I. Introduction
A. Last week we discussed in some detail Simon Peter’s denial of Christ
1. But as I said last week, it was simply a factual look at the four gospel’s account of the denial
a. In each of the gospels there were a couple of things we examined
(1) First was the several accounts of Jesus’ prophecy concerning Peter’s going to deny Christ three times before the cock crowed
(2) Now, each gospel recorded the prophecy in a little different way
(a) The differences can be attributed to what the author wished to emphasize in his account
2. First is Matthew 26:34-35
a. Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed
Matthew 26:34-35 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." {35} Peter said to Him, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And so said all the disciples.
3. Second is in Mark 14:29-31
a. We noted a little change here in Mark
Mark 14:29-31 (NKJV)
Peter said to Him, "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be." {30} Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." {31} But he spoke more vehemently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all said likewise.
b. Peter denied that he would deny Christ even with great passion
c. Note also that Mark records Jesus words, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times
4. Third Luke 22:31-34
Luke 22:31-34 (NKJV)
And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. {32} "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." {33} But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." {34} Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."
a. This is the only version of the story that records Satan’s desire to sift Peter
5. Fourth, John 13:36-38
a. There is a little more in this John passage
John 13:36-38 (NKJV)
Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered him, "Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward." {37} Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake." {38} Jesus answered him, "Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
B. All this could have happened in a single conversation
1. Each author picking up what he needed to teach his lesson to his particular audience
2. However, there are several points to observe in these passages
a. One Jesus predicted Peter’s denial
b. Jesus even revealed that Satan wanted to tempt Peter
c. Upon hearing Jesus prophecy, Peter vehemently denied that he would deny Christ
(1) Turn to Luke 22:32
d. Now in the Luke passage Jesus also makes another prediction concerning Peter’s faith
Luke 22:32 (NKJV)
But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren
(1) Jesus says, I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail
(a) Turn to Romans 8:34
3. Jesus made intercession for Peter
a. He also makes intercession for us
Romans 8:34 (NKJV)
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
(1) Jesus is working to keep you and me close to God
(2) What did Jesus tell Peter?
b. Jesus says, “I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail;”
c. “And when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren”
(1) Notice that Jesus says, “WHEN you have returned to Me”
(2) Jesus says this with reservation, “WHEN” you have returned
(a) Not if you return, but when
(3) “When you return to Me, strengthen your brethren”
(a) Turn to Acts 5:29
(b) This Peter did after the resurrection
(c) Peter became the leader of the apostles and disciples in the beginning
Acts 5:29 (NKJV)
But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.
(d) It was Peter who lead the apostles in defiance of the Sanhedren
i) You Go, Peter
a) Turn to Matthew 27:3-5
C. Contrast another apostle
Matthew 27:3-5 (NKJV)
Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, {4} saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" {5} Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.
1. Judas knew the guilt
a. He was full of remorse
b. But Judas failed to repent
c. Judas committed suicide rather than face his disgrace
(1) But turn to Matthew 26:74-75
II. Body
A. Peter’s denial and the cock crowing
Matthew 26:74-75 (NKJV)
Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. {75} And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly.
1. Last week we noted the downward spiral of Peter’s denials
2. Think of the progress of Peter’s denials
a. First Peter pretended ignorance
b. Then Peter denied even knowing Jesus
c. Last it seems he denied Christ and blew off a string of curses and vulgar expletives to emphasize his denial
d. Each denial worse than the preceding one
(1) Quick Sand
(2) Unless you call upon the Lord you will be pulled down to the very depths of depravity
(a) Please turn to Luke 22:60-62
B. Jesus turned and looked at Peter
Luke 22:60-62 (NKJV)
But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. {61} And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." {62} So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
1. With these words ringing in his ears, “Man, I do not know what you are saying” Peter remembered Jesus’ words, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times”
a. And Luke comments that Jesus turned and looked at Peter
b. Stop here just a moment,
(1) Use your imagination, How do you think Jesus felt?
