John 18:12–18, 25–27
Read Ps. 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is
any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
About 400 years later, Jeremiah wrote
in Jer. 17:9–10, “The
heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked;
Who can know it? 10 I,
the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man
according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
A couple of hundred years later, 400
years before Christ was born, Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth
living, not only a life unexamined and tested by others but more importantly
and more specifically, a life unexamined by ourselves was thought by some to be
a life not worth living. However, we are Christians and all lives are to be
examined and every heart is to be searched. Scripture shows that a life
examined only by ourselves is not safe.
God calls us to be shaped and
corrected by others as well, and most of all, by Him.
Peter’s story reminds us that no
believer falls suddenly; denial of Christ is always the end of a path we start walking
long before we realize it.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and
so did another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest and went
with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. 16 But Peter stood
at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest,
went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. 17 Then
the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this
Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants
and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they
warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed
himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples,
are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high
priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in
the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and
immediately a rooster crowed.
Peter’s failure did not begin suddenly
but subtly on a slow, slippery slope. Peter had so many good qualities, but he also
had so many subtle and not-so-subtle faults.
One of the problems Peter had was pride. He didn’t think it would
happen to him. Even though Jesus warned Peter that he would fall, that he would
deny Christ not once, not twice, but three times and not sometime in the far distant
future but before the rooster would crow twice.
The second crowing of the rooster was
not just a physical event; it was a time of day. It’s in Rabbinic and Talmudic texts as what would be for us
around 3 in the morning.
Before Peter denied the Lord, Simon
was already in denial because of his pride. Satan will attack us in what we think
are our strengths. Pride, thinking it will NEVER happen to us, is an attack in
the area of what we think are our strengths.
Let God be the source of your strength. Simon did not say, “Jesus help me to
be strong.” Instead, he doubled down, saying though all the other disciples would
deny the Lord, He never would.
Rule #1 Don’t take pride in your
strength. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord.
Secondly, in a big way, Peter slipped
down that slippery slope to sin because of prayerlessness. Jesus asked all the disciples to pray
so that they would not fall into temptation. Instead of praying, Peter fell into a deep sleep. Peter’s
spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak.
Satan will attack us in our strengths,
but he will certainly attack us where we are weak. Know your weakness. Know your
strengths. The Bible says some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but we are
to remember the name of the Lord (Psalm 20:7).
Rule #2, Don’t be Prayerless in spiritual
sleep. Act like it all depended on you but pray like it all depends on God. Pray, don’t sleep.
Thirdly, after Pride and Prayerlessness,
Peter fell because of proximity.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record that Peter followed Jesus from a distance.
Whether you are prideful; if you are prayerless; stay in close proximity to Jesus.
Before we get too hard on Peter for
his denial, let us acknowledge that at least Peter was following Jesus. The
other disciples, except Peter and John, fled.
16 But Peter stood at the door outside.
Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to
her who kept the door, and brought Peter in.
17 Then the servant girl who kept the
door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He
said, “I am not.”
Remember when
Simon strolled on and then sank in the sea of Galilee? Jesus came to the boat, walking
on the water. Bold and Impetuous Peter asked, "Bid me to come unto thee on the water.”
Jesus said, “Come” and as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked on water. But
when his eyes saw the waves, when he felt the wind hit his face, fear overtook him
and Simon sank, pardon the pun, like a rock!
Look at Simon’s slippery slope to the
proximity of sin and
sinners. 18 Now the servants and officers who had made a fire
of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood
with them and warmed himself.
The servants and the officers
of the high priest stood by the fire of coals (take note, this will not be
the last time John mentions a charcoal fire) but that didn’t stop Simon.
First, Peter came in the courtyard,
Then, he came close to the fire. Then he came a little bit closer
and stood by them. Then, the other gospels said he sat with them by the fire.
Then, he talked with them and his Galilean accent betrayed him.
Rule #3 Keep your proximity close to
Jesus, not to sin and sinners.
I am not saying we should not intermix with the lost. We have to be
lights in the world and salt of the earth. We have to be in the world and not of
it. But let us learn what Psalm 1 says.
Turn to Psalm 1. Some of you have even
memorized this in King James. I did at one time. If you haven’t memorized it, consider
doing so. But turn with me there.
Read Psalm 1
aloud:
1 Blessed is the man Who walks
not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of
sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But
his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he
meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted
by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its
season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall
prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the
chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall
not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.6
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly
shall perish.
Rule #4 Stick with the winners. Surround yourself with people who support
good behavior, even if you are cold.
Don’t warm yourself with a fire that pulls you back into old habits, hurts and hangups.
Make healthy choices, not harmful habits.
Proverbs 13:20-21 He who walks with
wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. 21 Evil
pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
Another phrase says “Avoid the people, places, and things that got you into trouble.” Don’t hang around people and things that drag you down. You cannot heal if you stay where you got sick.
What triggers
you to sin? Stay far away from that. Instead, do the next right thing.
The Bible
teaches that “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Cor. 15:33) in fact, Paul
starts out that verse with 33 “Do not be deceived: Evil
company corrupts good habits. 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin;
for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.”
“Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” The NIV says, “Guard your heart.” (Prov. 4:23)
25 Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not!”
26 One of the servants of the high
priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in
the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and
immediately a rooster crowed.
Simon’s slippery slope led him from confidence to compromise. The contrast between Jesus’s “I AM” and Peter’s “I am NOT” is that Christ’s powerful identity is stronger than our weaknesses.
“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”
A.W. Tozer
“Sometimes God allows what He hates to accomplish what He
loves.”
Joni Eareckson Tada
