A Blossom Bible Podcast
A Blossom Bible Podcast
Mark 14:27-31The Downfall and Redemption of Peter
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Ever wonder why our best intentions so often crumble in the face of temptation? The story of Peter's denial offers profound insights into this universal struggle.
Nestled within Mark 14's account of Jesus' final hours, we discover a potent warning about human weakness. As Jesus and his disciples leave the Last Supper heading toward Gethsemane, he delivers a sobering prediction: "All of you will be made to stumble because of me this night." While everyone protests, Peter's response reveals particular confidence: "Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be."
Jesus' response cuts to the heart of our human condition: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." This simple statement illuminates why we repeatedly fail despite our genuine desires to stand firm. We gain extraordinary insight from Jesus' revelation that Satan specifically asked to "sift Peter like wheat" – a vivid reminder that spiritual attacks are often strategically targeted at our vulnerabilities.
The passage offers three practical weapons against spiritual defeat: never trust your flesh, remain vigilant against temptation, and maintain constant prayer connection with God. Jesus beautifully illustrates God's desire for this closeness by likening himself to a mother hen gathering her chicks beneath her wings – always available, always protective.
What makes this account truly transformative is the aftermath. Peter's bitter tears of repentance weren't the end of his story. In a powerful post-resurrection encounter, Jesus deliberately restores Peter through a threefold affirmation of love that mirrors his threefold denial. The greatest encouragement? God not only forgives our failures but often transforms them into our most effective ministry opportunities.
Have you experienced spiritual failure? Take heart. The God who knew every denial Peter would make still loved him completely and had magnificent plans for his life. The same is true for you.
All right. Well, we'll be in Mark, chapter 14. Mark, chapter 14, is where we'll be today. Verse 27 is where we'll be today. Verse 27 is where we'll take up Mark, chapter 14, verse 27. And by now you're definitely aware that it is the night before the cross, and for us, time has slowed way down. We're just focusing in on the details, but it's Thursday night, the week of the cross. In the Jewish reckoning of things, the day has already started. They're at sunset on Thursday. Friday is already upon them, the day that Jesus would go to the cross. And let's jump right in as we continue on Verse 27.
Speaker 1:This is following the Last Supper. We see there in verse 26 that they sang a hymn and they went out to the Mount of Olives across the way there from the city of Jerusalem, verse 27,. 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, but after I have raised, I will go before you to Galilee. Peter said to him even if all are made to stumble yet I will not be. 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. But he spoke more vehemently If I have to die with you, I will not deny you.
Speaker 1:Then they came, verse 32. Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I pray. And he took Peter, james and John with him and began to be troubled and deeply distressed and he said to them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch. And he went a little further and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said Abba, that's daddy, father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will. And he came and found them sleeping and said to Peter Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again he went away and prayed and spoke the same words. And when he returned he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to answer him. And he came a third time and said to them are you still sleeping and resting. It's enough, the hour has come. Behold, the son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand. So a large reading this morning. So a large reading this morning. We'll really cover only part of it. But here it is.
Speaker 1:The night before the cross, jesus is leaving the Last Supper and he goes across the way to a garden. Gethsemane means olive press or place of pressing oil. And on the way there, notice, jesus predicts uses a quote here from Zechariah, chapter 13, there in verse 27. I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. He tells them know this, before the night's over, all of you will be made to stumble. And they're letting them know I'm going to be alone in all this. You guys are going to run away. And they would, just minutes from then, they would all leave Jesus. Now you know the story. They would all leave Jesus. Now you know the story, peter.
Speaker 1:Upon hearing this, he says in verse 29, peter said to him even if all of these and we get from that that he motions over toward the other disciples, even if all these other jokers here they stumble, I will not stumble. And Jesus tells them flat out in verse 30, surely, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. So a couple of things to notice here. Jesus predicts that they're all going to fail him. They're all going to stumble.
