You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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As we open God's Word together again this morning, I mean, what a gift it is that we
get to do that, right?
That we get to open the Word of truth and hear the truth of God's greatness and read
it together.
We're going to return to John chapter 18, John's account of this fateful night where
Jesus is actually going to head to the cross.
He has just been betrayed by Judas and his band of several hundred men, Roman soldiers,
Jewish leaders.
And John has kept our attention fixed firmly on Jesus.
All the way through.
He's the last man standing, controlling all the others, protecting his disciples.
It reminded me this week of this iconic photo from 1989, the day after the Tiananmen Square
massacre massacre in Beijing, China, when one man, you can barely even see him down there.
He stood alone before a line of military tanks and he brought them to a halt.
Tank man, he's known as.
He was going to have to do this.
Stepping forward bravely to stand against unjust power for the sake of others, even if it costs him.
And now in these next verses, John turns our eyes back and forth from Jesus to Peter and back again.
It seems a little bit odd the way John mixes these scenes together.
But actually, if you think about it, this is a literary convention that you've seen or read hundreds of times.
Right?
It's in so many movies.
When you go back and forth to draw a contrast.
Right?
To highlight specific differences in the two scenes or the two characters you're watching.
Maybe you remember it most famously in a movie that cuts back and forth between a baptism in a church and violence on the streets.
Let's pick up our reading at verse 12 of John 18.
With our eyes still on Jesus, the last man standing.
And let's read this first scene.
Remember, just a few moments before, those guys had all fallen to the ground before the I am of Jesus.
The last man standing in total control of the situation.
But now he helps them back up.
And they complete the arrest.
First they led him to Annas.
For he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
So many priests here, it can be easy to get confused.
Now, Annas has been a high priest for a decade.
Okay?
But whereas the Jews elected him to that role and appointed him there for life,
the Romans didn't want it to work that way with positions of power.
They wanted a lot more turnover.
And so Annas' sons and son-in-law Caiaphas have been taking turns serving as high priest.
But Annas is still looked to by many Jews as the real high priest.
So John takes this opportunity when he's telling us about this to remind us that Caiaphas,
the son-in-law of Annas,
had advised the Sanhedrin not long ago
that even though some people might be upset,
having this Jesus die would be best for the rest of them.
One man die for the people.
Two reasons I think John highlights it here.
The first is that it makes really clear to us that Jesus is willingly going to an unjust trial, right?
These guys he's standing before have already decided,
they're already on the record that he should die.
That would be a good thing if this guy would die.
But more importantly, just as we saw back in chapter 11,
Caiaphas spoke better than he knew, didn't he?
John tells us he was prophesying actually.
Jesus would indeed die for the people
and all the other people who would be gathered to him,
people like you and me if we trust him.
God is using the wicked words of men for a greater purpose.
Love how he does that.
John reminds us yet again that Jesus is heading to the unjust trial
and the biased rulers and the awful cross in our place.
Jesus stands for us.
And then, as he stands, the camera pans back behind us,
this large group that's escorting Jesus,
and it finds Peter following at a distance.
Verse 15.
Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple.
Now, you might wonder who that is.
We don't know for sure.
Many people think it's John himself,
the author of this gospel who sometimes refers to himself
without using his name,
but it doesn't matter too much,
whether it was John or another of the 12 disciples.
But that disciple was known to the high priest.
So since that disciple was known to the high priest,
he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest,
but Peter stood outside at the door.
So that other disciple who was known to the high priest
went out and spoke to the servant girl
who kept watch at the door and brought Peter in.
The servant girl at the door said to Peter,
you also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?
He said, I am not.
Now, the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire
because it was cold,
and they were standing and warming themselves.
Peter also was with them,
standing and warming himself.
Now, let's not be too hard on Peter, okay?
I mean, look, at least he's following, right?
At least he's there.
Most of the other disciples have left.
They've gone to look for safety or sleep.
Peter probably goes here following behind Jesus
with the intent of being courageous,
loyal, even heroic, perhaps.
You can tell already tonight
he's been looking for a chance, hasn't he?
But he fails.
There's no other way to put it.
It's even more painful than that
in the original Greek
because we remember the power.
Peter's heard the words.
Jesus has just said,
ego, a me, I am.
And Peter says,
uke, a me,
I am not.
But the contrast couldn't be clearer
than the two of them.
Jesus' embrace of the truth.
Peter's denial of the truth.
