LEARNING TO WALK
John 18:15-27
INTRODUCTION
Peter loved the Lord. He was vocal in his desire to protect his teacher.
He was first to say who Jesus was.
Matthew 16:15-17
\”But who do you say that I am?\” 16 Simon Peter answered, \”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.\” 17 And Jesus said to him, \”Blessed are you, Simon Barjona,
He was quick to tell Jesus he would protect Him from the cross.
Matthew 16:22-23
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. \”Never, Lord!\” he said. \”This shall
never happen to you!\”
Jesus turned and said to Peter, \”Get behind me, Satan.
He was quick to trust Jesus by stepping out on the water.
Matthew 14:28-29
\”Lord, if it\’s you,\” Peter replied, \”tell me to come to you on the water.\”
29 \”Come,\” he said.
He was quick to tell Jesus that he would not allow Him to
Wash his feet
John 13:8
\”No,\” said Peter, \”you shall never wash my feet.
Jesus answered, \”Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.\”
He was quick with a sword to cut off the ear of the servant of the High Priest.
John 18:10
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest\’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant\’s name was Malchus.)
Simon Peter vocalized his high regards for Jesus, but in each case, it did not
Cost him anything.
As long as Jesus had his back, Peter was big and bad.
PETER TALK THE TALK, HE HAD TO LEARN TO WALK
FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS
V:15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest\’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there, and brought Peter in.
- You are always in good company following Jesus, but you have to be ready
To walk in His shoes.
- To walk in Jesus\’s shoes, you have to listen to what He says.
- You have put all pride and self-interest aside and focus on
His mission. Peter was quick to talk but slow to listen
Matthew 26:33
Peter answered and said to Him, \”Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.\”
- He was talking when he should have been listening.
Matthew 26:34-35
Jesus said to him, \”Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.\”
- The Word of God always gives us insight into future events.
Since there is nothing new under the Sun, everything that
Has been done or said is included in the Word.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
- No one knows who the other disciple was.
- Whoever he was, he was smart enough to keep
His mouth shut during the trial
- It may have been the other disciple who told everybody
That Peter denied knowing Jesus
- Both Peter and the other disciple were under the
Protection of Jesus.
- While Jesus was surrounded by the enemy,
He was free of the enemy and had total control.
- Jesus’s power as the Son of God was not diminished by
The circumstances.
- The spotlight was on Peter to draw the sin of his pride
Into clear focus in his mind.
- No matter how strong or sure we are of ourselves,
Our weaknesses are engrained in us.
- Until we recognize our faults, we cannot correct them.
A DECISION TO PROCLAIM JESUS
V:17 \”You are not one of his disciples, are you?\” the girl at the door asked Peter.
He replied, \”I am not.\”
18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
- You never know who is watching you.
- You can be sure someone is watching and will question your
Motives.
- There are no secrets that will not be uncovered in time.
- We ought to be proud to have a relationship with Jesus.
- The text teaches us to be ready to give an account of
Our love for Jesus.
- We need courage to speak in the face of opposition.
- Peter placed himself in the midst of the trial.
- Earlier, Jesus had dismissed him along will all the
Other disciples to go into a safe place.
- Peter\’s love for his Lord drew him to be close to Him.
- When you place yourself in enemy territory, expect
The enemy to identify you.
- Peter set himself up for the question of the servant girl.
- Peter had a choice, to tell the truth, or to lie, denying
Knowledge of Jesus.
- You and I are under the pressure of being discovered, and have
A responsibility to claim Jesus as Lord and Savior.
- Peter failed the test. I am sure he was grieved at his
Weakness to save his life.
JESUS HOLDS YOU ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE TRUTH
V:19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 \”I have spoken openly to the world,\” Jesus replied. \”I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.\”
- We live in this world, but we must live in Jesus.
- If we spend too much time on ourselves, we will lose sight of Jesus.
- What will you choose; to protect yourself or support Jesus?
- It is my belief that Jesus wanted Peter to understand the
The courage it takes to proclaim Him as Lord and Savior in the
Face of the opposition.
- Jesus, throughout His ministry, openly proclaimed the Word of
God in the presence of the enemy and many other witnesses.
- Under pressure with the cross in sight, Jesus did not back
Down from the mission of the Father to die for our sins.
- Jesus accused His accusers of denying their knowledge
Of Him and not bringing witnesses who would prove
His words and His works.
