Monday, July 8, 2013

Today´s Sermon


2013.07.07                         Luke 22: 47- 62
         The Traitors Kiss and Peter´s denial
We have been walking with Jesus in the pages of the Gospel of Luke….. We are now in the last night of Jesus earthly ministry…. Jesus is on the way to the cross….. The Shadow of the cross is constantly before His eyes…
The shadow of the cross reaches across all of History….. The shadow of the cross reaches across all the way back to the Garden of Eden….. And it reaches forward into eternity….. The shadow of the cross lays over the manger that very night that Jesus was born… Because Jesus was born to die….
Remember…. Jesus said no man takes my life from me…. I lay it down….. This morning we find ourselves in the Garden of Gethsemane…. His own….. whom He loves and has prayed for…. Will be scattered….. They will all run away….. Judas Will betray him with a kiss….. and Peter will deny him three times…. There’s no story of our Lord’s ministry to His disciples that is as powerful as this one…... There is no story that is as tragic and hopeful as the events of this night….
 Let’s begin looking at this story at verse 47...Luke 22: 47- 53
Luke 22: 47- 53                             NKJV
47 And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
Luke 22: 47- 53                     Schlachter 2000
47 Während er aber noch redete, siehe, da kam eine Schar, und der, welcher Judas hieß, einer der Zwölf, ging vor ihnen her und näherte sich Jesus, um ihn zu küssen.
48 Jesus aber sprach zu ihm: Judas, verrätst du den Sohn des Menschen mit einem Kuß?
49 Als nun seine Begleiter sahen, was da geschehen sollte, sprachen sie zu ihm: Herr, sollen wir mit dem Schwert dreinschlagen?
50 Und einer von ihnen schlug den Knecht des Hohenpriesters und hieb ihm sein rechtes Ohr ab.
51 Da antwortete Jesus und sprach: Laßt ab davon! Und er rührte sein Ohr an und heilte ihn.
52 Es sprach aber Jesus zu den obersten Priestern und Hauptleuten des Tempels und zu den Ältesten, die an ihn herangetreten waren: Wie gegen einen Räuber seid ihr ausgezogen mit Schwertern und mit Stöcken!
53 Als ich täglich bei euch im Tempel war, habt ihr die Hände nicht gegen mich ausgestreckt. Aber dies ist eure Stunde und die Macht der Finsternis.
It’s near midnight when Jesus leaves the Upper Room.  He walks up into the Mount of Olives to a place called the Garden of Gethsemane…. which is the place where they always went…… He leaves eight of the disciples at the entrance to the Garden….  takes Peter, James and John with Him and they go farther into the Garden…. Then Jesus goes a little further alone…. He prays alone…… He tells the disciples to be praying because they’re going to enter into temptation……   Satan has demanded to sift them like wheat….. But Jesus in His great High Priestly prayer…. John 17….. Has prayed for them that their faith would not fail…. Jesus told them to pray……  Each time He goes to check on them….. He finds them not praying but sleeping for sorrow….  It’s at that moment Judas arrives with the multitude to arrest Jesus….  and Jesus is ready to meet them…… He has won the victory….. He is ready…. It is time for His arrest…
The leader of the multitude is Judas…. who is one of Jesus Twelve disciples….. Judas was with Him day and night for all that time….. Judas heard everything He said…. And saw everything He did…… He was an insider…...
But there’s a certain sadness in that definition of Judas as one of the Twelve…..
Judas is fully guilty for everything he did…..  Even though God had determined it in eternity past…..  It was God´s plan that Jesus was to go to the cross….  Look at verse 48…
Luke 22: 48         NKJV  Schlachter 2000
48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
48 Jesus aber sprach zu ihm: Judas, verrätst du den Sohn des Menschen mit einem Kuß?
A Kiss…. The Greek here speaks of a hug and Kiss….. A warm greeting from one of His disciples…. This was just part of his hypocrisy….. Part of his deceitful nature….. pretending to Love him even though his has become Jesus´enemy….. Proverbs 27: 6 b says….


