Mark: Peter Denies Jesus [Mark 14:66-72]

Brian Larkin

The gospel of mark • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago • Presented 4 years ago

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Mark: Peter Denies Jesus []

Stand for the reading of the word of God []

“I’ve got your back” is a statement we’re familiar with. It means I’m watching out for you as a friend, I’ll be there for you to help and protect you from things you might not see. It means I won’t let you down or abandon you. This is basically what Peter had said earlier to Jesus. If we recall back in Mark chapter 8, Jesus predicts His death but Peter steps in and begins to rebuke Jesus for this. Earlier in chapter 14:29, 31 when Jesus predicts the disciples abandoning Jesus, Peter steps up again and says, “not me, if I have to die I will not leave you.”

The verses we have today connect with verse 53 and 54, Mark uses a common literary device that we’ve seen several times in His gospel of sandwiching an event between another event. For example here, Mark sandwiches Jesus trial before the Sanhedrin between Peter’s own personal battle of following or denying Jesus. This is an intentional thing used to make a connection between two separate events.

There’s kind of a Downton Abby thing going on here, where there is a drama unfolding upstairs and at the same time a drama unfolding downstairs in the servants quarters and while the drama unfolding is separate it connects at the same time…by the way I don’t watch Downton Abby, but my wife does, just to clear that up.

As I studied and prepared for this sermon this week, I couldn’t help but think about the difference between the Peter of this section we read today and the Peter we find in Acts chapter 2 and following who was bold for Jesus in the face of danger. How Peter once shrank away from danger, in Acts faces it with boldness and confidence in the name of Jesus. So it got me thinking…what happened to Peter to start this dramatic change. I know some of you will say, he was filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts, and you’re right, but I want to suggest to you that the launching pad for Peter’s effectiveness began in this tragic event we read today.

I don’t think it was Peter’s great confession in chapter 8, when Jesus asked who do people say I am, and Peter said, “you are the Christ”. I don’t think it was when Peter was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus and the great experience…as good as those things were I think Peter’s ultimate effectiveness began when his strong will was broken and his failure was brought to the forefront of his life.

It’s just how God operates, God uses broken things for His purposes doesn’t he? Up to this point Peter has mainly lived his life in audacity, Peter was one of those overly confident people in everything he did, but it wasn’t until he was broken that God was ready to really use Him. In our world today we don’t hear that or think that way. In fact we try so hard to portray this strong, confident, and flawless picture of ourselves that we miss the usefulness of brokenness. Even the negative things about ourselves the world says portray them as positively as possible. We are negatively positive as possible. But in our text today there is something positive about being broken…

I believe this event is when Peter’s effectiveness becomes a possibility, I believe the same applies to us, when our arrogance and misplaced self-confidence is broken and we are humbled before God…God says…now I can use you. This is the thought as we trace a line through this denial of Peter.

The first denial []

1. Peter in the lower courtyard [v.66]. Peter is below in the courtyard or the lower level as the proceedings of the Sanhedrin and Jesus trial are taking place in the room on the higher level…the Downton Abby effect. The lower level would have been within eye-shoot of the upper level i.e. where Peter was you could still see what was going on, you might not be able to hear it but you could definitely see it. Mark has related in verse 54 that Peter was sitting warming himself by the servants fire, shifted to the trial of Jesus in 55-65, now picks back up with Peter.

2. Peter recognized by the servant girl [v. 67]. One of the high priests maids recognizes Peter as one of Jesus disciples. Read verse 67. Notice a very important phrase “looked at him” she fixed her gaze upon Peter. You know when you see someone you’ve seen before but you can’t place them so you just kind of stare at them trying to place where you know that person from…that kind of gaze.

The light of the fire probably illumined his face and she recognized him without hesitation. Now we don’t know exactly what she recognized or how. Maybe she had seen him before with Jesus in the market place, whatever it was she was sure Peter was one of Jesus disciples.

It’s not certain that she intended to identify Peter as a threat to his safety. she referred to Jesus as the Nazarene, perhaps with a negative tone. Because Judeans typically looked down on Galileans [recall what Nathanael said to Phillip, can anything good come from Nazareth.] I think the girl was probably shocked to see one of Jesus disciples there, she knew Jesus was in the upper area on trial.

