Peter On Trial

PETER ON TRIAL

Matthew 26:58, 69-75

Last week in our study of the gospel of Matthew we looked at the arrest and trial of Jesus.

We talked about how ugly of a scene that Jesus’ arrest was.
How the mob came out with swords and clubs as though Jesus was a robber.
And how frightened the disciples must have been.
And how Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss…and how the mob, recognizing Judas’ kiss as the signal that marked Jesus as the one they were after, how the mob “laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.”
And when they did Peter whipped out his sword and swung at the face of the high priest’s slave…and when he did an ear fell off.
And Jesus then healed the man.

And we talked about how Jesus told the mob that coming out at night with all the swords and clubs was so unnecessary because they could have arrested Him at any time during the day.

It was an ugly scene.

And then we talked about Jesus’ trial found in verses 57-68…that is if you can call it a trial.

The whole thing was a mockery of justice.
The court met at night which was illegal.
They brought in false witnesses which was illegal.
The chief priest questioned the defendant which was illegal.
The accused was condemned by his own testimony which is illegal.
They condemned him to die at the same time they declared him quilty…which was illegal.
They unanimously condemned him which was illegal.

Everything they did was illegal but they weren’t worried about legalities.

All they wanted to do was “get rid” of Jesus.

It was an ugly, ugly scene.

But I want you to notice verse 58 again.

Here at the beginning of Jesus’ trial Mark tells us that “after the mob had seized Jesus, and led Him away to Caiphas, the high priest, where the scribes and elders were, that Peter followed at a distance into the courtyard of the high priest…and he was sitting with the officers of the court.
Why does Matthew mention this here at the beginning of the trial?
When you consider what Peter had just done out in the garden when he took his sword and cut off the servant’s ear…you would think that Peter would be the last one to show up in a place like this!
Why does Matthew mention this here at the beginning of the trial?

I think Matthew puts this here because he wants us to see that during this dark hour more than one man is on trial.

And just as we learned last week some very valuable lessons from Jesus’ trial, Matthew wants us to learn some more valuable lessons from Peter’s trial.

So let’s begin in verse 69.

Now, keep in mind just a short time before this (in vs. 31) Jesus had told the disciples that “He would be struck down and that they would all fall away or be scattered.”

But Peter took exception with that.
And Peter told Jesus (in vs. 31) that “everyone else…all the other disciples might fall away…but not him.”
In fact, if he had too he would even (in vs. 34) “die with Jesus before he would deny Him.”
Peter would fight to the end!

But look at verse 69. Peter was in the courtyard…and one of the servant girls of the high priest comes up to him and she looks at him and she says, “You too, were with Jesus the Galilean.”

And Peter denied it.
He says, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
And he goes out to the gateway.

He denies Christ!

The one who stood so strong just a short time before.
The one who said he would die first.
The one who took a sword and cut a man’s ear off in defense of Jesus…has just denied Christ.
And what is interesting is, Peter isn’t toppled by a soldiers sword…he is toppled by a girl’s question!

Peter goes to the gateway…and another servant girl sees him and says to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth!”

And again, Peter denies it…but this time he denies it with an oath: “I don’t know the man.”

And Peter doesn’t know that even as he denies Jesus that his own words betray him because of his Galilean accent. Look at the end of verse 73. They say, “Surely, you are one of them, for the way you talk gives you away.”

What is a Galilean doing in the courtyard of the high priest in the middle of the night when another Galilean is on trial?
He must be one of them because he is from where Jesus is from.

Notice now verse 74. Peter has got to convince these people that he is not one of those who followed Jesus so “he began to curse and swears, “I do not know the man.”

And notice that Matthew says, “Immediately a cock crowed.”

Notice the irony. Inside, a bunch of brutes are beating Jesus while He is blindfolded, telling Him to prophesy…mocking Him as a prophet…while outside exactly what He prophesied would happened is coming true.

Look at verse 75. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Not one time during this whole episode does Peter use Jesus’ name.

The cock crows a second time…and Peter remembers Jesus’ words…and he weeps.
And it wasn’t the crowing of the rooster that breaks Peter’s heart.
It is when he heard the rooster crow that he remembered the words of Jesus.
You see, it is always the word that penetrates the heart and brings about repentance.

When Peter weeps here I believe that his tears reflect genuine sorrow.

Let me show you why. Turn with me to Mark 16: 5-7.

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, {here is} the place where they laid Him. “But go, tell His disciples and Peter….”

Make sure you tell Peter. Be sure that Peter knows that Jesus wants to see him again.

I think the story offers hope to us who have failed or denied Jesus…and we all have.
Many times when we consider what Peter did here in this passage, we have a tendency to be hard on Peter…to be critical of him.
But we need to be careful in doing that.
You see, Matthew did not put this story here so that we could question Peter and criticize him.
Matthew recorded this story so that we would examine ourselves.

