Message
John 18:12-27
Everyone Is In Denial
Have you ever looked at a situation and thought to yourself, “That’s just wrong!!”.
(I had supporting pictures on the data presentation)
There are all sorts of situations that fit into the “That’s just wrong” category … aren’t there.
Some of these situations are funny, but some are more serious.
Blank Screen.
Poverty.
Injustice.
Inequity.
Human Rights Abuse.
The list goes on and on doesn’t it.
Today we are going to look at something else that is so wrong. Specifically the way that a number of different people respond to their connections with Jesus.
Read John 18:12-27
Notice how the two stories are mixed together.
First we are told that the arrested Jesus is taken to Annas.
Then Peter’s first denial.
Then Annas has a go at Jesus.
The Peter’s other denials.
John has set this up for a reason. He wants us to realise that somehow there is a connection between what is happening between Jesus and Annas … and what is happening between Jesus and Peter.
The connection point is this:- Annas and Peter are in Denial.
How Annas is in Denial
Notice that the text says Annas was the father-in-law of the High Priest.
However we also know that, about 15 years earlier, Annas was the High Priest.
To be the high priest was a was a very special calling. Firstly only those who were a direct descendent of Aaron – the brother of Moses – who was the first high priest.
So it wasn’t a job that just anyone could take.
It was also a job that came with a very significant responsibility – a responsibility which happened on the day of atonement.
This happened once a year.
Going into the Most Holy Place – to sprinkle blood on the Atonement Seat (expand)
- He had to dress a certain way; there are very exact instructions.
- He had to offer a series of sacrifices; following a very precise procedure.
- The sacrificial goat and scapegoat.
What was the purpose?
Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites (Lev 16:34)
It was like a reset button – it was as if no sin existed.
So you can imagine that the person who had this responsibility was one who was respected.
A holy man among holy men.
One who had great wisdom.
Knowledgeable in the Scriptures.
Able to make sound judgements.
But this is not how Annas is acting.
First Annas is not the High Priest any more.
Perhaps he should have been because, according to Numbers 35:25, a High Priest was appointed for life. But Annas was removed from his position by the Roman authorities. However Annas still had a lot of power.
Some people believe he was wrongly removed so they still listened to him.
And Annas made sure that five of his sons, and Caiaphas his son in law, had the office of high priest.
Between them they held the high priest office for 40 years.
It’s wrong. It is a power trip.
Annas is in denial about his right to serve as a representative of the high priest. He shouldn’t even be involved in the process.
But here they are – Jesus arrested and bound and standing before Annas.
Annas thinks he is the big man on the block.
Soon a lot of people are going to get a big surprise.
And John just gives a little hint about what is going to happen.
Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
John 18:14
When did Caiaphas do this? Look up John 11:45-53.
Caiaphas is just as much in denial. Thinking that the death of one will resolve their problems.
Well it does.
But not in the way anyone expects.
So Annas is in denial and Caiaphas is in denial.
But that isn’t all.
Peter is in denial.
(How Peter is in Denial)
Peter is such an enigma as a disciple.
One moment he is climbing out of the boat and walking on water – the next he is swimming with the fish.
One moment he is saying Jesus you are the Christ, the Son of the living God … the next moment Jesus is telling Peter – you remind me a lot of Satan.
One moment he is faithfully declaring Even if everyone falls away, I will not … the next he is denying Jesus three times.
Peter’s life just seems to be a continual series of faith face-plants.
Getting up – falling over.
Getting up – falling over.
Getting up – falling over.
With this latest event being the worst. Indeed it is such a large stumble that every single Gospel writer tells us about it.
Matthew 26.
Mark 14.
Luke 22.
John 18.
They all have it. And you get this sense that Peter is slowly but surely digging himself into this great big hole. Peter is really stumbling.
It all starts with the decision by Peter “and another disciple” to follow Jesus from the place of the arrest. The other disciple is John … the author of this book.
So we discover that John is a man with connections, he is known to the High Priest.
John goes into the building, sorts out a way for Peter to also enter, and then he comes back and gets Peter.
We usually think that Peter is in the building by himself don’t we. But somewhere in the same building John is also present. We don’t read about John worrying if they were disciples. Indeed it doesn’t seem that Peter is in any real danger. They want Jesus, not the disciples.
Peter could have taken comfort in that truth, but he doesn’t.
Instead, when he is asked by a servant girl who is on door duty if he was a disciple of the man on trial he says, “I am not”.
This was the man, who just a few hours earlier, took out a sword in front of 200 Roman soldiers and the Pharisees, and temple leaders and start to attack people.
At that point he was ready to defend Jesus with all that He had and, if Jesus had not intervened, Peter would have been dead very quickly.
Now it is a servant girl. I’ll stress that … a servant girl.
As a servant she has very little status and few people notice her. Peter has much more position in the community than she does.
As a girl … well what is she compared to a seasoned fisherman like Peter?
It’s kind of like David and Goliath … except it is more like Davina and Gutless.