Proverbs 27: 6b    NKJV   Schlachter 2000
6b“The kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
6b aber reichlich sind die Küsse des Hassers.
Judas had only been pretending to Love the Lord Jesus…… He was following Jesus…… but he was not converted….. He hoped to get wealth and power from Him….. But he had not repented from His heart…… He is determined to get some kind of profit from three long years of waiting and hoping for the Kingdom….
Let´s continue…. v49….
Luke 22: 49- 51                   NKJV
49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said to Him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

Luke 22: 49-51                     Schlachter 2000
49 Als nun seine Begleiter sahen, was da geschehen sollte, sprachen sie zu ihm: Herr, sollen wir mit dem Schwert dreinschlagen?
50 Und einer von ihnen schlug den Knecht des Hohenpriesters und hieb ihm sein rechtes Ohr ab.
51 Da antwortete Jesus und sprach: Laßt ab davon! Und er rührte sein Ohr an und heilte ihn.
Peter and the others were full of sorrow because they finally realized that Jesus was going to be crucified….. They were sad and desperate…… Peter wanted to fight…. Jesus stopped them and healed the servants ear….. Permit even this….. This great wrong must happen……. The King of Glory was to be tried and condemned….. It was time….v52
Luke 22: 52,53      NKJV   Schlachter 2000
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
52 Es sprach aber Jesus zu den obersten Priestern und Hauptleuten des Tempels und zu den Ältesten, die an ihn herangetreten waren: Wie gegen einen Räuber seid ihr ausgezogen mit Schwertern und mit Stöcken!
53 Als ich täglich bei euch im Tempel war, habt ihr die Hände nicht gegen mich ausgestreckt. Aber dies ist eure Stunde und die Macht der Finsternis.
We need to read all of the Gospel accounts to get the big picture of these events….. Here in Luke we can see the crowd was huge and they were well armed (ausgerüstet)….. As if they were after a murderer….
Jesus reminds them that they are overreacting…… He was never dangerous or violent…. They were afraid of Him without a reason….. their sin and pride and rebellion made them afraid…. I think that their hearts condemned them…. and they were afraid that they would get what they deserved…. Look at the end of verse 53….
But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
Aber dies ist eure Stunde und die Macht der Finsternis.
And so they arrested Jesus…. Let´s continue in the text…v54…
Luke 22: 54- 62         NKJV
54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56 And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.”
57 But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!”Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

Luke 22: 54- 62         Schlachter 2000
54 Nachdem sie ihn nun festgenommen hatten, führten sie ihn ab und brachten ihn in das Haus des Hohenpriesters. Petrus aber folgte von ferne.
55 Da sie aber mitten im Hof ein Feuer angezündet hatten und beisammen saßen, setzte sich Petrus mitten unter sie.
56 Es sah ihn aber eine Magd beim Feuer sitzen, schaute ihn an und sprach: Auch dieser war mit ihm!
57 Er aber verleugnete ihn und sprach: Frau, ich kenne ihn nicht!
58 Und bald danach sah ihn ein anderer und sprach: Du bist auch einer von ihnen! Petrus aber sprach: Mensch, ich bin's nicht!
59 Und nach einer Weile von ungefähr einer Stunde bekräftigte es ein anderer und sprach: Wahrhaftig, der war auch mit ihm; denn er ist ein Galiläer!
60 Petrus aber sprach: Mensch, ich weiß nicht, was du sagst! Und sogleich, während er noch redete, krähte der Hahn.
61 Und der Herr wandte sich um und sah Petrus an. Da erinnerte sich Petrus an das Wort des Herrn, das er zu ihm gesprochen hatte: Ehe der Hahn kräht, wirst du mich dreimal verleugnen!
62 Und Petrus ging hinaus und weinte bitterlich.
Peter wept bitterly…..
The story of Peter’s denial reveals certainly the weakness of Peter…… But it also reveals the strength of Christ…... It is Peter at his greatest moment of failure….. failure in his confessed love for the LORD Jesus…... It is also the LORD  at His greatest moment of triumph…… Jesus demonstrates his unfailing  love for Peter…….