You with Jesus?
I am not.
It seems unlikely Peter planned this response,
doesn't it?
But confronted by the question
of a mere servant girl,
his knees buckle,
his strength fails,
and the one who had said
that he would be with Jesus,
he would die with Jesus,
he can't even admit to living with them.
Perhaps it was a small denial
to one not very intimidating person,
maybe nobody else heard,
but it opens the door
to a night of denial
of his Lord, doesn't it?
Before we apply this to ourselves,
let me observe something here
for those of us who struggle
with the Bible stories
of Jesus being true.
Did this really happen?
I want you to think,
here are Jesus' disciples now,
all of them,
either abandoning him,
betraying him,
or denying him,
as in Peter's case.
The future leader of the church
putting his failures
on public record.
That, friends,
is a very strong mark
of historicity
when you're reading
a written account.
When the authors of Scripture
write of their own failures,
failures,
and maybe you think,
no big deal,
you don't really care
if this story is true,
I mean,
you don't follow Jesus,
so no big deal
if it is,
you don't,
if you deny
that you follow Jesus,
that's just telling the truth,
right?
Just being honest.
But if this story is true,
what about all the others?
I mean,
what about his dying
on the cross?
Next chapter.
Or his rising from the dead,
the next chapter.
If everything John writes
about him is true,
then you can find
a life in Jesus.
You must find
your life in Jesus.
I mean,
which one is it?
It's one or the other.
Either they made
all of this up
and threw themselves
under the bus
in the process
just for good measure
because they liked
to embarrass themselves.
Or they told
these embarrassing,
exposing stories
because they're true.
That's what happened.
Back to our failures.
I remember a couple years ago
when Bill Nash
was teaching us
about sharing Jesus
with our neighbors.
I don't know
if that sounded right.
I didn't mean Bill Nash
was our biggest failure.
Sorry, Bill.
Back to our failures.
Bill Nash.
It's not the way
I thought about it
the first time.
I actually remember
Bill teaching us
about sharing Jesus
with our neighbors.
And he said,
a basic beginning
is making sure
that the people you know
know that you're a Christian.
That you actually follow Jesus.
That you're a disciple of His.
Peter wants to keep
that information
to himself here,
doesn't he?
He doesn't run Jesus down.
He doesn't yell
terrible things at Him.
He just avoids
associating with Him.
I don't know
if you're like me,
but I often find
that it is easier
than I realize
to keep my mouth shut
about Jesus
day in and day out.
often even
without planning to.
I used to be committed
to telling people
about Him.
I'll tell you about
college, Will.
I went to Clemson
and surprisingly,
perhaps,
to some of you,
I was a bit intense
back then.
I used
banned book week
on campus
as a chance
to read from the Bible
on a microphone
in the Clemson Amphitheater.
Saved them all.
When the syllabus said
pick one of four books
to read,
I bought all four of them.
I was that guy.
And I came to that first class
with a copy of each one
and a guy sitting
in front of me,
he hadn't gotten
any of them
and so he asked me
if he could have
one of mine.
Of course.
And he said,
hey,
how much was it?
I said,
just keep it.
Jesus has given me
way more than that
for free.
I'm happy for you
to have it.
You want to know
about Jesus?
That's freshman Will.
That's what I was like.
It's the way I am
on a missions trip, right?
Boy,
if you put me
on a plane
on a missions trip,
then you better
watch out
because the Muslim guy
next to me
and the Buddhist guy
sitting right in front of me,
they're going to tell me
their whole life stories
and get a gospel presentation
on scratch paper
before that plane lands.
I'm in representative
of Jesus mode
that whole trip
and in the taxi,
at the restaurant,
all the time.
It feels like
I'm in enemy territory.
I can't wait
to tell people about him.
But just last week,
I was sitting at a restaurant
with some friends
and our kind young waitress
asks me this,
can I get you
some of our free
homemade sourdough bread?
And I say,
is that a question?
If I ever say no
to free
homemade sourdough,
please check my pulse.
But I went
the entire meal
with no comment
about the free bread
Jesus has given me.
It was like she was
asking for it.
I mean,
it crossed my mind
to ask her
if she knew
about Jesus' free gift
and how much
he gives us,
but I just decided
it was easier not to.
Another day,
just two days after that,
I went to drop off
some donations
at a thrift store
and the young man
asked if I wanted
a receipt.
No thanks.
He said,
but you don't want
credit for it?
