Paoli Peaks Skiing Collision - Robbie and I were talking recently about his recent snowboarding endeavor.  It brought back my memories of skiing at so-called “ski resort” is southern Indiana.  Yes, southern Indiana.  Skiing with HS friends.  I enjoyed the more casual, controlled approach to skiing.  My friend enjoyed the straight-line, “I’ll try to stop at the bottom” approach.  He came over the crest of a hill not knowing I was below the crest of the hill.  I’m sure everyone on the ski lift saw what was coming.  The collision was like a cartoon explosion.  Skis, poles, gloves went everywhere.  Gwyneth Paltrow had nothing on our collision.  People immediately started calling down from the ski lift.  “Do you need ski patrol?!”  “Are you okay?!”  And there is that moment, when you start asking yourself the same questions.  The world seems quiet and still.  “That hurt, but I don’t want to stay down.” 

Life is full of these moments.  It’s full of the knock-you-on-your-backside moments.  Moments that you did something to fall down or something completely out of your control made you fall down.  Moments that take the breath out of your lungs.  Moments where you don’t know if you can – or you want to – get back up.  There are moments where our faith is tested.  Today: We look at a passage where Peter finds himself in a situation where he fails to acknowledge Christ.  Three times, Peter denies that he knows Jesus[1].  It was a spiritual collision unlike any other.  Here’s what I want you to see today as we look at Peter’s denial of Jesus:  Just because we fall, it doesn’t mean we have to stay down.  Our new sermon series for Easter: Three: Days and Denials.  Since we are spending a lot of time in Peter’s two letters this year, I wanted to take a look at Peter during the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  Peter denied Jesus 3 times, but in 3 days, Jesus provided a way for restoration.  Let’s read our text today from Matthew 26.  Read Matthew 26:69-75.  Let’s see what happened leading up to this collision with Peter.  We start with this: Following Jesus will lead to tough places.  

1) Following Jesus will lead to tough places. (vs. 31-35, 69)  There’s backstory to the scene with Peter in courtyard.  We didn’t read this, but look back at verse 31.  Jesus and the disciples were on their way to pray at Gethsemane and Jesus says this:  ³¹ On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’  ³² But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”  And we all know who speaks up first…  Look at verse 33:  ³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”  You gotta love Peter’s bravado.  “Jesus, I will NEVER do that!”  Saying you will never do something is a bold statement.  Peter is certain he would never deny Jesus.  After Peter’s bold statement, Jesus tells Peter, “All of you will desert me, including you Peter.”  ³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”  Peter was so confident in himself that he told Jesus he was wrong.  ³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.  Jesus would then go pray in the garden, followed by Judas betraying Jesus.  As Jesus was being taken away to be put on religious trial, Peter followed Jesus closely. 

Now in verse 69, we find Peter sitting outside in a courtyard. ⁶⁹ Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”  Jesus was inside the high priest’s house, on trial, while Peter was outside in the courtyard.  What brought Peter to the courtyard? 

1. Peter’s confidence
   • I think Peter is still riding high on his statement to Jesus
   • I believe that Peter really thought he would never deny Jesus, even if that means he would die with Him
2. Peter’s curiosity
   • If you look back at verses 57 and 58, you see this
   • ⁵⁷ Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸ Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
   • Curiosity is easily seen in Peter – he’s one that wanted to see if he could walk on water.  
3. Peter’s loyalty and love
   • Peter genuinely loved Jesus
   • Peter was a loyal follower

Everything that Peter was – who he was – brought him to the courtyard.  Some were good – love and loyalty.  Some were bad – overconfidence.  But Peter found himself in the courtyard, all by himself.  It was easier to tell Jesus that he would follow Him all the days when the other disciples are there.  But now, in the courtyard, Peter finds himself in a tough place.  What’s that tough place?  What happened in the second part of verse 69?  ⁶⁹ Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”  It’s at this moment, Peter realizes just how tough a place he’s in.  He has a few seconds to respond.  If admits he’s with Jesus, his life may be on the line.  If he denies Jesus, he can avoid potential conflict.  Peter finds himself alone in fear with his faith on the line. Don’t be surprised if find yourself in a tough place while following Jesus.   It’s going to happen.  And it’s going to happen when we least expect it.  Our challenge is to be prepared.  Peter wasn’t prepared.  And we can learn from him.  What’s the first thing we can learn from Peter’s denial of Jesus?  No one is perfect.  We will fall down.  But do everything you can to keep your feet.  Here’s how we do that: Hold on to Jesus.

2) Hold on to Jesus. (vs. 70-74)  I think a lot of people that are non-Christian or nominal Christian think being a Christian mean you have to do everything right.  Now, our goal is to be like Jesus, but we will never be Jesus.  The best way to be like Jesus is to hold on to Jesus.  Peter didn’t hold on to Jesus. He let go. He failed.  Let’s look at what happened to Peter and learn some lessons from him.  Let these verse serve as a both a warning and preparing.  In verse 69, Peter is confronted as one of Jesus’ disciples.  He has but a few seconds to decide how he is going to respond.  What happens? Take a look at verse 70:  ⁷⁰ But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.  Just a little lie.  Almost the kind of lie that he could find a way to rationalize its perceived truth.  In a blink of an eye, Peter failed.  Just hours earlier, Peter cut off an ear in the garden.  He was bold. He was brave.  But now, when someone who was considered at the low end of society as a servant girl, asks him a question about his association with Jesus, he caved.  In a moment’s notice, he thought it would be easier to deny Jesus than to be associated with Jesus.  Here’s the first lesson we can learn:  Don’t let go of Jesus because you think it’s easier.