3. Peter denies being a disciple of Jesus [v.68]. The unwanted identification took Peter by surprise and the fears he had before returned with a rush. Perhaps that emotional condition is what caused the first denial. Regardless, Peter quickly and strenuously denied the girl’s suggestion. Peter says, “I do not know nor understand what you are saying.”

This response cracks me up, Peter could have just said no I’m not, but he’s all like, what, who, I don’t know who you’re talking about or what you’re even saying…Jesus who??? It’s like come on Peter that kind of response has I’m lying written all over it…everyone in that area knew who Jesus was. But people often overdo it when they are untruthful, Peter’s double affirmation affirms this. You can usually tell when someone’s lying because they go way over the top to convince you their not lying.

So Peter moves away from the fire, left the porch area, with the hopes of just forgetting that ever happened. And the rooster crowed, Peter doesn’t take note of that.

The second denial []

1. The servant girl calls out Peter [v.69]. The girl sees Peter again and began to say to those around “this is one of them”. Now you’ve got to give Peter some credit, most of us would have left the premises after being recognized the first time. “That was to close for comfort, I’m out of here.” But not Peter…his audacity says, “I failed that time, but not again.” That was a temporary moment of weakness, it won’t happen again. How many times have we said that about sin in our lives and fail? Only to relapse.

Peter perhaps returns to the fire, thinking his denial of Jesus satisfied the girl, but she starts in again, this time trying to affirm it with others around. Once again we don’t know if she meant Peter harm or was just trying to affirm what she thought was true…nonetheless, Peter took it as a threat.

2. Peter denies Jesus a second time [v.70a]. The other gospel accounts give slightly different versions of Peter’s three denials. The main thing to keep in mind to reconcile this is that Mark gives us the essence of what happens. Verse 69 and 70 we can fill in from the other gospels that after the girl starts to bring it up about who Peter is to those around her the men around then start to proceed to accuse Peter of being a disciple of Jesus as well. Peter’s second denial was not just a denial of the servant girl but to others present making the same accusations. The progression is natural.

The third denial []

1. Peter recognized as a Galilean [v.70b]. Now others fully convinced by the servant girl’s insistence begin to press on Peter as well. And as the conversation continued some of them took note of Peter’s manner of speech. They said he had a Galilean accent. You might be able to mask where you’re from in physical appearance, but it’s hard to hide your accent. We can identify with that here in America right. People from the south have what??? A southern twang.

When I was in NY before flying to Israel, I was going through a check point where there were several security guards and I noticed they all had the same very identifiable accent, and I had to ask… “where are ya’ll from?” I gave away I was not from there. They said “Brooklyn” for a minute I though I was in an episode of Blue Bloods with their strong Brooklyn accents. That’s what’s happening here with Peter. Those around hearing Peter talk are like, “we can tell from you’re accent, you’re not from around these parts…you’re from Galilee.”

2. Peter begins to curse and swear [v.71]. Peter then takes his denial to another level. As he begins to curse and swear. Now, when it says to curse and swear, it doesn’t mean Peter began to use foul language. Curse in Greek is ‘anathematizo’ which means in effect to put himself under a curse should he not be telling the truth. He’s saying, in effect, if I’m not telling the truth let me be under a curse. It’s very strong language.

Swear in Greek ‘omnuo’ means to take an oath, by heaven or by the temple or something like that. He gave an oath to something and vowed he didn’t even know the person whom they were referring to. This is a very sad sorry spectacle Peter is presenting here, completely unlike his earlier assertion in verse 31 where he said “I will die for you Jesus” now says, I don’t know no the man whom you speak of, didn’t even use Jesus name. It stands in complete contrast to Peter’s bold stance before. Where Peter once confessed you are the Christ, now confess “never heard of Him?” At some point after that the rooster crows a second time, and while Peter didn’t pay attention to the first crowing…this time he heard it and.

3. Peter weeps over his failure [v.72]. The crow of the rooster brought back to mind the conversation Peter had with Jesus when Jesus told him exactly what he would do and Peter was so adamant he would do no such thing. Well…he had done exactly what Jesus said he would do..,and Peter is overwhelmed with shame. The verse says, “and when he thought about it, he wept.” Luke tells us and Jesus looked at Peter and Peter looked at Jesus in shame. Mark spares Peter some degree of shame by keeping it simple, but what I find interesting is..where did most of Mark’s information come from? Peter.