No thanks.
I mean,
I had a schedule
to keep.
I was in a hurry,
but not even one comment
about Jesus giving me
all the credit
that I could ever need
or anything like that.
I had somewhere to go.
I didn't even talk
to him about Jesus.
In those small,
non-intimidating
interactions,
are we with Jesus?
Are we not
his representatives
then too?
Does he have to send you
on a plane
across the world?
I'm not suggesting
that you need
a corny pun
to bring Jesus
into conversation.
It's not really
recommended.
But are you looking
for an excuse
to leave him
out of it?
What I've seen
in myself
is that those habits
of denying,
even silently,
just living so much
of my life
without reference
to him,
I'm denying
my relationship
with him.
Those habits
are easy to make
and they're hard
to break
if I'm focused
day in and day out
on my comfort,
my safety,
my schedule.
While Jesus
is standing,
Peter
has fallen.
Maybe we can relate.
Is Jesus
still standing?
What's going on
with him?
Scene three
goes inside the house
to Jesus again.
Verse 19,
the high priest
then questioned
Jesus
about his disciples
and his teaching.
Do you still have
a bunch of followers
out there
that you've incited,
you've stirred them up
to cause trouble?
What have you been
telling them to do?
What should we expect?
Now the problem
with this
is that this is not
the legal way
to handle
this arrest.
This is not
what should be
happening.
Witnesses
are supposed
to be called
first
and that should
actually start
with witnesses
for the defense.
The accused
doesn't get
questioned
in Jewish law,
certainly not
by the high priest
and Jesus
points this out.
Jesus answered him,
I have spoken
openly to the world.
I have always
taught in synagogues
and in the temple
where all Jews
come together.
I've said nothing
in secret.
Why do you ask me?
Ask those
who have heard me
what I said
to them.
They know
what I said.
Call a witness.
It's public
knowledge.
Nothing will
surprise you.
Your men
just watched me
tell my followers
to put their
swords away.
Those who have
heard and seen
me teaching
are the ones
who should be
testifying.
That's how
this should work.
And when he
had said these
things,
one of the
officers standing
by struck
Jesus with his
hand saying,
is that how you
answer the high
priest?
Jesus answered
him,
if what I
said is wrong,
bear witness
about the wrong.
But if what I
said is right,
why do you
strike me?
Annas then
sent him bound
to Caiaphas,
the high
priest.
I'm speaking
the truth.
Jesus says,
I'm urging
him to do
this the right
way.
I'm telling
you that you
don't have to
worry about my
followers starting
a riot.
Even though
with a slap,
the violence
against Jesus
has begun.
Now here's
someone a bit
more dangerous
and influential
than the servant
girl, right?
Jesus is being
threatened unjustly.
A pattern that's
going to continue
throughout his
trial.
And the Jews
are rushing this
trial overnight
because they
fear the Passover
feast and the
upcoming Sabbath
will delay their
big chance,
their chance to
finish Jesus
while they finally
have him.
They're going to
do things they'd
never do otherwise.
Let's get him
under the cover of
darkness in the
wee hours of the
morning with no
one to testify on
his behalf.
Here he is,
now he's really
trapped.
Is Jesus
intimidated?
Is he caught
into self-protecting
silence where he'll
deny the truth?
Not hardly.
He responds boldly,
truthfully, even
indirectly instructing
the high priest
himself about the
just manner to
proceed.
Jesus declares the
open statement of
the truth.
He's not hiding from
anything, is he?
His message never
changes.
No matter where he
is or to whom he's
speaking, he may be
bound, he may be
slapped, but he
speaks boldly and he
stands firmly no
matter the pain or
the cost.
So he's off to
another home, but
that's next week.
John wants first to
finish Peter's part of
the story here.
Verse 25, back where
we left Peter at the
warm, crackling,
charcoal fire.
Peter.
Now Simon Peter was
standing and warming
himself, so they
said to him, you also
are not one of his
disciples, are you?
He denied it and
said, I am not.
One of the servants of
the high priest, a
relative of the man
whose ear Peter had
cut off, asked, did I
not see you in the
garden with him?
Peter again denied
it and at once a
rooster crowed.
While Jesus is
standing, succeeding
for Peter, Peter
keeps failing, denying
again, uke me, I am
not.
I bet Peter never
thought he would
deny Jesus.
He's a pretty
confident guy.