She has no status. She isn’t armed with weapons. She hasn’t brought a group of guards. All she says to this man who has come into the courtyard with John you are a disciple.
Andrew was the first disciples that Jesus called into His group – and Peter was second. Peter was there right at the very beginning. Before anyone in Galilee knew what was going on Peter was already by Jesus side.
“Are you a disciple?” … “I am not.”
It doesn’t take long for Peter to be in denial.
Annas, Caiaphas, Peter.
Everyone is in denial.
Denial happens when we think that we can live our life in such a way that it takes Jesus out the picture.
For Annas, Jesus doesn’t fit the mould of what a Messiah looks like. The religion Annas wants is one of power, might, authority, control. Wanting to have a God who is showing His strength and destroying all those who oppose.
Annas doesn’t have time for a Saviour who serves. Who demonstrates humility and gentleness. Whose main priority is to get alongside the powerless, the weak, the suffering, the hurt, the abused.
Annas is in denial
For Caiaphas Jesus’ sacrifice, where one will die to save the many, makes no sense. He can’t understand why this atonement – which is what the sacrifice of Jesus is called:- an atonement – He can’t understand why this is the key to the salvation of so many.
Caiaphas wants laws and rules and boundaries. He wants to be able to tick of a list and show that he has made it. Caiaphas wants to be able to compare himself to others and find satisfaction and safety knowing that he is so much better than many others.
Caiaphas is in denial.
For Peter Jesus at the moment has become a liability. In this unexpected situation – on the receiving end of an innocent question by a teenage girl – Peter can’t bring Himself to admit the reality. He is a disciple, but he is feeling vulnerable and cornered.
For Peter Jesus is his friend, the one who called him right at the very beginning of the ministry. He has seen mercy in action. He has understood grace first hand. He has watched Jesus work and spent time with Jesus one-to-one. But just for the moment it is not quite enough to bring Peter over the line to freely admit that he is a disciple.
Peter is in denial.
What would you have done on that night?
I’m not saying put yourself in the shoes of Peter, or Annas, or Caiaphas.
Rather just imagine you are there and you are watching all of this go on.
Would you have stood by Jesus?
Would you have taken more time to understand what was happening?
Would you cry out that the whole process is unfair and a total miscarriage of justice?
Would you grab Peter and say, “Come on, pull yourself together?”
Sometimes we look at Scripture and we ask ourselves that questions don’t we.
Would I have listed to the snake? Would I have worship the golden calf?
Would I have listened to the warnings of the prophets?
Would I have believed John the Baptist? Would I have followed Jesus?
It is helpful at times to answer questions like that. And the reality is that we will never really know the answer.
So always, the better question to ask is, what am I doing with Jesus now?
And specifically – in response to this passage – do I live a life of denial?
It might be the way we use our time, or plan our working day.
It could show in the way we form relationships or treat other people.
In the use of our language and the way we speak to others.
Perhaps it is the allocation of our finances or the structure of our time.
You don’t have to be a pretend High-priest on a power trip. Or a fearful disciple from the inner circle of Jesus’ followers.
Denial happens when we think that we can live our life in such a way that it takes Jesus out the picture.
Was Jesus in your life picture last week … yesterday … this morning?
Will Jesus be in your life picture this afternoon … tomorrow … next week?
This is the question a disciple needs to ask.
Sometimes we can think that “disciple” means someone who is super spiritual.
That is not how Jesus sees it.
John 18:19 tells us that Annas questions Jesus about His disciples and His teaching.
I’ll read the answer (read 20-21)
Surely they know what I said.
That is a disciple. It is someone who knows what Jesus said.
You may know heaps about what Jesus said.
You may know very little.
But the process is the same.
Discipleship is about taking that which you have heard Jesus say and making that truth part of the picture of your life.
Which means that there will be days when will be very aware that we have messed up in our relationship with Jesus.
That is where Peter is isn’t he.
Annas’s denial causes him to just get Jesus out of his life. Pass him off to Caiaphas and let Caiaphas deal with it. John makes that outcome very clear.
But John doesn’t tell us what Peter does.
The other Gospel’s do. They all say that Peter wept bitterly.
John’s Gospel doesn’t sat.
All we are left with, for the moment, is the crowing of the rooster in our ears.
The crowing of failure. But he is still a disciple … isn’t he.
And that is the big reality we need to see in these verses.
Denial is not the end of the Christian road; it is part of the Christian journey.
Some days, maybe many days, we might have the crowing of the rooster in our ear … the crowing of failure.
But as long as we are not like Annas.
Annas who is blatantly ignoring the truth that is coming out of the mouth of Jesus.
As long as we are not accusing Jesus of lying and being secretive.
While ever we don’t treat Jesus with contempt.
Then our failure does not have to be the event which defines us.
For while Peter is denying, somewhere else in the building Jesus is not backing down.
He will be dead by the end of tomorrow
The one dying for the many – to cover all those times when the many have nothing but failure ringing in their ears.
Prayer