You could say Peter’s story is our story……. All of us who have come to know Jesus,,,, all of us who belong to Him understand what it is to stumble and fall….. We all know  what it is to be overcome by temptation…. It’s a story of devastation at our own sin…… It’s a story of disappointment in ourselves…..  
It’s a very sad story….. On the other hand….  it is a thrilling story……. We can all be encouraged….. because Peter´s devastation turns to restoration….. In fact, this is an example of the very familiar stories in all of our lives of sin and restoration…… We are all a little like Peter…..
The question for this morning is…..  What is the lesson that we can learn from this story?
The big lesson to draw from this story is the danger of spiritual over-confidence..... spiritual pride is our enemy
Those of us who love the Lord Jesus Christ….  those of us who belong to Him…. All of us who follow the Lord are in danger of feeling too confident about our devotion…… You do remember that the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:12……
1 Cor 10: 12    NKJV    Schlachter 2000
12 “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall,”
12 Darum, wer meint, er stehe, der sehe zu, daß er nicht falle!
Paul is clear… Be Careful… Watch out !
Luke’s account of Peter’s denial, which I just read to you, is one paragraph…..  
Luke shrinks down the three denials of Peter which actually took over a period of two hours into just a few moments and a few words…... But The other three writers show us that Peter’s three denials were stretched out that night…...
As we have seen…  During the middle of the night, the leaders of Israel…… with the Romans soldiers had come to the Garden  and arrested Jesus….. That’s how verse 54 begins….. They tied Him up and led Him away….. The first stop is the house of Annas….. And at the house of Annas there will be an attempt made to find a crime that   that can justify His execution…..
Following that, there will be a trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin…… And then finally, after dawn, there will be a third trial in the daylight which is the only time you could have a legal trial according to Jewish law…. so that they can make their unjust actions look legal on the surface….. It is between those first two trials in the middle of the night that Peter’s denials occur…..
Here we have the failure of Peter contrasted with the triumphs of Jesus…... On the one hand…. You have Peter in front of his enemies, collapsing in fear…… On the other hand…. You have Jesus in front of His enemies…. bold and courageous…..
The way to understand Peter’s denials is to see them run along side of the trials…..
The story of Peter´s overconfidence doesn’t begin in verse 54…... In order for us to understand what’s going on with Peter here….. We have to look back at where this overconfidence begins back in verse 31.....
Luke 22: 31-34                           NKJV   
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

Luke 22: 31-34             Schlachter 2000
31 Es sprach aber der Herr: Simon, Simon, siehe, der Satan hat euch begehrt, um euch zu sichten wie den Weizen;
32 ich aber habe für dich gebetet, daß dein Glaube nicht aufhöre; und wenn du einst umgekehrt bist4, so stärke deine Brüder!
33 Er aber sprach zu ihm: Herr, ich bin bereit, mit dir ins Gefängnis und in den Tod zu gehen!
34 Er aber sprach: Ich sage dir, Petrus: Der Hahn wird heute nicht krähen, ehe du dreimal geleugnet hast, daß du mich kennst!
Jesus says Satan is coming after you…..   He’s going to sift you…. shake you down to the core……. Your faith will not fail….. and you will be restored…. I have prayed for you…. Verse 33… Here is where Peter´s pride and overconfidence comes roaring to the front!
 Peter says to Jesus…
“Lord,  with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death.”
Herr, ich bin bereit, mit dir ins Gefängnis und in den Tod zu gehen!
And Jesus said… v34…
 “I say to you, Peter, the cock will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
Ich sage dir, Petrus: Der Hahn wird heute nicht krähen, ehe du dreimal geleugnet hast, daß du mich kennst!
Here is Jesus’ prophecy of Peter’s fall…..
The path to and sin is the path of spiritual overconfidence…… You might call it Spiritual pride….  
In verse 33 Peter is very certain of His faith and love….  Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death.”
As if to say… I ain´t afraid of no Devil…..  I’ll handle whatever Satan brings along….. I’m ready to go both to prison and to death…. This is boldness….. This is self-assurance….. This is great trust in Peter’s own strength….. Peter proclaims…. I’m ready to die for you before I would deny you LORD….. He cannot imagine denying the LORD…..