Mark did not have first hand knowledge of this, and we know that much Mark’s details from his gospel came from Peter’s account. Perhaps, this is pure conjecture on my part, but perhaps Peter was recalling this event to Mark and describing how he felt and Mark was like… Peter wept. Peter was broken, is the best way to describe it. Now in Mark’s gospel this is the last we see of Peter, he is referenced once more in chapter 16 when the woman went to the empty tomb the angel tells the women to go tell his disciples and Peter He is risen… and Peter, Peter gets special recognition. I think alluding to Peter’s restoration.

Application:

There are a number of practical lessons from this passage:

1. A lie, once told, must be backed up with another.

2. lies often need emphatic reinforcing, and so emphatic reinforcement can sometimes indicate the presence of a lie. Perhaps this is why Jesus said let your yes be yes and your no be no.

3. There is often a progression, as there was here, from one level of failure to another. Peter’s own denials evidence such progressions. At first there is a simple straightforward affirmation that he did not know. Then there is reinforcement with further denial. Finally, there is the added invoking of a curse and an oath. The lie once told was persisted in, and went from bad to worse. Such is the nature and progression of the lie.

4. Peters failure was first rash self-confidence and scorn of others [v. 29]..., then failure to discipline the flesh in the garden [v.37] his spirit was willing but the flesh is weak;... then the cowardly flight [v. 50];... then following at a distance [v.54];... All these things led to Peter’s downfall: and they teach us that the time for Christians to fight temptation is before it is encountered.

Peter restored []

So I don’t want to end there because Peter’s story doesn’t end there. Remember in Luke Jesus looked at Peter after his third denial and they made eye contact??? How do think Jesus looked at Peter? With eyes of discuss and condemnation? No I don’t think so, Jesus looked at him with the eyes of compassion. Jesus looked at Peter and loved Peter, even when Peter didn’t love Jesus…that’ll break a person. That’s, like I said at the beginning, this is why I believe Peter’s life was drastically changed because of this brokenness.

In , you can read it for yourself later, but in this chapter Peter is restored. To summarize it, after the disciples had heard about Jesus’ resurrection, though they had not seen Jesus yet, Peter says “I’m going fishing” I get what Peter is saying there, Fishing is a great place to think. the other disciples say, great idea, we’re going too

They are out all night fishing, and didn’t catch a thing, when this guy on the shore yells at them, how’s the fishing? they say, “we did’t catch anything” He says, throw the nets on the other side of the boat, they say why not, then they catch fish, so many fish they can’t even get them in the boat. One of them recognizes this event, it happened before, they say…it’s Jesus, and Peter jumps out of the boat and swims to shore where Jesus has breakfast ready.

And during this breakfast Jesus asks Peter three questions, do you love me Peter? Peter, yes. do you really love me Peter? Yes. Do you really really love me Peter? Yes. In this three fold question we see a threefold restoration of Peter’s three denials and failures. Jesus fully restored Peter…completely. Jesus tells Peter, you once went where you wanted to go, but now you’ll go where I tell you to go. i.e. Once Peter became broken, Jesus said…now Peter, you’re ready for me to use.

Do we see the beauty in this? It’s our brokenness that Jesus says, “I can work with that.” Too many people today in the world, and in the church walk around trying to portray this flawless picture of themselves, as strong and confident…when the bible actually shows us we need only to bring our brokenness to God and He’ll make much of that.

Are you broken? Are you hurting? Have you failures in your life? Good, God can work with that. Can you with Peter say, “when I was lost you came and rescued me; when I was in the pit you reached down and lifted me.” Can you say, like Peter “I am the denier, I deserve to pay for my sin, I deserved those nails, but Jesus bore them for me.”

Jesus bore the penalty you and I deserved, and our usefulness for God begins when we recognize just how broken we really are. Friends bring your brokenness to Jesus…that’s all we really have to offer Him anyway…and He will restore you fully.

What do you need to do this morning? Repent and believe for the first time? To place your faith in Jesus, by acknowledging your sinful condition and need for a savior…do so.

Maybe you are a Christian but have been walking in self-confidence. Do you need to repent of being prideful? When was the last time you came to God broken? Do so this morning as we stand and sing.

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