(a) We can be assured that it was not elation, “Ah ha, I told you so, I was right”
(b) Think, one of your best friends denies that they even know you
(c) You are in trouble and need some one to stand by you and they deny even knowing you
(d) How much would that hurt
(2) Jesus is God
(a) Jesus knew what would happen
(b) But, Jesus was still human
i) He was human physically
ii) He was human emotionally
iii) He was human in every sense
(c) He could be hurt emotionally
i) Judas betrayed Him, sold Him out
ii) The disciples ran away leaving Him to face it all alone
iii) Peter denied that he knew Jesus
iv) That had to hurt
c. Lets go back to Peter
Luke 22:60-62 (NKJV)
But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. {61} And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." {62} So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
(1) Use your imagination, how do you think Peter felt
(a) Jesus turned and looked at Peter
i) Jesus did not look at Peter in anger
ii) Jesus did not look at Peter in disappointment
iii) Scripture does not tell us how Jesus looked at Peter
iv) But, with what we know of Jesus, He looked at Peter with love
(b) Peter may have seen that look and realized that Jesus still loved him
(2) What do you think Peter felt
(a) Well, how would you feel, what would you feel
(b) Peter had vehemently denied that he would stumble because of his association with Christ
i) He had said that he would suffer prison or even death for Jesus sake
ii) And now, he denied that he knew Him
iii) Did Peter feel shame
iv) Perhaps disgust at himself
v) He felt remorse
vi) He felt guilt
d. Do you realize that if Judas had repented and returned to Christ he would have been forgiven
(1) There is only one sin which cannot be forgiven and that sin cannot be done today
(a) Turn to Mark 3:28-30
(2) The unforgivable sin
Mark 3:28-30 (NKJV)
"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; {29} "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"; {30} because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."
(3) In Mark 3:22, the scribes and Pharisees had accused Jesus of performing His miracles by Beelzebub
Mark 3:22 (NKJV)
And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."
(a) The unforgivable sin is blaspheme the Holy Spirit by attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to an unclean spirit
i) Beelzebub
ii) Satan
iii) Lucifer
iv) The ruler of the demons
e. Today we cannot attribute the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ to Satan
(1) So that we cannot commit the unpardonable sin
(2) Which, logically, means that every sin we commit is forgivable
(a) Turn to John 14:15
C. This is a whole new view of sin
John 14:15 (NKJV)
"If you love Me, keep My commandments.
1. Jesus said, if you love Me, keep My commandments
2. What does it mean when we keep our Lord’s commandments?
a. It means that we love Him and we strive to show it by keeping His commandments
b. Which commandments
(1) To love the Lord thy God with all they heart, with all thy mind, with all thy strength and with all thy will
(2) To love your neighbor as yourself
(3) To love one another
3. What does it mean when we fail to keep our Lord’s commandments
a. It means that we do not love Him enough to keep His commandments
(1) It means that we have betrayed our Lord
(a) Why did we betray the Lord
i) Judas did it for 30 pieces of silver
ii) Did we betray the Lord for self
a) Our personal convince
b) Our fleshly lusts
c) Our pride
iii) Did we betray the Lord out of fear
a) Are we embarrassed about the gospel
b) Are we afraid we would be ostracized
c) Are we afraid we would not be accepted by society
(2) We betray Christ
(3) We may even deny Him
(4) But if we look to 1 John 1:9 and confess our sin
1 John (1:9 NKJV)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(a) Simply confess our sin
(b) Tell God what we did or failed to do
(c) And He cleanses us from all unrighteousness
(d) Even our having betrayed our Lord
(e) Even our having denied our Lord
III. Conclusion
A. Why did Peter deny the Lord
1. I can’t say, Scripture does not tell us
2. But, Jesus said, when you return to Me, strengthen your brethren
3. Peter did return to serve Christ
a. Even go to prison and die for Christ
B. Why do we deny and betray our Lord
1. I can’t tell your excuse, mine are the only ones I know
2. But, that’s enough to enable me to give this message
a. I try to end many of my prayers with a passage out of Psalm 139
(1) Psalm 139:23-24
3. And with this we will close
Psalms 139:23-24 (NKJV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; {24} And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
