THE DISCIPLE PETER - SLIP LEADS TO SLIDE - PART 3 OF 4
THE CHARACTERS IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
UNINTENTIONAL FAILURE --- SLIP LEADS TO SLIDE --- FAILED BY MY OWN WORDS -- WHY DID HE STAY?
John 18 v 10 “Simon Peter therefore having a sword, drew it, and struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear, and the slave’s name was Malchus. John 18:11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath. The cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”
We come to a most solemn passage in John’s gospel, a passage Peter’s friend and fellow worker, John, must have been pained to recall and write down. No one likes his or her failures to be written out, and least of all, by your closest friend, but John did so as he was led by the Holy Spirit to do. It was written out for the whole world to know, now for 1 900 years, like it just won’t go away. The same things can be said about David’s great failure that has been detailed for 3 000 years. David and Peter are two of the greatest characters in the bible, so why did God choose to expose these men with shame and failure? Why not just omit that from the scriptures? It is important to look at that question, and not just sweep it under the carpet. God has included these events in the bible for our instruction. Do you remember what Paul wrote about the scriptures? 2Timothy 3 v 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 2Tim 3:17 that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. The bible is our instruction book. The fact that the great men can slip and fail, is encouragement for us who also slip and fail. What if the great bible heroes were all perfect? Well it would look pretty terrible for all of us. Take instruction and encouragement from these great men.
Can you picture there a chapter in the manual called “What to learn from failure”? I wonder how many pointers we could give for that chapter. Just think for a moment, “What can we learn from failure?” I wonder if you got any of these:-
1. Failure needs not be permanent. Repentance leads to forgiveness.
2. God is gracious in failure and leads us to repentance.
3. Failure is on the list for everyone of us.
4. God often uses another person in our failure to stand by us.
5. Failure happens when we least expect it.
6. The stronger we think we are, the more likely we are to fail.
“O Jesus I have promised to serve Thee till the end”, and yet we fail to serve.
“I will love Thee in life; I will love Thee in death”, yet our love grows cold.
With that short introduction we are going to move to the most regrettable episode of Peter’s life. Regrettable, because he did not want it to happen that way, but Peter did not mention it ever in any writings or discourse of his, so he climbed up from failure to the heights of service for his Lord. Let us look at the verses in John, 18 v 14-27.
John 18 v 14 Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. John 18:15 Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, John 18:16 but Peter was standing at the door outside, so the other disciple who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought in Peter. John 18:17 The slave-girl therefore who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”
Almost without thinking, it slipped out. He did not mean to say that. It seemed an automatic reaction to the question, but he had said it and could not retract it, for to do so would throw doubt on his character and put him in a real confused mess. We are going to look into the passage more. Caiaphas, the high priest was not of God. He was false. If he was true he would have recognised Jesus as the Messiah but he was opposed to the Lord. He was a slippery snake who slithered between political factions but never doing what was right; a crawling cockroach going from one place to another. His advice that it was better for one man to die on behalf of the people, had absolutely nothing to do with the Lord being a Substitute for the nation or the world. He counselled to get rid of Jesus to keep the peace and to appease the Romans and to make it easier for himself. He was as slippery as the slippery politicians are today.
Verse 15 sees Peter and John following Jesus into the court of the high priest, but John was known to the high priest, and that gave them entrance as verse 16 tells us. Why was Simon Peter following? In retrospect, he probably wished he had not gone that evening. I suppose he probably wondered what would happen to his Lord. He was confused, bewildered that such a thing could happen to Jesus. Though the Lord had explained to the disciples what was going to happen, they did not understand what it was all about. Matthew 26:31 “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,’” The Son of man must be delivered up. Also the disciples did not understand, so I think it went over their heads.
John 18 v 16 but Peter was standing at the door outside, so the other disciple who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought in Peter. Yes, it was better for Peter to have remained outside the door and not gone in. So many of us could affirm that it was best we remained outside the door - of the things - that have hurt us in the past, and caught us up in failure. Not to worry. The Lord is gracious to us in failure, and ever lifts us to higher ground.
Curiosity can lead to one’s own hurt. That is a sure and steady way of catching animals in traps, and enticing birds to come to you. Satan was enticing Peter and that is why he followed. Is that too strong a thing to say? Note this verse – 2Corinthians 2:11 “in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” Peter followed on, and right out of the blue, a question from a slave girl ensnared him. She was only a slave girl, not an official or an interrogator, just a nobody in fact, who looked after the door for people to enter and leave. The words came rushing from Peter before he could even digest them - He said, “I am not.”