You see, the great danger in a story like this is for you to say, “It is a great story but I just can’t relate to it. It could never happen to me.”

When you say that…then you are denying even more than Peter is.

Let me close now with just a couple of lessons that hopefully we will learn.

First of all I want you to go back to verse 74.

Three times the people charge Peter of being a disciple.
And to put an end to it all Peter, “curses and swears, I do not know the man.”

I want you to notice that after he curses…the people never accuse him again about being a disciple.

And the thing I think we need to understand is, if it worked for Peter…it will work for us.

If you want people to be convinced that you are not a disciple of Christ.
If you want them to no longer think you are His follower…then do what Peter did.
Curse and swear.
Curse and swear your lack of knowledge of Jesus and no one at work…or on the baseball team…or at school…or wherever will ever again ask if you are a Christian.

It will work every time.

Peter “cursed and swore” and denied Jesus and no one charged him anymore with being a disciple.

And the question I want to ask is “what does your speech…your words…your language say about you?”
When people hear what you say do they think, “This man is a disciple of Christ? OR do they think, “No way?”

You see, what you say says a lot about whose you are?

And if you don’t want people to think you follow Christ…then simply curse and swear.
It will work every time.

Lesson Number 2: Be careful about thinking to much about yourself.

Peter’s downfall can be contributed to his confidence in the flesh..

Do you remember earlier in the evening when Jesus was in the garden and he came back and three times he found Peter and James and John asleep?

And three times He tells Peter that they needed to be praying!
That they needed to be “watching and praying because “their flesh was weak.”

Jesus knew what was going to happen that night…and he knew that unless Peter prepared himself the flesh would give in and he would fall.

If it happened to Peter it can happen to you…unless you are prepared.

Let me tell you, Satan is going to present several opportunities this week for you to confess or deny Jesus as Lord.

It may be that he will give you opportunity to confess or deny Jesus as Lord by the way you handle someone’s “come on to you.”
It may be that he will give you opportunity to confess or deny Jesus as Lord by tempting you to give in to some sinful sensual desire.
It may be that he will give you opportunity to confess or deny Jesus as Lord by tempting you to tell some crude story…or make some disrespectful remark about the Church…or your brethren…or about Christ.
It may be that he will give you opportunity to confess or deny Jesus as Lord by a temptation to make money in a way that is unethical.
It may be that he will give you an opportunity to confess or deny Jesus as Lord by putting you in a situation where you are tempted to retaliate…or slander…or degrade.

It may be one of many possibilities…and depending on how you handle it….you will either confess or deny Jesus.

And if you have not prepared yourself for the confrontation.
If you have not spent time in prayer…and worship…and study of the Word…then you are not ready…and your chances of falling are much greater.

It is so important for you to be in worship each week…and each Sunday night…and each Wednesday evening.

It is so important for you to spend time in your Bible regularly.
It is so important for you to spend time in prayer.
Because that kind of preparation can and will help you stand…even though the flesh is weak.
That kind of preparation can and will keep you from falling.

And finally, we need to learn that sin is a reason for weeping.

You know, sin doesn’t mean much to us any more does it?
Someone commits a sin and we say, “Oh, well, that’s ok. It’s no big deal”, and we shrug if off and go on.
Sin is so meaningless to us that we are indifferent to it…sometimes even justifying those who commit it…or make excuse for the sin or for them committing it.

Do you know what sin is? Sin is a denial of the Lordship of Jesus.

It is saying, “Jesus, I know you are Lord but I am going to do this any way…”
“Jesus, I know you are Lord but I don’t care…”
Or “Jesus, you aren’t Lord…I am.”
Any time you commit a sin that is exactly what you are saying.
In a sense you are doing the same thing that Peter did in this story…he denied the Lordship of Jesus.
And because he did…Peter didn’t say, “Well, that’s ok.”
Or, “It wasn’t my fault.”
Or, “I couldn’t help it.”
Peter wept.

And because he did…the Lord took Peter back again.

IF all we do is excuse sin….deny sin…ignore sin…justify sin….and by doing so deny the Lordship of Christ….then their will be no sorrow…there will be no repentance…and as a result their will be no restoration back to Christ.

For Jesus himself said, “Unless you repent…you will all likewise perish.”

Conclusion: Jesus wasn’t the only one on trial that night…Peter was too. And today each one of us in on trial. Where do you stand with Jesus? What do people say about you?

Does what you say and what you do prove that you are a disciple of Christ…do does it cause people to say, “No way.”
Are you prepared and are you preparing yourself to withstand the attempts of Satan to get you to deny Christ as Lord? Are you spending time in prayer, attending worship, studying His word, participating in fellowship like you should? Or do you need to repent?
And how do you feel about sin? Do you weep over sin or do you just ignore it?