of Jesus.
This morning if you have never drawn near to Him,
Let me encourage you to do so.
Repent of your sin, and run to Jesus.
He is the victory over sin in this life.
On your own, you will never conquer it.
Hebrews 4:14-16 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