In the Lord’s Prayer there is a telling section, “and lead us not into temptation.” I think that is so important and God will help us in that regard. It means to keep us from entering the threat area, as in Peter’s case, when he entered through the door. “Lord, let my feet and my hands and my eyes not go that way. Do not lead me into temptation,” but guess what? We lead ourselves into temptation. The next part of the Lord’s Prayer is “but deliver us from evil.” So much better it would have been for Peter, after that first denial and failure, to have left with all haste and to have gone home. And . . so . . Peter remained and might as well have placed his head in a noose.
John 18 v 18 Now the slaves and the officers were standing there having made a charcoal fire for it was cold and they were warming themselves, and Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. John 18:19 The high priest therefore questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. John 18:25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said therefore to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
In verse 18 Peter was warming himself at a charcoal fire. In a manner of speaking, he was in the domain of the enemy, with them in the physical warmth, while at the same time Peter was feeling the spiritual coldness of already letting the Lord down; by promising and then failing. Was he determined not to do it again? Verse 19 says the high priest was not only asking about Jesus’ teaching, but about His disciples. That would be enough to scare anyone who professed to be a disciple. Peter kept quiet and listened, but then it all fell on him. Not a servant girl this time was questioning him, but the officers and slaves at the fire directed their attention to Peter. This was more serious, and because of fear this time, he again denied the Lord a second time. Peter should not have been in the court in the first place, and certainly not with the enemy, warming himself. Peter led himself into temptation.
John 18:26 One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” John 18:27 Peter therefore denied it again and immediately a cock crowed.
Here is recorded the most tragic denial of all. John had witnessed the first two denials for he was in that court with Peter. I wouldn’t like to say, but should John even have been in that place himself? Should he not have hurried Peter out after the first denial of the Lord? In any case, Peter was now in the thick of it. There was one looking at him intently for he thought he recognised him. He was a cousin or some relative of Malchus, and he was sure he recognised Peter as the one who attempted some mischief on his relative. He was sure he saw Peter in the garden. Well, just for the record, he did see Peter in the garden, but when he questioned Peter about it, it was denied. John was being very kind to Peter here, for Matthew adds this - Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!”. Matthew’s account of the denial is a bit different for he has 2 servant girls, and bystanders. We are studying Peter, not reconciling the gospel accounts. Matthew also mentions in 26 v 75 this – “and he went out and wept bitterly.”
Mark’s account is a picture coloured with Peter’s perspective. It was Peter who provided Mark with the details for his gospel. Consider this verse - Mark 14 v 30 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, that you yourself this very night, before a cock crows twice, shall three times deny Me.” Mark mentions a cock crowing twice, so Peter was very much aware of that. He did not forget the details of that night. A little later in Mark we have this - Mark 14 v 71 but he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” Mark 14:72 Immediately a cock crowed a second time and Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times,” and he began to weep.” Luke who is a historian and careful researcher, mentions 2 men and a servant girl and adds that the time between the second and third denial was about one hour. He is the only evangelist to mention this next thing - Luke 22 v 61 “and the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him.”
[A possible message could be, “THE LAPSED HOUR” where Peter’s own thoughts must have been worrying him]
What a tragic night for Peter. He let down his best friend, his Lord and Master, and had been failed by his own words. He went out in sorrow and wept bitterly. I think he might never have forgotten the look of the Lord when the cock crowed. Neither will we when we fall into sin or denial, but the gracious Lord recovers those of his own who are wounded soldiers in the battle, who return in repentance.
To understand biblical characters better, I try to think into their personalities and into their minds, for so often they are not too much different from all of us. When it comes to Peter I have tried to think of him during the next two or so days following that dreadful night when his world came tumbling down. He had lost his Lord to Judas’s betrayal; he had denied his Lord and lied about it; he had seen his hopes for a future with Jesus as King of Israel, dashed. That was Thursday night. Peter left the court of the high priest in utter dejection and wept bitterly.
The next day was the crucifixion and that was inconceivable for His band of faithful followers. It was the end of a fairytale three years of miracles, wonderful instruction, and contacts and aspirations. Peter had watched the death of Jesus but made no sense out of it. It was not the way it was all to happen. We know the disciples did not understand the death of the Lamb of God. Peter spent that day in regret and confusion, but worst of all, he expected nothing more was to happen because the disciples did not expect or understand or realise a resurrection. Peter’s last contact with the Saviour was the look Jesus gave him on the third denial. What a terrible way to end the whole three and a half years.
