March 3, 2010 Sermon on Mark 14:27-31

March 3, 2010 Third Wednesday Lenten Sermon
Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text: Mark 14:27-31
Mark 14:27-31
27 "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29 Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today -yes, tonight - before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.
In our Wednesday Lenten services we have to this point looked at two portraits of our Savior. The first portrait showed our Savior cleansing God’s house, throwing out the abuse taking place in the temple in Jerusalem. The second portrait showed Him contemplating true devotion as He looked at a poor widow showing her trusting devotion in the offering she brought.
Today’s portrait makes me think of an artist’s drawing showing Jesus at the time of His early Friday morning trial. This was the trial before the church leaders. As He was being taken away He passed near where Peter was. The drawing or portrait shows Jesus looking at Peter who had just denied Jesus, denied that he had any connection with our Savior. At that point Luke’s Gospel tells us, "The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter."
What we now want to consider in this service is not only that Jesus saw what Peter did after he had done it, but that He even had declared in advance what would happen. In other words, what we see here is
A PORTRAIT OF OUR SAVIOR DECLARING DENIAL
I A DENIAL JESUS FORETOLD (27,30)
1. His foretelling included what would happen to Him (27)
"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’"
a) Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd who cared
for His sheep so much that He had come to deliver them
b) but something would happen to that Shepherd: He would be
attacked; He would be struck; He would be hit
2. He also foretold the disciples’ action, and a denial (27,30)
"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’" --- "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today - yes, tonight - before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
a) when the Shepherd was struck, all of them would run off
b) and one of them, Peter, would actually deny, disown Him
3. His source for this information was the Word (27)
"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’"
a) Jesus here referred to the second last book of the O.T., Zechariah chapter 13: "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD
Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered."
b) God’s Word of the O.T. had foretold the Good Shepherd’s
virgin birth, Bethlehem as His birthplace, and also this
c) God’s Word is truth; the brush of God’s O.T. Word painted
this portrait of our Savior many years in advance
II A DENIAL THAT WAS DENIED (29,31)
1. Peter had previously denied (Matthew 16:21-22)
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
a) this happened in the past, before the time of today’s text
b) Peter just did not understand why the Good Shepherd had
come; he did not deny Jesus at this point, but he did deny what
Jesus and Scripture said had to happen
2. Here he again denied, denied that he would deny (29, 31a)
Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not." --- But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."
a) we’re not going to question Peter’s love and intentions here
b) but we can see that trust in self can go before the fall
3. What a warning for us (31b)
And all the others said the same.
a) all of them joined in denying that they would deny, as I am
sure all of us here would want to say we would not deny
b) but how many of us here have been like the disciples? how
many of us here have trusted in ourselves and placed
ourselves in danger’s way, in dangerous places and situations,
with the cocky attitude that nothing would happen, that we are
strong enough to disregard warnings from God’s Word?
c) listen to these warning words from 1 Corinthians 10: "If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!"
III A DENIAL THAT ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE (27,30)
1. Lent celebrates fulfillment for Jesus (27)
"You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’"
a) the disciples all scattered, ran away, when Jesus was arrested
b) and the Shepherd was struck, wasn’t He! think of the soldiers
mocking Him, striking Him on the face and taunting Him to
tell them who had done it; and think of the striking blows of a
hammer driving in nails for the crucifixion
2. Lent also shows the fulfillment of denial (30)
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "today - yes, tonight - before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times."
a) after scattering, John and Peter disregarded Jesus’ warning
and came to the trial location
b) there what Jesus warned about happened: Peter denied Jesus
3. To what should this move us?
a) first, let us listen to warnings
b) second, if we don’t and when we fall, let us quickly repent of
our sin, as we know Peter did; Luke 22:61-62 tells us, "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.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly."
c) remember, fellow sinners, when we fall Jesus looks at us too;
repent; and remember He was heading to the cross for us too
IV A DENIAL WHOSE SOLUTION ALSO WAS FORETOLD 1. Jesus would be struck for our sins (27) /(27-28)
" --- for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, ---’."
a) human hands struck Jesus, we know that
b) but the real striking was God’s hand, God’s justice that
demanded that the wages of sin be paid, that the innocent
Lamb of God be sacrificed to atone for the sins of the world,
because God so loved the world that He gave His Son so that
whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life
2. Jesus would also rise to prove His victory (28)
"But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
a) God’s Word foretold this too: the promised Savior would
indeed die a real death; but death would not hold Him; our
Redeemer would come to life, would live to reign forever
b) and this also happened; after the events we hear about in
the season of Lent, how joyfully we can celebrate Easter
3. And now the Shepherd still is with His sheep
a) what happened to sinner Peter? the Good Shepherd did
not forget about him; He came to Peter and reinstated him as
one of His disciples, His apostles, to serve his Savior
b) what Jesus did for sinner Peter He does also for each and
every one of us sinners, giving to us the benefits of
everything He accomplished for us: forgiveness now, and
the promise of life in glory
c) so be warned about putting yourself into danger - don’t be
like Peter and deny your Savior; but if you fall, do be like
Peter and turn back to your Savior who died for you, and who
lives so that we can be with Him forever
Take this portrait of your Savior home with you. The brush of God’s Word has painted for us a dreadful picture of the price He had to pay to save us from our sins. But it also has painted a beautiful picture, a picture of Jesus having accomplished His mission on earth to save us from our sins. May we keep this portrait of our Savior in our hearts!