#62 Two Rocks
Series: Mark
Chuck Sligh
February 13, 2022
NOTE: A PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives.
TEXT: Mark 14:53-72 – "And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. 54 And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire. 55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56 For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. 57 And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, 58 We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. 59 But neither so did their witness agree together. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? 61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? 62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 63 Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. 65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
66 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest: 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. 68 But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. 69 And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them. 70 And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. 71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. 72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.”"
INTRODUCTION
Today we’ll examine the trial of Jesus and Peter’s three famous denials. Mark frames the story in such a way as to show a contrast between the failure of one man—Peter, and the steadfastness of the Son of Man—Jesus.
Mark 14:53-72 is a contrast between two rocks…
• Christ the Rock, “the spiritual rock” Paul referred to in 1 Corinthians 10:4 who is now the “foundation” of the Church, remains unmoved and unmovable in our story.
• The other rock was Simon who was renamed Peter—Petros in the Greek, which means “rock.” – He fails to stand up for Jesus in the moment of Jesus’ greatest need.
Mark sets the stage for us in verses 53-54 – “And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. 54 And Peter followed him at a distance, right into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.”
Already past midnight, the Sanhedrin came filing in from every corner of Jerusalem. Peter followed Jesus at a distance, right into the house of Caiaphas, the high priest and president of the Sanhedrin.
Thus began the Jewish trial of Jesus. Though they went through all the motions of a legal court proceeding, this meeting was illegal for several reasons:
• First, legal proceedings were not supposed to take place at night.
• Nor were they supposed to take place anywhere except in the Temple.
• Finally, a sentence of a capital offence could not be made during Passover.
Despite all these infractions, they began their kangaroo court anyway.
Meanwhile, somehow Peter managed to enter the courtyard of Caiaphas’s home. There in the courtyard of Caiaphas, Peter was in imminent danger. Peter was the most prominent of the disciples and those opposed to Jesus might easily recognize him.
Mark tells us in verse 54 that Peter “warmed himself at the fire.” This was a mistake, for now he was no longer in the dark shadows and could be seen. Mark has set the stage for his superb contrast.
I. FIRST, WE SEE CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK.
In verses 55-59 the Sanhedrin tried to convict Jesus by the testimony of others. To begin, look with me at verses 55-56 – “And the chief priests and all the council sought for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree.”
These witnesses were the best that money could buy. Verse 56 says the witness simply lied, bearing false witness. It would have been hard to come up with lies that were in harmony on such short notice, so the Sanhedrin could find no clear testimony that agreed together that could put Jesus to death.
Then, in verses 57-59, some others remembered something Jesus had said – “And certain men rose up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 ‘We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ 59 But neither did their testimony agree.”
Threatening to destroy the Temple was a capital offence, but this too was false testimony, for Jesus did not say He would build another Temple made without hands.
John 2:19 records Jesus’ actual words – He said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” Two verses later we read, “But he spoke of the temple of his body.” (John 2:21) In other words, Jesus was not talking about Herod’s stone and mortar Temple at all; He was prophesying His resurrection. Nor did He say HE would destroy the Temple, nor that another Temple would be built by without hands.
Even in THIS specific charge, the testimonies were not in harmony. They were getting nowhere, which must have been frustrating to Caiaphas.
Now look at verses 60-61a – “And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, ‘Do you answer nothing? What is it these men testify against you?’ 61 But he remained silent and answered nothing.
Caiaphas, furious and embarrassed about how things were going, then turns to Jesus and asks Him if He had nothing to say in His defense. But Jesus remained silent, in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:7 – “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he opens not his mouth.”
Verse 61 goes on to say, “Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’” This is actually 2 questions: “Are you the Christ, (that is, the Messiah)?” and second, “Are you the Son of the Blessed.” Jews avoided the actual name of God to avoid taking God’s name in vain. The term “the Blessed” was a term used to refer to God without saying the name God outright. So Caiaphas was asking Jesus if he was the Son of God.
