Title: Peter’s Denial Foretold

Scripture reading: Mark 14:27-31
“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 will be scattered.’ ²⁸ “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” ²⁹ Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” ³⁰ Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” ³¹ But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.”

Main idea: Christianity is most often for those who are weak, and often fail but who know their need, turn from sin, and trust Jesus, just as Peter did.

Peter, James and John the inner circle disciples, our Lord took them out on several occasions from among the twelve. Notable among these examples are these: He took them into the death room in the home of Jairus (Mark 5:37). He took them with Him in the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2). Following that, He took them into the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33), where He prayed in agony. Peter will ever be recognized as one of the outstanding disciples of our Lord. This does not mean, however, that Peter knew no frailties of the flesh.

Jesus knew all things (Mark 14:27-28).
“All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night.” Our Lord knew all things, and He knew that not one of the twelve would remain faithful during the time of His greatest sorrow. He knew it because He knew men, and knew what was in them (John 2:24-25). He knew it because He knew that while the Spirit was willing, the flesh was weak. He knew it because He knew the terrific temptations of the tempter.

He told them what they would do, in order that they might seek God’s help. Christ prophesied two things to them, first, their wanderings. Second, their return. Their scattering from Him, and their following after Him into Galilee (Mark 14:28).

“I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.”
Jesus’ spoke of their scattering, not as a possibility, but as a certainty, applying to Himself the prophecy of Zechariah. Zechariah’s prophecy would be fulfilled: “Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered” (Zechariah 13:7). As we know, others carried out the action, but God foreknew and foreordained it. The disciples will be saddened by what would happen to Jesus, but Jesus’ death, “striking the shepherd” would ultimately produce their salvation and regather the sheep. Zechariah 13 ends on a note of hope, “They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, This is My people And each one will say, The LORD is my God.” (Zechariah 13:9).

The Promise – “I will go before you to Galilee.”
It is true that He foretold their failure but He also assured them of His forgiveness, “I will go before you to Galilee.” In Jerusalem they were strangers, bewildered and frightened, but Galilee was their home. So, He told the scattered sheep that they would meet the shepherd again in Galilee. It was because He knew that their love was true that He assured them of His forgiveness (John 21:15). The disciples will be reunited to Jesus in Galilee, where their time with Jesus began. The disciples will fail Jesus, but Jesus will restore them in Galilee.

“After I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Our Lord spoke plainly of his resurrection. Yet his words appear to have been thrown away. Not one of his disciples seems to treasured them up in their heart. What an exact picture we have here of human nature! How often we see the very same thing in us. How many truths we read year by year in the Bible and yet remember them no more than if we had never read them at all!

Peters’ self-confidence (Mark 14:29-31).
“Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” ³¹ But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.”

Peter said, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” In this Peter set himself up against both the Lord and the Prophets. The Lord said: “All of you will be made to stumble.” Peter said: “Not I.” The Prophets said: “The sheep shall be scattered.” Peter said: Yet will not I.” This is the third time Peter has misspoken in Mark (Mark 8:31-33; 9:5-7). Let us beware how we discount the Words spoken by the Lord, and by the Prophets. God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven.

There is no doubt that Peter loved Jesus. Peter was earnest when he answered the Lord’s predictions by protesting, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” But Peter did not know his own weakness, and when the crisis arrived, he fled into the darkness with the others and later denied Jesus as he stood in the courtyard. It is written in 1 Corinthians 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”  It was that a boastful self-confidence, was the first step in Peter’s wanderings.

Yet what did all this confident boasting come to? All the disciples deserted our Lord and fled. So little do we know how we shall act in any particular position until we are placed in it. Let us learn to pray for humility. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). There is far more wickedness in all our hearts than we know.

Application
“I’ll die before I deny You!” Peter wasn’t the only one to make that boast. They all engaged in brash, self-confident assertions. Let us never forget that, for we are no different. We must all learn the cowardice and weakness of our hearts.

Oswald Chambers said, A man may betray Jesus Christ by speaking too many words, and he may betray him through keeping his mouth shut. (Oswald Chambers, 1874–1917)

It is easy to say we are devoted to Christ, but our claims are meaningful only when they are tested in the time of trials. How strong is your faith? Is it strong enough to stand up under intense trial? We need the Holy Spirit, not boastfulness and human resolve. It should comfort us to know that Christianity is for people like these weak disciples. Christianity is most often for those who are weak, and often fail but who know their need, turn from sin, and trust Jesus, just as Peter did.

I leave you today with these words taken from Psalms 119:117, “Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.”

Let’s pray together
Heavenly Father, You warns us the danger even before when it happens. Your warnings shows us that You loved us. Help us Lord to take all Your warnings seriously. In Jesus Name, Amen.