We don’t know what Peter did on the Sabbath apart from the rest according to the Law but we do know the disciples were hiding away for fear of the Jews. I think Peter was worried about his own life. Saturday would have been a miserable day of despair and absolute uncertainty. We began this message with the scene in the garden – John 18 v 10-11, where Peter impulsively took his sword to defend Jesus and it was probably Malchus who was trying to grab hold of Jesus. “Impulsive” is a description that has been given to Peter. We can recall how quick he was to get out of the boat and walk to Jesus, but failed. Impulsiveness usually leads to failure. Through the Sabbath Peter had plenty to reflect on. Praise God over and over, that was not the final episode with Jesus and His disciples.
HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION
It could be argued that Peter’s fault that night of the trial was not temptation, but it was. I think that can be argued. One feels ill-equipped to deal with this and I can only give reflections from what we have in the bible. The very first temptation we have was the exchange between Eve and Satan. She saw the fruit good to look at and a desire sprung up in her. David saw Bathsheba and his thoughts and desires overtook him. Achan desired the garments and goods from Ai. Gehazi hungered after the riches Naaman brought with him. Now what are all these incidents telling us? Well, they point to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. We need three strong iron gates, one for the eyes, one for the body, and one for the mind. Jesus answered Satan by a thorough knowledge of the scriptures, and we need that knowledge too. Be not boastful, for Peter’s boastfulness had its consequences.
Calvin - There is no reason to doubt that godly zeal was the motive that induced both of them to follow Christ (Peter, John); but since Christ had plainly declared that He spared Peter and the others, he who was so weak would have found it to be far better for him to groan and pray in some dark corner than to go into the presence of men. He now undertakes, with great earnestness, the performance of a duty from which Christ had released him; and when he comes to the confession of faith, in which he ought to have persevered even to death, his courage fails. We ought always to consider what the Lord requires from us, that those who are weak, may not undertake what is not necessary.
Calvin - Certainly, all the strength that appears to be in men is smoke, which a breath immediately drives away. When we are out of the battle, we are too courageous; but experience shows that our lofty talk is foolish and groundless; and, even when Satan makes no attacks, we contrive for ourselves idle alarms which disturb us before the time. The voice of a feeble woman terrified Peter: and what is the case with us? Do we not continually tremble at the rustling of a falling leaf? A false appearance of danger, which was still distant, made Peter tremble: and are we not every day led away from Christ by childish absurdities? In short, our courage is of such a nature, that, of its own accord, it gives way where there is no enemy; and thus does God revenge the arrogance of men by reducing fierce minds to a state of weakness. A man, filled not with fortitude but with wind, promises that he will obtain an easy victory over the whole world; and yet, no sooner does he see the shadow of a thistle, than he immediately trembles. Let us therefore learn not to be brave in any other than the Lord.
Calvin - He denied it the third time. How shocking the stupidity of Peter, who, after having denied his Master once, not only has no feeling of repentance, but hardens himself by the very indulgence he takes in sinning! If each of them in his turn had asked him, he would not have hesitated to deny his Master a thousand times. Such is the manner in which Satan hurries along wretched men, after having degraded them. We must also attend to the circumstance which is related by the other Evangelists, (Matthew 26 v 74; Mark 14 v 71,) that he began to curse and to swear, saying, that he did not know Christ. Thus it happens to many persons every day. At first, the fault will not be very great; next, it becomes habitual, and at length, after that conscience has been laid asleep, he who has accustomed himself to despise God will think nothing unlawful for him, but will dare to commit the greatest wickedness. There is nothing better for us, therefore, than to be early on our guard, that he who is tempted by Satan, while he is yet uncorrupted, may not allow himself the smallest indulgence.
Verse 27. Immediately the cock crew. John mentions the crowing of the cock, in order to inform us, that Peter was warned by God at the very time; and for this reason the other Evangelists tell us, that he then remembered the words of the Lord, (Matthew 26 v 75; Mark 14 v 72,) though Luke relates that the mere crowing of the cock did not produce any effect on Peter, till Christ looked at him, (Luke 22 v 61.). Thus, when any person has once begun to fall through the suggestions of Satan, no voice, no sign, no warning, will bring him back, until the Lord himself casts his eyes upon him.
Wonderfully, that is not the end of Peter!
END OF PART 3. PART 4 WILL FOLLOW. IT IS THE FINAL PART.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