Jesus did not have to answer, but now was the chosen time to speak – Verse 62 – “And Jesus said, ‘I am: and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ Can you imagine the palpable pleasure they would have experienced at this answer? They had the confession they were looking for! But it was more than a confession; it was also a warning. Alluding to three familiar Old Testament passages about the Messiah, Jesus was saying, “You’re judging me, but be forewarned…one day I will judge YOU!”
These were Jesus’ only words to Israel’s leaders, and they were frightful. But they would not heed His warning.
Jesus’ confession of His messiahship and His deity sealed His doom, as we see in verses 63-65 – “Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, ‘What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blasphemy: what do you think? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. 65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say to him, ‘Prophesy!’ And the guards struck him with the palms of their hands.”
Without realizing it, they were fulfilling prophecy for Isaiah 50:6 prophesied of the Messiah, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I did not hide my face from shame and spitting.”
Long after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, Peter said this about Jesus’ reaction on that awful night in 1 Peter 2:23 – “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but committed himself to him who judges righteously.”
The wonder of all this is that Jesus, the Solid Rock, did not crack under pressure! He was faithful to His calling and did not flinch. He took all the tortuous beatings and did not retaliate. He could have called 10,000 angels to destroy the world and set Him free, but he didn’t. He stood resolute and strong even in His apparent weakness. He was a solid rock of determination and resoluteness. He would remain so to the very end until, when on that awful cross of Calvary, He gave up His life for our sins.
II. IN THE REST OF TODAY’S TEXT DOWN TO VERSE 72 WE SEE PETER, THE “CRACKED ROCK.”
Verses 66-68 – “And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him, and said, ‘You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.’ 68 But he denied, saying, ‘I neither know, nor do I understand what you are talking about.’ And he went out into the porch; and the rooster crowed.
Mark now returns to Peter warming himself by the fire. Along comes a woman who looked at Peter and recognized him. The Greek word for “looked” used here means “to look intently.” Something about him vaguely reminded her of someone, and then it came to her! To Peter’s horror, she exclaimed that he had been with Jesus of Nazareth.
In an instant reaction, he blurted out a boldfaced lie, stating he neither knew nor understood what she was talking about. Frightened now, he moved away from the fire over to the porch, which was a vestibule leading from the outer gate to the court. While trying to slip away, a rooster crowed. But the first crowing had no significance to him for it was not uncommon to hear a rooster crow at that time of the early morning (about 3:00 AM).
Now look at verses 69-70 – “And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, ‘This is one of them.’ 70 And he denied it again. And a little later, those who stood by said again to Peter, ‘Surely you are one of them: for you are a Galilaean, and your speech shows it.’”
The servant girl, not persuaded by Peter’s first denial, apparently followed Peter and said this time to those standing by that “This is one of them.” Again, Peter denied it, but his very denial gave him away. He had a Galilean accent and those standing around put two and two together, for the followers of Jesus were mostly Galileans. You can sense a growing hostility to Peter.
Peter, desperate now, sinks even lower – Verse 71 – “But he began to curse and to swear, saying, ‘I know not this man of whom you speak.’”
Peter filled the air with cursing and swearing. No genuine follower of Jesus would speak like that! they must have thought. He may be a Galilean for sure, but certainly NOT a disciple of Jesus.
What a sad contrast: Jesus was inside, boldly telling Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin the truth, stating exactly who and what He was, at the cost of His life. Peter was outside, lying and cursing and swearing to save his own skin!
But suddenly reality hit home to Peter – Look at verse 72 – “And the second time the rooster crowed. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ And when he thought about it, he wept.”
This time Peter heard the rooster crow and the Lord’s warning about his denials came back to his remembrance. He was shocked by what he had done! In Luke’s gospel we read that just then Jesus was brought out of the courtyard and Peter and Jesus locked eyes. Filled with shame, Peter went out into the night and wept bitter tears of remorse.
What was it like for Peter? John Phillips speculated, saying, “The next few days and nights were long and terrible. Jesus was handed over to Pilate. He was crucified and buried in the city. Peter wandered from place to place tormented by his curses, his conscience, and his cowardice. In the end, he found his way back to where some of the other disciples were. It was a sad and miserable group, all of them filled with a sense of guilt for having run away and, perhaps, willing to let a humbled and chastened Peter rejoin their fellowship, a fellowship of grief and remorse.”