But it doesn’t stop there.  We don’t see it in Matthew’s account, but after Peter’s first denial, he goes and stands by a charcoal fire.  That’s important to note because of what happens to Peter after Jesus’ resurrection. We’ll talk more about the fire next week.  As Peter is keeping warm by the charcoal fire, he has second encounter.  ⁷¹ Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  A second servant girl challenges Peter, and he panics.  Peter is caught in his lie.  He could have come clean, but he goes deeper.  Look at what Peter says in verse 72:  ⁷² Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.  Peter had to increase the level of his denial with an oath to match the increasing accusations.  Peter was in a complete panic.  Why? What happened?  I love how Alistair Begg puts it: “There is a direct correlation between prayerlessness and panic.” – Alistair Begg.  Peter had just been told by Jesus to be on guard against temptation through prayer.  Look back at verse 46:  ⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”  If we don’t want to panic under Satan’s attacks, we have to be prepared through prayer.  Don’t let go of Jesus because you stop praying.  

One more time, Peter get’s accused. And one more time we get a lesson from Peter.  Look at verse 73 and 74:  ⁷³ A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”  ⁷⁴ Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.  Peter in so deep now, he makes the biggest response he can think of – a curse.  For whatever reason, Peter thought he denying Jesus was the best thing to do.  Here’s our third lesson we can learn:  Don’t let go of Jesus because you think you know better.  What happened right after third the denial?  The rooster crowed.  Just as Jesus said it would.  There was Peter standing by the warm fire, making sure he was keeping himself comfortable.  All the while, Jesus was on trial.  He was getting slapped, punched, and spit on.  I don’t know for sure if it was possible, but I can’t help to think Jesus heard that rooster crow.  That in that moment, as he felt the sting of the next punch in His face, His heart broke because He knew what Peter had said.  Jesus knew it was going to happen, but I don’t think it took away the emotional sting of betrayal. I also think this was one of the moments on the way to Calvary that fueled Jesus.  He knew this wasn’t the end for Peter. And it would take the crucifixion and resurrection to bring about the full restoration of Peter. Jesus is brokenhearted over Peter’s brokenness, but he’s ready to turn Peter’s brokenness into power.  And that’s what we see last. Just because we fall down, it doesn’t mean we have to stay down.  So what do we do?  Let Jesus turn your brokenness into power.

3) Let Jesus turn your brokenness into power. (vs. 75)  As soon as that rooster crowed, Peter remembered what Jesus said.  ⁷⁵ Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.  Weeping bitterly.  Peter realized what he’s done.  And it has completely wrecked him.  If this was the end of Peter’s story, it would be heartbreaking.  But Peter’s story doesn’t end here.  Next Sunday, on Easter, we are going to look at the resurrection of Jesus and Peter’s restoration.  Let me go ahead and give you a spoiler: Peter is restored.  We can go back to Jesus’ words in Luke 22 to see Jesus was going to restore Peter from the beginning:  ³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. ³² But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”  Jesus was going to use Peter in bigger ways.  Jesus was going to Peter to strengthen the other disciples.  Jesus had big plans, but Peter had to go through that courtyard first.  Peter needed to experience his brokenness before he could experience the full power of God working through him.  

There are two things I want you to see from Peter’s fall:

1) Your biggest blunder may turn into your biggest wonder.  What Peter needed -- was in that courtyard

• We’ll see more of this next week, but needed to be broken of himself
• And it’s that brokenness that will slingshot Peter into a big ministry
• Don’t believe the lie that your failure is final.
• With Jesus, failure is never final.

Here’s the second truth I want you to see: 

2) Satan’s power is limited.  

• If you’ve walked in here today believing that your brokenness is final and irreversible, you need to know that is a lie
• Satan loves to make you think he has more than he really does
  • Illustration: Running past the dog with the invisible fence
  • This dog has a nasty bark
    • I would run in the street to get away from the dog
    • I would run away from where I was supposed to be
  • I then realized he was bound by an electric fence
  • I could run on the sidewalk and he would not get me
  • Sure, it freaks me out
    • But I know I’m protected
• Satan only goes as far as God lets him go
• Don’t believe that Satan can keep you down
  • God’s power is so much bigger than your brokenness

The whole reason that Jesus died on the cross was so that our failure will not be final.  Peter’s three denials would be restored because of what Jesus did in three days. Let me close with this challenge:  It’s time to get up.  Get up out of the darkness and the brokenness for the first time.  Get up and back into the arms of God.  Let me remind you that when you have Jesus, God looks on you and does not see guilt and shame.  When God looks on you, he sees a soul that is counted free.  Let me close with a verse from the hymn, “Before the Throne of God.”[2]

When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within,
upward I look and see him there
who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
my sinful soul is counted free;
for God the just is satisfied
to look on him and pardon me,
to look on him and pardon me.

Let’s all get up.  Just because we fall down, we don’t have to stay there.  Because Jesus died for us. And that’s all we need.  Let’s pray.

[1] Sermon influenced greatly by https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/peters-denial/

[2] Idea from https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/peters-denial/#back-[29]

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