What Easter Meant to Peter
Chuck Sligh
April 8, 2012
TEXT: Mark 16:1-8 – “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. 3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? 4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. 7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. 8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.”
INTRODUCTION
Illus. – One Sunday a few weeks before Easter, a Sunday School teacher decided to ask her class what Easter meant.
The first little guy said, “Easter is when all the family comes to the house and we eat a big turkey and watch football.” The teacher suggested that perhaps he was thinking of Thanksgiving, not Easter.
Next a pretty little girl said, “Easter is the day when you come down the stairs in the morning and you see all the beautiful presents under the tree.” At this point, the teacher was really feeling discouraged. After explaining that the girl was probably thinking about Christmas, she called on a boy with his hand tentatively raised in the air.
She perked up as the boy began, “Easter is when Jesus was crucified and buried.” She felt she’d gotten through to at least one child until he said, “And then He comes out of the grave, and if He sees His shadow, we have six more weeks of winter.”
Well, Easter means a lot of things to a lot of people, to some, involving bunnies and eggs, and to followers of Christ, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the heart of Easter.
But to Peter, Easter meant something intensely personal. Look with me at verse 7 of our text: The angel said to these women who had come to anoint the body of Jesus with spices, “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter…” Now why did the angel single out Peter from the disciples?
In finding the answer to that question, there are important truths for our lives, but first we need some background.
I. NOTICE FIRST OF ALL JESUS’ PREDICTION OF SIMON PETER’S DENIAL – Look with me at Matthew 26:31-35 – “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 32 But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.”
Note Peter’s response in verse 33 – “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” – Peter boastfully says, “Hey everybody else may blow it; but I’m one guy you can count on, Lord; I’ll NEVER let you down.” Also, notice Peter’s prideful boast in verse 35: “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” This sets the stage for one of the most incredible dramas in the scriptures.
II. NOW NOTE WITH ME PETER’S DENIAL – For this we go to Luke 22:
• Verse 54 – “Then took they him [Jesus], and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.”
That last phrase in this verse is significant – “And Peter followed afar off.” This was the first mistake Peter made that led to his fall. Peter was not there by the side of Jesus in His hour of need. Rather, he “followed afar off.”
Many people are like Peter: they follow afar off. They’re not totally committed to the Lord. They’re saved all right—but they follow the Lord from afar.
• Verse 55 – “And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.” This was the second mistake Peter made that led to his fall. He “…sat down among them” (verse 55). Peter sat with the wrong crowd. Instead of standing on the Lord’s side and publicly identifying himself with Jesus, Peter cowered in the shadows, trying not to stand out from the crowd. When his association with Jesus counted most, he withdrew in cowardice.
• Verses 56-57 – “But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.”
Now we see Peter denying the Lord, just as Jesus had said he would. When he should’ve stood up for the Lord, he was ashamed to be identified with Him. Matthew and Mark tell us that in addition to denying the Lord three times, on the third time, Peter began to curse and swear, erasing any doubt in the minds of his accusers that he might be one of Jesus’s disciples, for everyone assumed that those who followed Jesus wouldn’t do such things. So Peter VIGOROUSLY denied the Lord and TOTALLY lost his testimony!
Now I want you to see the drama of this passage in verses 60-62. When I read this passage in preparation for this, I wept. I’m not easily given to tears, but I can relate to the disappointment and shame Peter felt when he let the Lord down. I’ve been right there where Peter was before; I know how he felt. And if you’re a Christian, you do too.
Let’s look at it: In verse 60, Peter denies the Lord again – “And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.”
Now watch what ensued: verse 61 – “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.”
Can you imagine the shame and regret Peter felt? Can you picture how disappointed with himself he must have been?! What a TRAGEDY!
I don’t think that the most terrible thing about this was the realization of his failure. I think the first phrase of verse 61 is the thing that would shatter my soul. It says, “And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.” As their eyes locked, Peter must have felt the humiliation and sting of failure, and the magnitude of his denial must have been astounding!
What did Peter do then? He did what every one of us would have done—what every one of us who are saved HAVE done—when we realized that we failed the Lord and ourselves, and others; when we realized that we’ve sinned. Verse 62 says “And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.”
Sin has a way of bringing sorrow, doesn’t it? Sin breaks fellowship with God; it hurts our relationships with others. It’s the cause of all the sorrow and pain in this world. But when we claim to be a disciple of Jesus and we sin, and especially when we sin so terribly…we’re heartbroken and ashamed.
This brings us back to our text in Mark 16. Peter has denied the Lord and is cowering in shame and disillusionment. This once-boastful man is now crushed and sees himself as a coward and a failure. But notice again that in Mark 16, when the angel talks to the women, he leaves a tender message just for Peter: “…go your way, tell his disciples and Peter…”
What a tender, merciful, loving Lord. In his darkest hour, Jesus NEVER FORGOT Peter and his need—DESPITE HIS TERRIBLE FAILURE! If that doesn’t show the loving mercy and grace of Jesus, I don’t know what does!
But let’s look at how Peter the failure turns into Peter the Lion we know from the book of Acts, by looking at…
III. PETER’S ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISEN LORD – This is found in John 21, if you will now turn to that passage with me:
• Verses 1-3 – “After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing…”
When Peter said that, he wasn’t talking about going recreational fishing. Do you remember where it was that Jesus called Peter into ministry? Jesus was walking along the seashore where Peter and his family and friends were plying their trade as fishermen. Jesus called to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
And they did! They instantly left their nets and followed Jesus wherever He led them. And from that point on, they were in full-time ministry for the Lord.
So when Peter said, “I’m going fishing,” he was saying he was leaving the ministry to which he had been called and returning to his old occupation. Peter here is defeated and down and discouraged. He was thinking, “I might as well give up living for the Lord and just go back to my old life, my old job, my old way of life.”
