[Machine transcription]
I figure since everyone’s over on this side today, we’ll skip the pulpit and work from this side. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times. And he went out and whipped bitterly. Thus far the text. Bet you can’t eat just one. Do you remember that advertising slogan for Lay’s potato chips? Lays is convinced that you’ll find their chips so delicious, you’ll just keep popping them into your mouth one after another. And their follow-up slogan to that is, Crunch all you want, we’ll make more. Unfortunately, that’s a pretty good illustration of sin, too. Not that eating potato chips is sinful, mind you, but rather that one sin is never enough. Sin always seems to come in clusters. That’s the way it is for you and me, I’ll bet. Suppose a person shoplifts. How many of God’s commandments do you break in doing that? You break the first commandment against having any other gods, because whatever you steal becomes your God. You also break the second commandment about misusing God’s name. That’s because in holy baptism, God’s name is applied to you and sets you apart as His child. You break the first commandment against having any other gods, because whatever you steal becomes your God. A child of God doesn’t steal. That would be a denial of that relationship and that name that he’s given you. You also break the fourth commandment, honoring your parents. They’re certainly not honored when a child steals. And you obviously break the seventh commandment on stealing. You even break the eighth commandment, that of bearing false witness, because you’re saying something is yours when in fact it is not. And you also break the tenth commandment, coveting something that is someone else’s property. Do you get the point? You can’t break just one. And we’re all serial sinners. And serial sin can only lead to tearful moments in which only Jesus can bring comfort and relief. That’s the experience of Saint Peter too. His guilty tears give him away. We find at least three tearful moments in the story of Peter’s denial of Jesus. One such moment occurs near the end of the Last Supper. Judas has already been identified as the betrayer of Jesus. He’s gone off to meet his appointment with the priests. This causes a tremendous outpouring of sorrow on the part of Jesus’ disciples. Sadness fills the room. But that’s not one of the tearful moments specifically applicable to Peter. The first tearful moment in his story is Jesus’ revelation that Peter would deny him three times that very night. “‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day until you deny three times that you know me,’ Jesus announces earlier in the chapter.” Of course, Peter protests. And we would too. Lord, I am ready to go both to prison and to die with You, He proclaims. Even if I must die with You, I will not deny You. All the other disciples say similar things. This is a tearful and sad moment though, don’t you think? Grown men embarrassing themselves and doubling their guilt by saying that they’d never deny Jesus. Saying that they would rather die than to disown Him. At this point, we’d probably like to distance ourselves from them. Maybe give them a little bit of sympathy. Some pity perhaps, but certainly not to identify with them. But we’d be kidding ourselves. In fact, we’re just like them. What Peter and his friends did happens every time someone gets baptized or confirmed or joins the congregation. In baptism, we renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways. In confirmation, we promise that we’d rather die than fall away from Christ. And when we become members of a congregation, we promise to be faithful to word and sacrament and to give of our time, talent, and treasure to support the work of the church. We don’t always remember that Jesus is right there beside us when we make all of these promises, listening to them. He may even be weeping a bit, because He knows that not a single one of us will keep those promises perfectly. Every promise that we make in some way becomes a pitiful lie that ought to move us in tears when we think about what we’re doing. I wonder if Jesus felt like weeping when He heard Peter and the others swear never to deny Him. Surely he had some sort of emotional reaction. Jesus didn’t have a poker face. He didn’t have a stone heart. We know that he was capable of tears. We see his tears at the tomb of Lazarus and in the garden of Gethsemane. We also know that he could get angry. He displayed that emotion righteously when he drove out the money changers and the merchants from the temple. He probably laughed on occasion as well. But in this situation, Jesus knew full well what all of the disciples would do, and He knows what we would do as well. But He’s also the Savior. He didn’t come to humiliate us by rubbing in our guilt. He came to take it away and to bring us forgiveness. This tearful moment in the upper room is just one more indication of how much we need Jesus to do what He’s come for, to die for us. Peter’s second tearful moment comes when he fulfills Jesus’ prediction. Peter is one of three disciples at the trials of Jesus. Yes, we know that they all run away when the mob arrests him, but they don’t all stay away. Judas, of course, has switched sides. He’s joined the enemy. He’s bargained with the devil, taking money in return for showing the high priest soldiers where they could find Jesus. So Judas is there, giving Jesus that kiss on the cheek to identify him, while still appearing to be in his corner. Judas is at the trials, taking in everything until he has a change of heart when he finally sees Jesus condemned. And St. John is there as well. Somehow, he’s acquainted with the high priest and has no fear of harm to himself for showing up. Is it possible that they’re even related, and that the high priest tolerates John’s association with Jesus because of family ties? John goes with the mob to the high priest’s house, where they readily let him in. He’s the only disciple that stays nearby Jesus right up to the moment of his death on the cross. And because John is there, so is Peter. Bragging, spontaneous, and loud-mouthed Peter, who says that he will never deny Jesus, but will even go to prison and die with Him. John is Peter’s ticket inside the gate. John sends word for the servant girl to come and open it. Peter enters with John. Seeing a fire, he sits down beside it, warming himself against the night chill, not realizing that its glow illuminates his face. The servant girl gazes intently at him. This man was with him, she says. You also were with Jesus of Galilee. “‘Woman, I don’t know him,’ Peter replies. “‘I don’t even know what you’re saying.’ Peter’s trying to play it dumb. Time passes, but this is one persistent servant girl. She keeps looking at Peter. “‘You also are one of them,’ she says again. “‘I am not,’ says Peter, “‘swearing to the truth of what he’s saying with an oath.'” Now he’s trying to be religious. Jews love making oaths and swearing by things to affirm their witness. The trial continues, going on into the early morning hours. More and more people in the courtyard are scrutinizing Peter. “‘Truly, you’re one of them. “‘You’re a Galilean. “‘Your speech betrays you,’ says one, and then another. “‘An eyewitness adds his voice. “‘He’s the cousin of the man whose ear Peter had cut off. “‘Didn’t I see you in the garden with him? “‘In other words, I was there. “‘I saw what you did to my cousin.’ Now Peter acts as the rough sailor that he is, swearing and calling down curses upon himself. I don’t know what you’re talking about, he shouts and bellows. It is then that the cock crows. Jesus turns and looks directly at Peter. Peter remembers what Jesus had said to him. Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me. Peter stumbles to the gate, hurls himself outside and weeps bitterly. He wails in agony. He howls with the spiritual and emotional pain of realized guilt. Don’t you find it ironic that Jesus is the one on trial, but the only one who is truly found guilty here is Peter? In Jewish tradition, it took two witnesses to establish a charge in court. Three or four witnesses was even better. They couldn’t even agree on the charges against Jesus, let alone find witnesses who could agree on the testimony. But here we have a clear charge against Peter made by Jesus. Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me. There were also numerous unblemished witnesses against Peter. A servant girl who twice points out Peter in the lineup. The cousin of the slave whose ear Peter cut off. And finally, a witness that you wouldn’t normally put on the stand. A rooster who crows out Peter’s guilt. There’s no escaping it. Peter is guilty as charged. He runs, perhaps trying to outrun his guilt. What a sad and tearful moment it is for Peter. But this tearful moment for Peter will not be the end of the story. Peter has failed to remember the rest of Jesus’ prediction. A promise of restoration. Jesus spoke additional words at the Last Supper. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. All of the disciples would be sifted like wheat. But Jesus has singled out one for special prayer. Simon. Simon Peter. Jesus knows that Simon Peter will be sorely tempted and deny his Lord three times. But he will not allow Simon to be lost forever. Jesus will restore him to faith. And what is it that saves us? Is it our good behavior or is it our faith? It is faith, of course, as Ephesians 2 tells us, by grace you have been saved through faith. Peter’s behavior is shameful, but so is ours on a regular basis. But it is not Peter’s behavior that will save him. It is Peter’s faith. At this moment, Peter, the rock, has not quite figured that out yet. He’s still thinking that he stands before God not by faith, but by faithfulness. Yet these are not the same thing. Faithfulness is the daily living of what one believes in the heart. Peter believes and has confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. And that is saving faith. But when Jesus predicts that Peter will deny Him, Peter tries to stand not on his faith, but on his faithfulness, his loyalty, and his good works. “‘Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death,’ he proclaims boldly. But then he fails miserably to keep his promise. He has one opportunity after another to be faithful. He fails each time.” In the quiet of the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked him to keep watch as he prays. Peter falls asleep. Three times Jesus finds him and the others sleeping. Soon after, Peter has three opportunities to proclaim his allegiance to Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest. Three times he denies that he even knows Jesus, becoming more adamant and more rebellious each time. Finally, it hits home in Peter’s heart that he’s a miserable, unfaithful Christian. He runs out of that courtyard, ashamed, convinced that he is lost forever. Yes, that’s certainly a tearful moment for Peter. But it’s made even more tearful because he has forgotten the Gospel words of his Savior. I have prayed for you, Jesus has said, that your faith may not fail. Faith is God’s gift to Peter. A gift that enables him to embrace Jesus as the Christ, God’s Son, the Savior of sinners like Peter, like you, and like me. And this is a gift that Christ will restore. Faith remains God’s gift to Peter, despite the failures of his behavior. For this, we too can be grateful and deeply thankful, because our behavior also is often so often unfaithful, while faith remains. There’s another gospel promise that Peter overlooks too. One which will dry his tears and turn them into rejoicing when he finally remembers, when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Jesus knows how all of this will end. He foresees Peter’s denial and his guilty heart. But he also has promised to restore Peter to faith, even though he has denied his Lord. Peter may deny his Lord that night, but before the Passover weekend is finished, Peter will have turned back to the Lord. The literal meaning of when you have turned again is when you are converted. Peter will be restored to his Savior. Jesus will see to it. And once restored, Peter has a job to do. Strengthen your brothers. Peter hasn’t been faithful, but such a person is exactly who the Gospel is for. Unfaithful people, but yet those who are forgiven and restored through faith in Jesus. Faith that is a gift. Faith that trusts Christ and not oneself. Eventually, Peter will remember those promises. Eventually, he experiences the joy of sins forgiven and tears wiped away. Eventually, he goes back to work for his Savior, strengthening his brothers. As can you and I, through the gift of faith, no matter how far we may have fallen from time to time, no matter how much we deny Him with our words or our actions, our Lord is always faithful to us. That’s Peter’s experience. May it be ours as well. Amen. Let us pray. Lord, we are often bold braggarts, declaring our faithfulness while You listen on with knowing pity. Our intentions are like Peter’s, to be faithful at all costs. Yet we fail, not only in times of great trial, as did Peter in the high priest’s courtyard, but also when there is no immediate threat at all, as did Peter when Jesus asked him to keep watch in Gethsemane. May we always know that, in spite of our sins, You will, through Your Word, keep bringing us back to You, that we might strengthen our brothers and sisters. Jesus, in Your holy name we pray. Amen.