It was just earlier
this evening that
Peter had passionately
proclaimed that even
if everyone else ran
away, he would stand
with Jesus to the
death if need be.
Just tonight.
I will never deny
you.
But denial ain't
just a river, you
know.
You'll get that in a
minute.
Credit to Andrew
Peterson.
It's a helpful
line because denial
is not just a one-time
thing.
It's something you get
caught in, isn't it?
A small denial
becomes a big
problem.
It snowballs into
these repeated and
more passionate
denials of Christ.
Peter gives in to his
sin.
He cracks the door on
indulging his fear,
his pride.
Maybe this is a good
place for all of us to
consider the warning
that Paul gives in 1
Corinthians chapter 10.
Therefore, let anyone
who thinks he stands
take heed lest he fall.
especially when you're
sure you're going to be
good.
Watch out.
When you know you're
strong, when you think
you're better than
everyone else, Peter,
watch out.
Peter thought he would
stand.
Yet again tonight,
where the spirit is
willing, the flesh is
still weak.
Peter blows it again.
Perhaps the first time he
was just taken off guard,
right now he'll get,
nope, now he's stuck in
the lie.
Now he's committed to
distancing himself from
Jesus rather than
standing by his king.
Peter swore it would
never happen like this.
And then it did.
I bet most of us can
relate.
You know that feeling?
Oh, it's awful.
You ever failed to stand
with Jesus or speak for
Jesus when you said you
would?
Just last week, you may
notice I'm not having to
go far back for these
struggles in my life.
I met with a group of men
I love and we're talking
about the rhythms and the
habits in our lives that
either draw us towards
Jesus or kind of lead us
away from Jesus.
And I zeroed in for that
day on one small change
I committed to making.
Even just privately in my
own home, that's all it
was.
The first few minutes when I
get out of bed in the
morning, I want to talk
first with Jesus.
To contemplate Jesus.
To start my day with him.
This Friday I committed to
the same thing because I
was 0 for 7 this week.
Wordle, ESPN, the news on
my phone, that they kept
getting my attention first.
It was a small thing.
It seemed so easy.
I was really embarrassed
that I didn't do it.
When I said I would.
This is something Jesus
wants me to do.
I said he wants me to be
with him.
He welcomes me to be with
him.
I'm going to do that.
And again, no.
Where have you fallen like
Peter?
Like me?
Whom have you kept running
down?
What have you kept clicking
on?
When have you kept silent?
What is Jesus calling you
to do?
And you know he is, but you
are too self-protective to
leave your comfort to stand
with him.
Even when you come here
every week and open his
word every day and you see
Jesus standing there succeeding
in much more dangerous and
trying circumstances than you,
you find you keep failing.
Even when you're sure you
won't.
Even in the areas you're
convinced you've got this
one.
It should break our hearts,
shouldn't it?
Even though our failures
aren't recorded in Scripture
for perpetuity like Peter's,
I mean, there's still denials
of our Savior.
It's unfaithful to the
faithful one.
And this episode with Peter is
not going to be the series
finale and wrap everything up
nicely.
We have to wait till the end of
John's gospel to wrap up Peter's
story here.
But there is a cliffhanger.
There's a cliffhanger here in this
passage that is full of hope.
And if you're discouraged right
now and if you feel the failure
that I've felt and feel, you need
to get this part.
Peter again denied and at once a
rooster crowed.
What will come of Peter, we wonder,
as the scene closes?
Before we leave him, John wants to
point us back to Jesus' upper room
prediction just a few hours ago.
Jesus says to Peter, will you lay down
your life for me?
Are you so sure?
Truly, truly, I say to you, the
rooster will not crow until you've
denied me three times.
Certainly not.
Peter was so confident.
Three times tonight?
Yep.
See, Jesus anticipates our failure.
He knows our weakness.
He's not surprised by our sin, is he?
And, listen, this is so hopeful.
He doesn't reject us because of
those things.
He didn't send Peter away.
Go home, Peter.
You're going to blow it.
He didn't tell him not to bother
coming to the garden to pray with
him or try.
No.
No, instead of rejecting us, he
invites us to repentance.
And there's no question the sound of
the rooster's crow was bad news for
Peter, right?
Can you feel that moment?
It cut him to his heart.
It exposed him as the denier that he
was in that moment.
I bet he remembered that moment on
many more days when he heard that
sound to start his day.
Can you imagine waking up to that
noise?
