MIDWEEK
LENT 4
March
26, 2014
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
Mark 14:66-72
“WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS? DENY HIM?
Mark 14:66-72
(NIV 1984) “While Peter was below in the
courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming
himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that
Nazarene, Jesus," she said. 68 But he denied it. "I don't
know or understand what you're talking about," he said, and
went out into the entryway. 69 When the servant girl saw him
there, she said again to those standing around, "This fellow is one of
them." 70 Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are
one of them, for you are a Galilean." 71 He began to call down curses on
himself, and he swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking
about." 72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. 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.”
Pilate’s question has been guiding us
in our Midweek Lenten worship. What shall I do with Jesus? Today our answer is
another question: Deny Him? Automatically all minds think of Peter. If you’ve
ever seen a play presented as a melodrama you know that it takes the plot lines
to extremes. The good guys are very obviously the good guys. When they come on
stage there is cheering and applauding. The bad guys are also very obviously
the bad guys. When they appear people boo and hiss. If the Passion history of
Jesus were presented as a melodrama this is one of those times when you would
want to boo and hiss. Peter denying he even knew Jesus. What makes it worse is
how Peter set himself up. We have to go back to verse 27-31 of Mark 14. Jesus
was with his disciples in the Upper Room and said, "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.” Boo! Hiss! Such cockiness.
And
then this. “While Peter was below in the
courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming
himself, she looked closely at him. "You also were with that Nazarene,
Jesus," she said. 68 But he denied it. "I don't know or understand
what you're talking about," he said, and went out into the entryway.”
Boo! Hiss! Things were getting a little hot around that fire so Peter went out
by the entryway to courtyard. That’s when things got worse. “When
the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around,
"This fellow is one of them." 70 Again he denied it.”
Boo! Boo! He was warned directly, just a few hours ago. He’s not going to do
it, is he? Deny that third time? “After a
little while, those standing near said to Peter, "Surely you are one of
them, for you are a Galilean." 71 He began to call down curses on himself, and he
swore to them, "I don't know this man you're talking about." Groan. Aargh! How could he? That’s the
melodrama of Peter’s denial. Easy to boo him. Kind of fun too.
But
what would it look like in our lives? You know there’s something to say about
Peter. At least people knew he was a follower of Jesus. Do they know we are followers of Jesus? Are we easily
identified? Peter was seen with Jesus. He talked and perhaps dressed like a
Galilean. Do people see us with Jesus? Not visibly but maybe with His word or a
devotion book at lunch break. Does the way we talk, the words we choose to use
and refuse to use, how we say the things we do give indications that we follow
Jesus? Can all the people watching how we carry out work and play that we must
follow Jesus? How about the clothes we wear or don’t wear? We are not talking
about wearing some Christian uniform or a head covering like the Muslims but
are the parts of our bodies that are supposed to stay covered, covered? You
wonder if Peter had this idea of being identified as a follower of Christ in
mind when he wrote, “But in your hearts
set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) Set apart Christ as Lord in your
heart. People will identify you as a follower of Jesus. They will ask you for
the reason for you hope. But if we can’t be identified as followers of Jesus
haven’t we already denied Him?
If
we are identified as followers of Jesus, if we are known at our schools as
those who follow Christ, or the goody two shoes at work then we will get other
opportunities to deny Jesus. Normally that comes like it did with Peter. The
Devil tempts you to be afraid of what others will think. Let’s apply Peter’s
reaction to our own. Peter relied on his own strength. He thought he knew
better than Jesus. If he had taken Jesus’ warning to heart he would have locked
himself in a closet, any place, except where there were people to whom he could
deny knowing Jesus. But no, Peter did not do that. I will never deny! I’m so
strong that I can go right into the thick of things. And today Christians think
they can try drugs just this once and not get seduced, that they can look but
won’t touch, mess around just a little without it going too far, tell just a
little lie. Peter learned. Later in life we see a Peter who relies on Christ
for strength so that on another time when he was given the opportunity to deny
Christ he boldly confessed even though that meant death.
And
that’s the third thing we can learn from Peter’s denial. How to handle our own.
“Immediately
the rooster crowed the second time. 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.”
Peter was overcome with sorrow for his sins. He wept bitterly. Do you remember
the last time you wept bitterly over sin? I’m sad to say I don’t. Our denials
of Jesus don’t seem as blatant to us as someone else’s does.
But
we need to remember that crying over our sins doesn’t fix our sins, or take
them away, or free us from the punishment we are due. Only Jesus does that.
Remember we were watching this as a melodrama. When the bad guy comes on you
boo and hiss. But then there is the hero. You clap and cheer. Jesus is the hero
in this story for Peter and for us. Yay! You saw in Luke’s account of Peter’s
denial that after the third denial Jesus looked directly at Peter. His look was
a call to repentance. Sorrow is only part of repentance. Repentance relies on
the forgiveness of Jesus. Jesus assured Peter he was forgiven when three times
He asked Peter, “Do you love me.” And three times told him to do His work,
“Feed my sheep. Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep!” Peter sure got good at that. Jesus
tells us we are forgiven too. He has commanded the Church to announce
forgiveness so we do. Yay. We cheer the hero Jesus. He has provided the ongoing
forgiveness meal of the Lord’s Supper. Yay! We cheer Jesus.
What
shall I do with Jesus? Deny Him? As much as we say and mean we will never deny
Him the sad truth is because of our sinful weakness in our own ways we will. So
we need to answer the question another way. What shall I do with Jesus? Stay
close to Him. Stay close to Him with daily use of His word. Stay close to Him
with regular worship and taking the Lord’s Supper. Then like He did with Peter
Jesus will recall us when we fall, lift us up, forgive us, and strengthen us to
do His work. Maybe we could even get to be as good as Peter at that. Amen.
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