CONCLUSION
Two rocks: the Solid Rock and the Cracked Rock. What can we learn from these two men? I think the best way to answer this question is to examine how they got to where they were. What led one to steadfastness to the end and one to failure?
Considering the weakness of human flesh, how did Jesus do this as a man? The answer is that Jesus stood rock-solid before the Sanhedrin, before Pilate, on the way to the cross and on the cross Himself because He did not rely on His own power, but on God the Father. He is the perfect example for all of us who seek to live out our faith in a wicked and hostile world. Jesus knew that even perfect humanity cannot succeed apart from God the Father. We too can be victorious in the Christian life only by moment-by-moment dependence upon God.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7 – “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
God gives His grace to those who renounce self-dependence and depend on Him.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul declared, “And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Those who learn to be dependent on God become rock-solid for God. The great missionary to China Hudson Taylor said, “God chose me because I was weak enough. He trains somebody to be quiet enough, and little enough, and then uses him.” As the beloved Vance Havner put it: “The Lord had the strength and I had the weakness, so we teamed up! It was an unbeatable combination.” Jesus could remain steadfast because he was totally dependent on and in constant close fellowship with the Father.
What led to Peter’s downfall? – I see two things that likely weakened him before he ever went into battle:
First was PRIDE.
At the Last Supper Jesus warned, “You will all fall away.” Peter boldly responded back, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” Famous last words.
Peter was filled with pride. He thought he could not fail. He thought he was invulnerable to Satan’s attack because of all the time he had spent with Jesus.
Pride reared its ugly head several times in Peter during Jesus’ ministry on earth. On several occasions he was so full of himself he thought he could correct Jesus—the Messiah!...the One he himself had confessed to be the Son of the living God!
Pride is a prelude for failure. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed, lest he fall!”
We must therefore take heed against pride; watch out for it; never leave ourselves unguarded from pride.
The second thing that led to Peter’s fall was PRAYERLESSNESS.
At Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter and 2 others to come with Him and pray. They, being tired, fell asleep—three different times! Jesus didn’t ask them to do something that was beyond their ability. They could have stayed awake, but they didn’t. It was the wrong time to sleep!
Illus. – Speaking of sleeping at the wrong time, a lady said to her Pastor, “Pastor, I hope you didn’t take it personally when my husband walked out during your sermon.”
“I did find it rather disconcerting,” the preacher replied.
“It’s not a reflection on you, sir,” insisted the churchgoer. “Arthur has been walking in his sleep ever since he was a child.”
This was the wrong time for Peter to sleep. Luke says that earlier Jesus had said to Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith does not fail” If there ever was a time when Peter needed to pray, it was now!
But Peter, proud and relying on his own power and strength, failed to listen. Literally, within an hour or two, Peter was to be tested. He went into the hour of temptation spiritually weak and unprepared.
If we neglect prayer, and for that matter, the other disciplines of the Christian life, such as the study of God’s Word, worship opportunities, and faithfully attending church, we will most likely live a defeated Christian life.
What about you, dear brother and sister in Christ?
• Have you learned to be totally dependent on God in your Christian life? – It is the only path to victory over sin and success in the Christian life.
• Are you proud? – James exhorts us, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
• Are you prayerless in your Christian life? – Jesus said, “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.” (Mark 14:38)
May God help us all to cultivate dependence on God, humility and prayerfulness in our walk with God.
What do I have for you this morning who do not have the assurance of salvation in your life? Peter cried tears of repentance. He knew he had failed: he didn’t try to hide it or deny it. He was guilty and he repented of his great sin.
I’m happy this message doesn’t end there, and the story is not over. Peter was restored and became the greatest of the 12 Apostles. And that same forgiveness granted to Peter for one of the worst sins of all time is available to you if you will come to Jesus for forgiveness and restoration. Come to Jesus this morning.
