The events of the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are told in all four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. There are different points of emphasis, and sometimes the writers arranged material in different order – very much the ancient style (not necessarily chronological).
They all include Peter’s denial of Christ. It’s so helpful to you and me today.
You and I aren’t likely to stand trial the way Jesus did, but you’re likely to be quizzed by people day-to-day.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered in October 2023 at Bromborough Evangelical Church, Wirral. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
There are no secret sins (54-62)
In the chapter, Jesus has just been arrested at night in Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives (just east of the city). Read Luke 22:54-55.
It’s a natural enough scene. They’re in the dead of night, and it was cold. The background to what happens here is in Luke 22:31-34 [read].
It’s worth pointing out that Peter wasn’t under arrest. He was there by choice and got asked some direct questions. Read Luke 22:56-60.
What happened to “Lord, I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death”? In very little time, he’s saying, “I don’t know him, I’m not one of them, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Clearly, he lied. You might say he was trying to ensure a bad situation didn’t get any worse by being arrested. Maybe he could justify his lies some other way. The truth is, lies are often sweet in the mouth, but they leave a very bad after-taste. One that sticks. These were more than lies. In Luke 12:9 Jesus said, “whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God.” The stakes are high.
But his first lie wasn’t the first failure. It was a symptom of earlier failures. Jesus told Peter that Satan would shake them all. Peter responded with bravado and pride: “Not me!” Jesus also told Peter to stay away and pray he wouldn’t fall into temptation. Given the moment to stand up as a follower of Jesus, the temptation was to lie and back down. Through pride and self-sufficiency, he didn’t take his spiritual danger seriously and he didn’t pray.
Which meant he lied unnecessarily to a servant girl, then a man. Then – a whole hour later – he lied again.
No harm done?
You might say, “No harm done. No-one even knew. It was right.”
But for Peter, it was a personal car-crash. His pride had been shown up and dismantled. After all his time with Jesus, he knew he was a weak sinful man still. He had made personal commitments to Jesus himself, and when push came to shove he’d flaked it. Read Luke 22:61-62.
Jesus was physically restrained in custody. His concern was for Peter. He had prayed for Peter, and his heart was still filled with compassion for him.
Jesus looked at Peter, and he looks at you in the same way:
- Your sin has been exposed, and your pride is fallen.
- Jesus’ words are true, and you are a liar.
- He looks at you with compassion and love, even though you let him down and sinned against him personally – again.
Remember what Jesus had said (Luke 22:31-32) “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
When Judas betrayed Jesus, he was filled with remorse. He was disgusted and ashamed, and he killed himself. When Peter denied Jesus, he wept bitterly – also disgusted and ashamed at himself. But for Peter, it was a turning point. A “turning point” is a “repentance point”. Turning from what you previously trust in – such as your own ability, goodness, strength. Turning to Jesus for forgiveness, and for help.
No unseen sin
Peter might have thought his “white lies” weren’t so big as he said them. No big deal, no-one hurt. No-one would even know! But there is no unseen sin. You are seen for who and what you are before God.
And as you feel the gaze of Jesus on you, you know that he is full of truth (which condemns you) and grace (his look is an invitation to turn to him, in repentance of your sin).
And no matter how long you’ve been with Jesus (how long you’ve been a Christian), never presume on yourself. You’re never as strong as you think you are. You’re not impervious to temptation, or to sin. There’s no level of Christian maturity where you can think to yourself, “I’ve made it.” Not in this life.
Peter learned that, and has written you a letter…
See the love of Christ to you (63-65)
The scene switches back to focus on Jesus. Read Luke 22:63.
I’ve never been in the armed forces. Obviously, army jobs can be dangerous. For the most part, though, most soldiers will have long periods of boredom. Those soldiers had a bit of fun with their prisoner to break up the tedium of the cold small hours of the morning. So they mocked him and beat him. Just as he said they would.
In Luke 18:32 he’d said the Son of Man would be “handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on…” and flogged. The irony then is that the soldiers mock him as a prophet even as they do the very things he’d prophesied. Read Luke 22:64-65.
Jesus is Son of God Most High. Angels announced his birth, the voice of God the Father commended him at his baptism and on the Mount of Transfiguration. He has done things no human has ever done – precisely because he is God who came into the world to seek and save the lost.
And when humanity got its hands on him – in the dark, where the crowds couldn’t see – they beat him and mocked him and spat on him.
No defence?
Why didn’t Jesus say something? Why no defence? Because he wasn’t a helpless victim. It’s what he came for. He came to die to take the punishment your sins deserve. Jesus came to save you. His silence at that moment shows his love for the Father, and for you.