Now notice what a bunch of the disciples then did in the rest of verse 3, “They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.”
What happened when Peter decided to quit on the Lord? Several of the other disciples followed right behind Peter!
Let me tell you this morning: When you fall, YOU INFLUENCE OTHERS!
> Fathers and mothers, little eyes are watching your life and their eternal destiny may rest you on you by the example you set.
> Husbands, wives, you influence their spouses. Don’t be a stumbling-block to your spouse by quitting on the Lord, or following Jesus from afar.
> You influence your co-workers. – They’re looking to see if what you have is real!
> You influence your neighbors! – Oh, be FAITHFUL in following the Lord!
• Now look at verses 4-11 – “But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, for he was naked, and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.”
This is amazing! Jesus is not full of indignation and condemnation over Peter’s sin and failure. Instead, He lovingly says, “Come and dine” or as we’d say, “Let’s eat together.” This little invitation by Jesus signified two things:
> “Come” signified ACCEPTANCE – Though we’ve sinned, Jesus still loves us and will forgive us if we’ll but COME.
> “Dine” signified FELLOWSHIP Eating together in the Bible always signifies fellowship. God desires to have fellowship with you.
• Now look at Verses 15-17 – “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
In verse 15, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love thou me more than these?” speaking of the other disciples, his fellow fishermen, or perhaps of his fishing boat and gear? Remember, it was Peter who boasted that all the OTHERS might deny Jesus, but NOT PETER… “Oh no, Jesus, you can count on ME! Now Jesus is trying to get to the root of Peter’s sin—HIS PRIDE.
You know what?—
> It’s usually a person’s pride that LEADS TO HIS FALL – “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” Proverbs 16:18 tells us.
> It’s pride that often keeps people from coming to the Lord for salvation.
> It’s usually pride that keeps a person coming BACK to the Lord if he has backslidden and gotten away from the Lord.
If I’m speaking of you now, then you must face your pride, just as Peter had to.
Now notice something very interesting in this whole passage from the original Greek that doesn’t quite come through in the English: Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. But in the Greek, there are two different words used for the verb love here.
In verses 15 and 16, when Jesus asked, “Lovest thou me…” the word that Jesus used for “love” is the Greek word agapaō which means a total, self-sacrificing, giving, selfless love. This is the kind of love God has for us—agapē love. Jesus pointedly asked this former boaster, “Peter, do you love me with the kind of love I have for you?”
But each time, Peter, humbled by his previous boasting, uses a different, weaker Greek verb for love. Peter uses the word philēō, which means “to like; to have a tender affection for, as with a friend or a brother.” We get the name Philadelphia from this word. Philadelphia means, “city of brotherly love.”
So Jesus asked twice, “Peter do you love me with a total, giving, self-sacrificing, selfless agapē love?” And Peter humbly replies, “Lord, you know that I philēō—that is, I LIKE you; I have a tender affection for you as a friend.”
No boasting now! Peter had come to see the true condition of his heart. And he knew full well that he didn’t have agapē love for Jesus. He’d proven that by his actions.
Finally, in verse 17, instead of agapaō, Jesus uses the same word Peter used. He said, “Peter, do you REALLY philēō me?” or in English, “Peter, do you REALLY have even a tender affection or brotherly love for me?” And Peter, knowing that Jesus knew his heart, was grieved. And do you know why he was grieved?—He was grieved because he knew that Jesus knew the shallowness of his love for Jesus.
But look at Jesus’s response! Throughout this whole passage, we see Jesus putting Peter under the spotlight. And through it all we see not a vengeful Jesus, but a loving, tender, compassionate Lord. Folks, I don’t care how you have disobeyed God’s commands, or how far you’ve strayed from God—Jesus’s will forgive you and take you back. If you’ll just come to the place Peter had come to, you can experience spiritual healing and know the forgiveness and cleansing from sin.
Now, note Jesus’s final command to Peter in the last part of verse 19 – “…And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.” Wow!—Jesus didn’t say, “Peter, you’re an complete and utter failure. You’re kicked out of my kingdom.” He didn’t say, “Peter, I can never use you again. I’m putting you on the shelf, pal. It’s back to your stinky fish for you, buddy.” Instead, he gave THE SAME CALL that He gave to Peter the first time they met on the Sea of Galilee three years before, “Follow me.”
That, friends, is nothing short of remarkable! The greatest failure in Peter’s life was put behind him with those two words, “Follow me.” Praise God for the precious heart of our loving Lord.
CONCLUSION
Now, in conclusion, what did Easter mean to Peter?
• First, it meant EXAMINATION.
> Dear Christian, would you examine yourself on this Easter morning?
--Have you, like Peter, let the Lord down?
--Have you “stood afar off?”
--Have you denied your Lord,…staying in the shadows in fear of being identified with Christ;…fearing what others might say or think about you more than what the Lord will say about you at the judgment or what the Lord thinks about you?
> If you’ve never been saved, may I ask you a different question?
--Have you let pride keep you from God?
--Is pride keeping you from humbling yourself before God and praying “Lord, I’m a sinner. I need your mercy and forgiveness and grace.”? Don’t let pride send you to hell! Don’t let pride rob you of the joy and peace and forgiveness and fulfillment God wants you to have!
To Peter, Easter meant examination.
• Second, Easter meant FORGIVENESS AND RESTORATION to Peter. – You too, this Easter morning, can have forgiveness and restoration.
> Would you “come and dine” this morning, dear Christian? Would you return to the Lord and experience His forgiveness and cleansing and restoration? 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
> And if you don’t know for sure your sins are forgiven and that you’re going to heaven, listen to what Jesus says in Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Would you open the door to your heart and be saved this morning?