In Luke's gospel, when Jesus tells
Peter that he's going to deny him,
Jesus also tells Peter that he has
prayed for his faith to stand and for
him to turn again, to repent.
To repent means to turn from your sin
in your heart to hate it because it's
a denial, isn't it?
It's a denial of the goodness, the
sufficiency, the care of Jesus.
You're going to find those things
somewhere else.
Turn from that back to Jesus.
That's repentance.
When Peter hears the rooster, meets
Jesus' gaze passing by the courtyard
apparently, and considers what he's done,
he weeps bitterly.
Friends, our failure, our weakness,
our sin is worth weeping over
and repenting of.
When we turn back to Jesus, as worthy
as it is that we be weeping in that
moment, he does not meet us with a
soul-crushing gaze.
Can you imagine how capable he would
have been of doing that to Peter in
that moment?
Maybe we'd expect it, but Jesus doesn't
run us off.
He welcomes us back.
See, Jesus loves failures.
Don't miss or forget that today.
If you have failed even big time, there
is great hope today because the gospel
is not about you being strong enough or
successful enough.
The gospel is about God being gracious
enough.
Amen?
There's forgiveness here with Jesus
because he has succeeded where we've
failed.
He has spoken boldly where we've been
silent.
He has sacrificed himself when we've
protected ourselves.
Your denial, your failure, your sin is
not bigger than his grace.
Please know that.
Please see that here.
In his great kindness, Jesus makes Peter
a leader in his church, an author of
holy scripture, a trophy of his grace.
That is the kind of king that he is.
Don't you love that?
There's no other kind you can have.
You've blown it too many times.
I've messed up again.
And listen, here's the deal.
I don't want you to think that it's just
that forgiveness is out there.
It's this thing, this intangible idea.
Y'all, if that's all there is, if it's just a
transaction, forgiveness in place of my
denial, I'll just do it again.
I mean, I'm not waking up early when I could
get extra sleep and forgiveness.
Is that all it is?
I'll deny him again.
Right?
What helps us change?
What makes us different?
What gives us hope to stand?
It's that when we repent, when we look back
with tears flowing down our face, Jesus is still
standing there and not to condemn, but to welcome us
back into a relationship with him.
Not a cold transaction.
Not a pill to take.
A relationship.
I'm not going to wake up early for condemnation.
To feel shame.
I know that.
But this Jesus stands for me.
He speaks boldly to injustice where I've failed.
He prays for my restoration rather than my condemnation.
He doesn't merely pass out forgiveness.
He offers himself as the one who forgives.
The forgiving friend that you can have and be with
all the time.
That makes me long to be with him.
So do that for your heart.
It makes me want to stand for him.
It makes me eager to speak for him to everyone,
everywhere.
He's that worth talking about.
Do you see him standing there for you?
See the love, compassion in his eyes?
You see him take the pain that you deserve?
Don't you want to stand and speak and live with him and for him?
To be not merely a denier.
I know it.
We've all been there.
But a repentant, forgiven, and restored follower?
A friend of Jesus?
Don't you want that relationship?
John Newton was infamously the captain of a slave ship.
Awful.
Denying God's very existence at the time.
Running from God.
When he met Jesus and finally became convinced that Jesus loved even him in spite of himself,
he struggled deeply with his failures and sins.
So when he became a preacher, he always preached of amazing grace that saved a wretch like me.
He wept often over his sins until the day he died.
But Newton had turned to see one thing bigger than his big sin.
The grace of his Savior.
As his mind failed him and he neared his death, he said,
My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things.
That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior.
He couldn't stop talking and singing about Jesus, the Savior, with amazing grace enough for all of us.
In a few weeks, we'll be back around the charcoal fire and listen to Peter talk with Jesus about his love.
But for now, the rooster's crow is the sound of conviction.
The call to repentance.
And so wonderfully, it is the voice of gospel good news.
Hope.
Mercy.
For you.
The God who knows your weakness stands strong in your place as the last man standing and invites you and me
in our greatest failures to run or crawl or even just cry out back to him this morning.
He will lift you up to live with him and for him.
Let's ask for his help.
Wonderful, merciful Savior.
Precious Redeemer and friend.
We give you thanks for your forgiveness and that you have given us not merely a pardon, but yourself.
Thank you that those of us with nothing else to offer, who've denied you way more than three times,
find a rich welcome back to you.
You are so good to us and we worship you for your grace.
And we praise you today, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
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