After the evening was over in the Upper Room .and singing a hymn…. they went out to the Mount of Olives…... turn to Matt 26:31…
Matt 26: 31- 35    NKJV
31 Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”33 Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples.
Matthew 26: 31- 35              Schlachter 2000
31 Da spricht Jesus zu ihnen: Ihr werdet in dieser Nacht alle an mir Anstoß nehmen; denn es steht geschrieben: »Ich werde den Hirten schlagen, und die Schafe der Herde werden sich zerstreuen«.
32 Aber nachdem ich auferweckt worden bin, will ich euch nach Galiläa vorangehen.
33 Da antwortete Petrus und sprach zu ihm: Wenn auch alle an dir Anstoß nehmen, so werde doch ich niemals Anstoß nehmen!
34 Jesus spricht zu ihm: Wahrlich, ich sage dir: In dieser Nacht, ehe der Hahn kräht, wirst du mich dreimal verleugnen!
35 Petrus spricht zu ihm: Und wenn ich auch mit dir sterben müßte, werde ich dich nicht verleugnen! Ebenso sprachen auch alle Jünger.
 Not just Peter…. all of you will stumble this night……
Jesus is warning and preparing all of them for the very difficult events coming to all of their lives……  you will all fall away but you will all be restored to me……
Peter is full of spiritual pride here….. He is insistant…. “They might all fail, but I will not fail you…..
He was getting irritated with Jesus….. Peter is showing an insistent kind of confidence…...
Peter loved the Lord with all of his heart….. He knew this about himself….. The problem is he didn´t understand the extreme power of the flesh that was at war with his spirit…. Peter had over-judged his ability to cope with his flesh….. Peter slept when he should have been praying…… Jesus warned them all to pray that they would not enter into temptation….  Peter wasn’t alone…..  they all slept…..
They were going to get through these trials…. Because Jesus had prayed for them…... But when they arrested Jesus later that night…. In the terror of the moment they all ran in fear…… They all   denied Jesus….. They all failed at the most critical hour….. we can see the signs of Peter´s problems…..
Peter boasted too much and prayed too little….. And then he acted too fast…..
He grabbed His sword in his desire to help and protect the Lord Jesus….
In his pride and his own strength….. Peter acted quickly to prove his claim to loyalty and courage…. Pride is our great enemy….
Turn to Proverbs 16:18…
Proverbs 16:18            NKJV  Schlachter 2000
18“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
18 Stolz kommt vor dem Zusammenbruch, und Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall.
Jesus stopped the fight  immediately and healed the man´s ear…. Jesus allowed himself to be taken…. He shows mercy and grace even to his enemies at the dark hour…..
Luke 22 verse 54….

Luke 22: 54         NKJV  Schlachter 2000
54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance.
54 Nachdem sie ihn nun festgenommen hatten, führten sie ihn ab und brachten ihn in das Haus des Hohenpriesters. Petrus aber folgte von ferne.
Let me give you the scene….. Jesus is tied up as a prisoner, led away to the house of the High Priests….
Phase one takes place before Annas who is the real power….. he’s the former High Priest who is the power behind the scenes…… Caiaphas is the current High Priest….. He is the son-in-law of Annas……
This is the same large estate….. Annas and Caiaphas both shared this huge palace if you will…    Families often built houses like this, wealthy families around a courtyard…..   They were both extremely rich because they had been extorting money out of people in the temple enterprises for many years…. You remember Jesus cleansed the temple twice….. Threw out the money changers and the buyers and sellers….. The corruption that was going on in the Temple had made them very wealthy…..
So when you put together the pieces of these trials…. Jesus He went to Annas first…..  Then Annas sent Him to Caiaphas across the courtyard…..  To meet with the Sanhedrin, the ruling elders of Israel….  It was during these two phases of the trial which went on for a couple of hours that Peter’s denials take place…..  
Look again at the end of verse 54…
Peter followed at a distance…… So Peter boasted too much, prayed too little, acted too fast and followed too far……. But slowly he came into the courtyard….
