Sermon Tone Analysis

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].