- The high priest and the elders of the synagogues knew the
Truth but blinded themselves with their desire to kill Jesus.
- A trial at night and not before the full Sanhedrin court was
Illegal.
- The rush was to get Jesus tried and crucified before the Sabbath
Begin.
ACCUSED OF SPEAKING THE TRUTH
V:22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. \”Is this the way you answer the high priest?\” he demanded.
23 \”If I said something wrong,\” Jesus replied, \”testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?\” 24 Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
- To strike Jesus is to deny Him as Lord.
- The official of the High priest struck Jesus out of ignorance.
- It is in our best interest to know Jesus so we don’t deny the one
Who gives us life.
- It is one thing to strike Jesus out of ignorance. But it is another
thing to strike Jesus with full knowledge of who He is.
- The High Priest and the Sanhedrin court had full knowledge of
Jesus.
- In response to Herod, they pointed to the scriptures that were the
Prophecies of His Messiahship. Micah 5:2, Daniel 9:25
- They were teachers of the Law who had every Jew awaiting the
Coming of the Messiah.
- They hated Jesus because of His popularity with the crowd
Which threatened their authority.
- With their mouths, they proclaimed the Lord, but their hearts
Were from Him.
Matthew 15:8-9
\”\’These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.\’\”
- When Jesus presented Annas, the older High Priest
with the legalities of the law, he ignored the truth and sent Jesus to Caiaphas.
- The law only works if those who are charged with enforcing
The law, follow the law.
- Clearly, Jesus arrest was not a case of a law being broken, but a
Law being perverted for the personal agenda of the High
Priest.
- Peter had the opportunity to speak up for Jesus as a witness.
- Peter and the other disciple remained silent.
- The other disciple had a greater opportunity, being known by
High Priest.
- PUT UP OR SHUT UP. Peter and the other disciple chose to shut up.
ONE LIE PROMOTES ANOTHER
V:25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, \”You are not one of his disciples, are you?\”
He denied it, saying, \”I am not.\”
26 One of the high priest\’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, \”Didn\’t I see you with him in the olive grove?\” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
- Once you tell one lie, you have to tell another to cover the first lie.
- After the first lie, Peter had a chance to leave.
- Peter stayed to see what would happen to his master.
- All the while, I believe his heart was heavy with his personal failure.
- Peter had a double burden.
- After the second denial of Jesus, Peter stayed put.
- The third denial brought to Peters memory the
Words of Jesus. (all four Gospels reported Peter’s denial)
Mark 14:72
Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: \”Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.\” And he broke down and wept.
Luke 22:60-62
Peter replied, \”Man, I don\’t know what you\’re talking about!\” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: \”Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.\” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Matthew 26:73-75
After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, \”Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.\”
74 Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, \”I don\’t know the man!\”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: \”Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.\” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
- According to the text, only one other disciple was with Peter during
Jesus’ trial.
- That unknown disciple may have told all the others the story of Peter’s
Denial of Jesus. What about other disciples\’ sin?
- Peter saw the face of Jesus the moment the rooster crowed.
- Peter had a second opportunity to speak up for Jesus,
Yet he remained silent.
- In the midst of the trial, Peter forgot the power of Jesus to
Cast out demons he had witnessed on many occasions.
- Peter didn’t recognize that he was in the midst of a demon
Possessed crowd.
- Once Peter saw the disapproval in the face of Jesus, he
Went outside and had to deal with his sin.
- He promised Jesus he would not abandon Him, yet he did.
- How soon do we discard the Word when trouble arises.
- When trouble arises, go to Jesus first.
GOD MAKES ALLOWANCES FOR US
- Thank God that He makes allowances for our sins.
- Prior to Jesus being taken into custody, He prayed for Peter’s recovery.
Luke 22:31-33
\”Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.\”
- Jesus and the devil have conversations about you.
- Satan can’t do anything to you unless allowed by Jesus.
- Jesus allows Satan to test you, to strengthen your faith.
- The Lord knows you will stumble, but he makes a way for you
To return to Him.
- The purpose of your trials and failures is for your strengthening
So you can strengthen other disciples.
- The Lord knows you will need the help of other disciples to
Proclaim the gospel.
- Don’t blame Peter for his failures. They were designed by the
Father to propel his success in the ministry.
THANK GOD FOR THE COMPASSION OF JESUS
Rev. M. Mitchell