By the way, he wasn’t alone….. He didn’t sneak in there by himself….     John 18:15 says, “Another disciple was with him….  That´s the way he talks about himself…..  John knew the high priest…..
 We don’t know how the high priest and the high priest’s family knew John…… But they must have known him well enough that John could get Peter through the gate….. And so there they were….
Peter is trapped somewhere between fear and love….. He can’t let go of the Lord….. He can’t expose himself by getting close to the Lord….. he follows afar off…..  but he’s got to be there to see what they’re going to do to the Lord he loves…..
Once inside he stays far away…..  It says in verse 55,
Luke 22: 55   NKJV   Schlachter 2000  
55“After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down, Peter was sitting among them.”
55 Da sie aber mitten im Hof ein Feuer angezündet hatten und beisammen saßen, setzte sich Petrus mitten unter sie.

He had to be there to prove that he wasn’t a denier….. He had to be there to prove   that the Lord had misjudged him….  
So the Lord Jesus is   inside with Annas….. Peter is   sitting with the guards by the fire……  He’s in the dark….. He’s  trying to blend in…..  v56…
Luke 22:56                      NKV    Schlachter 2000
56 And then it happens out of nowhere. “And a certain servant girl seeing him as he sat in the fire light, and looking intently at him, said, ‘This man was with Him, too.’”
56 Es sah ihn aber eine Magd beim Feuer sitzen, schaute ihn an und sprach: Auch dieser war mit ihm!
 A certain servant girl? John tells us who she was….
John says it was the maid who had let him in the door….. Oh, she knew John…. That´s why she let him in…. She knew Peter was a follower of Jesus….. She let Peter in at the request of John…..  
Seeing him in the fire light, looking intently, staring at him…. She says, “This man was with Him too.” And his worst fears have come true…..  
 His reply is immediate, verse 57…..
Luke 22: 57   NKJV   Schlachter 2000
57“But he denied it saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’”
57 Er aber verleugnete ihn und sprach: Frau, ich kenne ihn nicht!
What a horrible lie….. that is an act of cowardice…... That is a flat denial…… He’s caught off guard…..  
He’s far from the Lord….. There’s not going to be any miracles now to deliver him…… And when left on his own, he is a coward…... Maybe he was ready for the big thing…. To fight and die in a burst of Glory….. but he wasn’t ready for the little one….  And his denial was immediate….. He denied it before all of them…... Once the girl had thrown the accusation at him, the rest chimed in….. “Oh really, so he’s one of...” And he in a minute Peter was denying Jesus  before everybody…..
Here we see Peter caught off guard….. All his supposed strength is simply boasting…. Without Jesus presence…. he’s unmasked as weak and cowardly…… Quickly he is gone from being willing to take a sword and fight a multitude…. to denying that he even knows Jesus before a girl…...
Mark tells us that as soon as he denied knowing Jesus the first time that he went out onto the porch and the cock crowed….

Peter was upset and scared…..Maybe for his life….  he leaves the flickering light of the fire where he can be recognized….. and he slides back toward the porch or the vestibule which is most likely that long corridor that went back toward the gate…... He’s moving away from the people who might accuse him to hide in the shadows… Peter realized that exactly what Jesus said would happen…. Did happen…. He had denied Jesus…. the prophecy was coming true….. He heads for the exit…..
On the way, he’s confronted again….. A little later, according to verse 58….
Luke 22: 58    NKJV   Schlachter 2000
58 And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
58 Und bald danach sah ihn ein anderer und sprach: Du bist auch einer von ihnen! Petrus aber sprach: Mensch, ich bin's nicht!
Peter´s confidence is gone…  They’re all coming after him now…..
His second denial is stronger now…. He denies Jesus on an oath…. He is afraid for his life…
 But he can’t leave…. And so he lingers still in the courtyard area…..Verse 59…
Luke 22: 59   NKJV   Schlachter 2000
59 Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
59 Und nach einer Weile von ungefähr einer Stunde bekräftigte es ein anderer und sprach: Wahrhaftig, der war auch mit ihm; denn er ist ein Galiläer!
