7. The Unfaithful Friends - Easter Special Part 3

You can imagine Peter’s chest puff out with injured pride.

He’s at dinner with Jesus and the other disciples… And Jesus has just said this to them. He says in Matthew 26:31:

Tonight all of you will fall away because of me.

They’re probably all in shock… but Peter’s the first to speak. He can’t speak for the others… they may be cowards… but he knows where he stands. In verse 33 he says to Jesus:

“Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.”

To make it really clear, Jesus reserves a special prediction just for Peter. Jesus says:

“Truly I tell you, tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

Peter’s having none of it. He wants Jesus to know how loyal and dedicated he is. He replies in verse 35:

“Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you”.

Brave words. And the coming events are going to show that Peter really is brave. Braver than all the others in fact. But its bravery on his terms… not on Jesus’ terms.

As we talked about yesterday… They walk out of the city up to the garden on the Mount of Olives.

Jesus is in deep distress… and as he goes to pray he asks Peter, James and John to stay awake and pray as well. But they fall asleep.

Its not because they don’t love Jesus. They’ve given up everything to follow him. They just don’t understand the moment they’re in. Despite all Jesus’ warnings about his coming betrayal and suffering and death and resurrection… they just don’t think its gonna play out like that. They can’t imagine a scenario where Jesus appears to lose. Which shows that despite their devotion to Jesus… their faith is still in their own thinking… their own logic… rather than in Jesus. And so they fall asleep.

Jesus comes back… wakes them up and says to Peter in verse 41:

So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

To Peter though… that seems like an empty warning…

Peter and the others fall asleep again. They’d missed their last chance to pray.

After a while they’re woken again by Jesus, who says in verse 45:

“Are you still sleeping and resting? See, the time is near. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let’s go. See, my betrayer is near.”

Then things start happening very quickly. A large mob arrives with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus. Imagine the disciples surprise when… at their head… is none other than Judas Iscariot, one of their own team.

They weren’t completely unprepared, though. Even if they hadn’t fully believed Jesus with how things would go, they at least thought there was going to be some kind of struggle. And so we see an example of the bravery that all the disciples said they had. One of them… and John tells us in his Gospel that its Peter… pulls out a sword… leaps forward and cuts off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. This is brave, right. They’re out-numbered, out-gunned… but Peter had said he was willing to die with Jesus… and he proves it here.

But its misplaced bravery. Its bravery on Peter’s terms, not Jesus’ terms. Peter doesn’t understand what’s happening and so far… he’s refused to accept Jesus’ explanation. So now Jesus speaks again. He says in verse 52:

“Put your sword back in its place… because all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and he will provide me here and now with more than twelve legions of angels? How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”

You see… Jesus is still working on God’s agenda. God had said in the Scriptures… the Old Testament… that this is what was going to happen. So Jesus isn’t going to fight… even though he could.

And this…. This submission to God’s will… Jesus’ acceptance that he’s on the road to execution… this is what breaks the disciples’ bravery and devotion to Jesus. They can’t believe that this is how its supposed to go. They can’t believe that Jesus would just give in like that.

And their hearts break… and the panic sets in… and they run. All of them… including Peter… Just like Jesus said.

Jesus is taken away to be put on trial at the house of the High Priest.

And here’s where Peter proves that his bravery really is greater than all the other disciples. Because he actually follows… and gets into the High Priest’s house… hoping to find out what happens. He’s often remembered for what comes next… but you’ve got to remember along side that… he really is the best of the bunch. He really is the bravest… the most loyal… which makes what happens so much harder to hear.

The house has a courtyard… There are soldiers and servants there while Jesus’ trial goes on inside… People are warming themselves by the fire and Peter’s sort of… mixing in with the group.

And a servant girl walks up to him and says…

“You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”

You can just imagine all the conversation stopping… and every head turning towards Peter… And imagine the fear that wells up in Peter’s chest… He doesn’t want to be arrested. He doesn’t want to be crucified. Even though he said he’d die with Jesus… he didn’t mean like this. He was thinking of a glorious battle.

And so verse 70 tells us:

But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Just to be sure… he moves away from the fire over to the gateway. There are still a few people there, though. And a woman sees Peter and recognises him… and she says to the group:

“This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!”

Again, it’s a moment for Peter to stand with Jesus. To prove his loyalty. But again, the fear rises in his heart… and this time he swears an oath and says in verse 72:

“I don’t know the man!”

The panic must be starting to set in as he sees groups of people glancing over at him and talking in whispers. Perhaps they haven’t been fooled by his strong denials. Verse 73 says:

After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You really are one of them, since even your accent gives you away.”

And this is Peter’s last chance. He’s seen Jesus calm storms, cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead… he’s seen Jesus transformed to reveal his bright shining godly glory and heard God the Father declare that Jesus truly is his Son. He’s proven his loyalty in the past… when huge crowds were deserting Jesus… Peter refused to go… staying at Jesus’ side. But we’re told in verse 74:

Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

How his heart must’ve shattered as he heard that rooster… as immediately… Jesus words came to mind… and his world came crashing down as he realised the enormity of his betrayal.

On a personal note from me… this is the story that finally sealed my desire to follow Jesus. Because… Peter isn’t Judas. He isn’t some evil plotter and schemer… some nasty person who you can write off and say, well of course they’re going to hell. Peter’s the most loyal, brave, devoted follower of Jesus. But it was devotion.. on his terms. Which means… when Jesus didn’t go along with Peter’s plans… Peter was ultimately an unfaithful follower. An unfaithful friend. And I realised… with a blow a bit like what Peter must’ve felt when the rooster crowed… that I too was following Jesus on my terms. Which really isn’t following Jesus at all. Its really asking Jesus to follow you.

At the last supper when Jesus had predicted Peter’s betrayal… he’d also talked about something else. He’d used the red wine to remind them of the blood he was about to shed on the cross… And he said his blood

is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Which means… as terrible as Peter’s denial’s been… as unfaithful a friend Peter’s been… there’s still hope for him. Because even though he’s been unfaithful… Jesus is faithful. Despite what Peter expected… Jesus was heading to the cross so that Peter… and you and me… and all who ask for forgiveness… will be forgiven.

But that’s a story… for next time.