Jesus was obedient to the task the Father had given him, and his obedience was the fruit of his love. More, he humbled himself to humanity and to the cross because he had loved you and known you since before the world began.
Years later, the same Peter who let him down that night could reflect on all this and give you words to encourage you. He was writing specifically to household slaves, but his words apply to anyone in any time of suffering at the hands of others: Read 1 Peter 2:18-25.
Christ’s death is a sacrifice that atones for your sin. You have sinned greatly against him – more even than you know. A sheep gone astray. But as you call on him to forgive you, he “bore our sins on the tree” and you can be forgiven and live rightly.
How to live for God?
How can you live in a way that is so God-oriented, truthful, humbly putting up with trouble for God?
Notice that that letter was written by the same Peter who let Jesus down so devastatingly. What had changed him? What had happened to the man of proud self-sufficiency who didn’t pray when Jesus told him to? Did he change himself? Become a better human?
If you think the answer to a better you lies in your own ability, you’re just adding foolishness to sin. Remember, Judas never turned back to Jesus. But Peter did – and you must too.
Jesus knew that Peter would fall, so he prayed for him. Then he would put Peter back in place with work to do for Jesus. You need to look to Jesus. And you need to look truly:
Jesus is the overseer of your soul (66-71)
Back to the early hours of that morning. Read Luke 22:66.
It might look a bit like a trial, but they’ve already decided they want him dead. They just need to find a charge that would have him executed by the Romans. If they could present him as someone claiming to be a “king” then that is a challenge to Caesar – a capital crime. So read Luke 22:67.
They’re not asking so that they can become his disciples. They are looking for a charge against him. That’s why Jesus answers as he does.
Many, many questions about Jesus and about faith aren’t really searching for truth. It’s just a form of objection from people who refuse to believe. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus rose from the dead. People will say, “Yes, but what about the dinosaurs? What about all those wars? What about…?”
Those are deflections, hiding the objectionable truth that Jesus was a man who died and came back to life. That news changes everything, and demands a response. But if you don’t want that, you’ll imagine all sorts of objections.
Those people had done that before. They asked Jesus about where he got his authority from. He asked them a question about John the Baptist’s authority, and they’d refused to answer – and refused to face the truth. So read Luke 22:68.
Hardened unbelief
Their hardened unbelief is obvious, despite their “court”. If only they’d listened to what he was telling them! Read Luke 22:69-71.
“Are you, then, the Son of God?” Not that they believe it, they just want to hear him say it.
“You say that I am.” In other words, Jesus is telling them that they have correctly inferred that from what they’ve heard and seen. It’s a correct conclusion, and he’s arranged things so that they themselves have arrived at the truth. Many of Jesus’ rebukes are actually a call to repentance, if only his hearers would accept the truth of his words. Still, they won’t believe.
Those people were convinced that Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God was blasphemy – that was enough for them to feel justified arranging for the Romans to execute him. They couldn’t quite take that charge to Pilate, though. They would take a charge of “claiming to be Christ, a king.”
See Jesus
Jesus here is shown to be who he is:
- Son of God, now seated at the right hand of the power of God. He is the eternal Son, through whom and for whom everything was created.
- He is Christ, Messiah, king over the universe, one day to return to the earth and judge the nations.
- From heaven, he has sent the Holy Spirit into the hearts of his people as a down-payment and security of eternal life – working in us to make us more like Jesus every day.
- And that same Holy Spirit does his work of convicting the world of sin and righteousness and judgment as he leads sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus.
- All to the delight and glory and praise of the Father!
And that is how you can see such a change in Peter!
You and I aren’t likely to stand trial the way Jesus did, but you’re likely to be quizzed by people day-to-day – as Peter was. One day, Peter would stand before that same council of men and proclaim Christ boldly. He was a changed man: But he was changed by the risen Christ, the overseer of his soul, at work through the Holy Spirit in him.
Peter would certainly come to share in Christ’s suffering, and wrote to help you and me be ready for that in Christ. Peter would also enter into Christ’s glory, raised by the one who is seated at the right hand of the power of God.
As Christ is your saviour, and your great example under persecution and suffering, Peter is something of an example so that you can learn from his mistakes.
Satan is against you. You can’t fight him unaided. Naturally, you sin and offend God and are an object of wrath. You’re in no state to oppose the devil.
Turn to Jesus. Repent of your sin. Your every sin. Call out for forgiveness. Do it every day, and go in his strength every day.