Peter could not leave…. He wanted  to see what happens to the Lord…. maybe he heard the screams of the leaders as they accused Jesus….….
By the way, we know who this man is…. It´s a relative of the man who lost his ear…. John 18….
His response is even more heated, verse 60….
Luke 22: 60   NKJV   Schlachter 2000
60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!”Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
60 Petrus aber sprach: Mensch, ich weiß nicht, was du sagst! Und sogleich, während er noch redete, krähte der Hahn.
Peter is using very strong words here….. Man I don´t know him…. And at that very moment…. The cock crowed a second time…. All that the Lord had told him had come true….. His brash over-confidence was unable to give him strength to meet this temptation….. He had boasted too much…. prayed too little….. acted too quickly…. and followed too far….
Whenever we distance ourselves from the Lord Jesus…. Whenever we stay away from the Lord and His people we set ourselves up for trouble….. Peter was following…. But first he ran away… and now he is keeping his distance from the Lord…. His spiritual pride and lack of prayer had caught up with him…. He is weak and afraid… and then v61…
Luke 22: 61, 62    NKJV   Schlachter 2000
61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 62 So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
61 Und der Herr wandte sich um und sah Petrus an. Da erinnerte sich Petrus an das Wort des Herrn, das er zu ihm gesprochen hatte: Ehe der Hahn kräht, wirst du mich dreimal verleugnen!
62 Und Petrus ging hinaus und weinte bitterlich. Epic fail….. It´s a good thing there was no such thing as youtube then..…. Jesus looks at him…. Jesus had been beaten already… He looked at Peter Jesus was sad….. Peter was ashamed and devastated…. And he went out and wept bitterly….. And that is exactly what he should have done…..

Close
We have so much to learn from Peter…. Peter’s footprints are left in the sand for us….. Peter loved the LORd……. But in his self confidence and spiritual pride…. He refused to accept Jesus warnings… Jesus told all of them to pray ….. over and over again…. That they would not enter into temptation….. He told them what would happen that night to help them and to prepare them…… But Peter rejected to possibility that He could ever deny the Lord…..  He ignored the voice of the Lord Jesus…. He slept when he  needed to pray…..  He over reacted by taking out a sword.... He ran away…. And then followed from too far… He finds himself  sitting with the enemies of the Lord……  
Naturally this was the darkest hour in human history…..   This was Satan’s hour….. And Peter fell victim to it….. He was no match….. He underestimated the power of sin and pride in his own flesh….. He was a great and trusted disciple….
In one horrible night he had fallen to the pit of falsehood and profanity…… Peter denied his LORD….
It’s just  unbelievable… The true Peter is seen not in his fall but in his recovery…. this is not a story of final failure….  This is a story of restoration……
Peter was so very sorry…. It was his love for Christ that broke his heart….. It was his love for Christ that made him weep bitterly…..   
And so that’s not the end of the story….
Peter remembered what the Lord had said….. And Peter wept bitterly….  The Greek is “sobbed out loud.”
He faces the sinfulness of his own flesh….. He faces his own weakness…. He feels the pain he has brought on the Lord….. He cries for pardon and he cries for forgiveness….. The trials and temptations in our lives are there for our own good…. And for God´s Glory….
These things bring us to the point of despair so that we cries for forgiveness and mercy……  This is true repentance……. True repentence leads us to the throne of Grace….
It’s  when we see the kind of Savior we have sinned against that really makes us weep….. And so he wept…..
But that was not the end…..  After the Lord’s resurrection, He met His disciples in Galilee….. It was time now for the full restoration of the disciples…. and in particular, the full restoration of Peter…..
Remember  Jesus what said in Luke 22: 31,32…
Luke 22: 31,32             NKJV    Schlachter 2000
31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
31 Es sprach aber der Herr: Simon, Simon, siehe, der Satan hat euch begehrt, um euch zu sichten wie den Weizen;
32 ich aber habe für dich gebetet, daß dein Glaube nicht aufhöre; und wenn du einst umgekehrt bist4, so stärke deine Brüder!
This is so important….. The Lord allowed this sifting to help Peter to see himself….. And to prepare him for many years of fruitful ministry ahead….. It was a terrible lesson…. Those were very difficult times for all of them….. But victory was certain… and Jesus had prayed for them….
 Peter´s faith did not fail….. He repented….. He was restored and was used Mightily….
. Peter preaches on Pentecost, one sermon three thousand are saved….. Preaches again, five thousand more are converted to Christ…..
Peter is a great teacher for us… His disasterous failures are recorded to help us understand how to face temptation and not be overconfident….. We can also learn from Peter…..  how to face sin and failure with hope…..
Let´s listen to Peter himself as we close… After the resurrection…. After Pentecost we see a humble and Bold man Proclaiming the Good News….. Thousands are saved in one day!
God had used those dark and difficult times to clean the garbage out of his heart….. Now he knows he has no reason to be proud and self confident…. He knows he has to stay close to Jesus…. Peter more than many understands the grace and mercy of God…… He also understands to reasons for the trials and hard times very well….Turn with me to 1 Peter 1…v3
1 Peter 1: 3-9                NKJV
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen[a] you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1: 3- 9           Schlachter 2000
3 Gelobt sei der Gott und Vater unseres Herrn Jesus Christus, der uns aufgrund seiner großen Barmherzigkeit wiedergeboren hat zu einer lebendigen Hoffnung durch die Auferstehung Jesu Christi aus den Toten,
4 zu einem unvergänglichen und unbefleckten und unverwelklichen Erbe, das im Himmel aufbewahrt wird für uns,
5 die wir in der Kraft Gottes bewahrt werden durch den Glauben zu dem Heil2, das bereit ist, geoffenbart zu werden in der letzten Zeit3.
6 Dann werdet ihr euch jubelnd freuen, die ihr jetzt eine kurze Zeit, wenn es sein muß, traurig seid in mancherlei Anfechtungen4,
7 damit die Bewährung eures Glaubens (der viel kostbarer ist als das vergängliche Gold, das doch durchs Feuer erprobt wird) Lob, Ehre und Herrlichkeit zur Folge habe bei der Offenbarung Jesu Christi.
8 Ihn liebt ihr, obgleich ihr ihn nicht gesehen habt; an ihn glaubt ihr, obgleich ihr ihn jetzt nicht seht, und über ihn werdet ihr euch jubelnd freuen mit unaussprechlicher und herrlicher Freude,
9 wenn ihr das Endziel eures Glaubens davontragt, die Errettung der Seelen!

That’s the kind of faith you have. You have the kind of faith that can be tested, it can be tested in the fire and it will not perish. In verse 9 he says, “You have the kind of faith, the outcome of which is the salvation of your souls.” Peter never got over this faith that cannot fail, that will not fail.
His final words are in 2 Peter 3:17.
2 Peter 3: 17, 18              NKJV
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3: 17, 18   Schlachter 2000
17 Ihr aber, Geliebte, da ihr dies im voraus wißt, so hütet euch, daß ihr nicht durch die Verführung der Frevler mit fortgerissen werdet und euren eigenen festen Stand verliert!
18 Wachst dagegen in der Gnade und in der Erkenntnis unseres Herrn und Retters Jesus Christus! Ihm sei die Ehre, sowohl jetzt als auch bis zum Tag der Ewigkeit! Amen.
 If you can…. And you need to…. Read The letters of Peter completely through…… We can see the fantastic way that the Lord used Peter´s failures for his and our good….
Here´s the last thing Peter wrote…. Beware…. Watchout!
Peter encourages us… Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him…. Don’t engage in spiritual pride and prayerlessness…. Don´t follow Jesus at a spiritual distance…. Don´t be a fan….. Stay close to Jesus….. hide his word in your heart…..  
We are a family…… We have a deep responsibility to each other….  and that includes pointing others to the only place where they can find mercy and grace…. We need to show our own brothers and sisters and as we have been reminded today….. We need to show our own children to way to Jesus… to teach and encourage them…. and each other….. What a privilege….. What a blessing……. It´s true…we will have trials and temptations…. We will be sifted as wheat….. And remember Jesus has prayed for us……. Our faith will not fail……
Let´s pray….