Speaker 1:He uses a quote here from Zechariah 13, verse 7. Notice, there it says I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. A couple of things to notice the I will. That's not how it reads in the original passage there in Zechariah 13. It just says strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. But Jesus here puts in I will strike the shepherd. Interesting, he gives it a little color there. And the I will seems to be the father speaking here. The father will strike the shepherd.
Speaker 1:Jesus will be smitten, will be struck there at the cross and at his trial. But it was the father's doing. This kind of reminds us of Isaiah 53, where we read this Surely, he has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him. Stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him. By his stripes. We were healed. All. We, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Speaker 1:It's interesting, as you read that and you consider Jesus, that he was smitten by the Father there on the cross. Now we're the ones that did it. It was our sin that he was paying for, but it was the will of the Father to smite Jesus on the cross. It was that love that he laid down his life for us. Good for us to remember there, struck by the will of the Father, even and the sheep would be scattered.
Speaker 1:Now Peter hears this and again Jesus' word to them that you'll all be made to stumble. He says not me, and that's what we'll focus on today is Peter's downfall, because he's the one decided to stand up and say he would never do it. And yet Jesus points him out specifically. You will, but think about this for a second. Jesus knew they would all leave him. Jesus knew that Peter would deny that he even knew him, and yet God still loves us. This is again. We see the eternal nature of God here. God knows everything. Does he know what's going to happen? Yes, but in eternity. It's as if it already has happened. That's a weird time space kind of thing. But realize that there was no changing this. It was destined to happen. It already had in some ways happened.
Speaker 1:We failed God all the time and God knew it. God knew how we'd fail him and yet he still loves us. Yet he still loves us. Jeremiah 31.3 says this. God says to his people Israel yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. That's amazing to know that, knowing everything we would be and everything we would do, god still loved us while we were still sinners, but knowing that we would be great sinners, god still loves us. No good reason. If you knew somebody was going to let you down, would you love them? Would you treat them kindly? I don't know, but God does. He knew Peter would be wishy-washy and yet still he loved him. You can't let God down. Sometimes we think, oh, I let God down. You can't, because he's not surprised. He already knows all these things.
Speaker 1:Peter's going to fall and that's the lesson we see here. Well, let's spend some time looking at Peter's failure here for a minute. Let's look at the process, the preparation for the fall we kind of see in verse 29,. Jesus said he was going to do it. But in verse 29, it's Peter's boasting. He says even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be. And again, you really have to picture Peter pointing off to the side as he says this. He's not afraid to do it right, even if all of these guys you see them all there's James and John, these guys are lightweights Even if they all fail, I will never be made to stumble. He has quite the confidence here, right, he's pretty cocky there.
Speaker 1:In Matthew 16, after Peter, by the Holy Spirit, says you're the Christ, the Son of the living God, jesus gives him a new nickname. It's Petros rock, or a chip off the old block, so to speak. That's a little rock, right, and Peter's kind of flying high on this. Still, you know, I'm the rock. I would never be made to stumble. I'm Peter, I'm rocky, I'm the rock and I will never let you down. That's a good, you know. It's nice to be confident in some ways, but this was the beginning of his downfall.
Speaker 1:Now notice verse 31,. Just to be fair to the rest of the guys, peter says more vehemently there even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said likewise. So all the rest of the disciples say the same thing. So we can't let them off the hook. They say the same thing we're not going to leave you thing. So we can't let them off the hook. They say the same thing we're not going to leave you, we would never leave you. It was their intention. Now, great confidence, and yet it was their downfall.
Speaker 1:Notice there in the second half of our account here today, they go to a place called Gethsemane. It's olive press, it's a grove of olive trees across from the temple Still today there, some ancient trees, and this seemed to be a common place for Jesus and his disciples to go. We really get the idea that they're really kind of camping out there for the Passover, and Judas in fact knows this is exactly where they're going to be. So this is a common place for them to be. And Jesus is there praying. Now we see this and we'll look at it probably closer next week. But Jesus is praying, peter is confident, and yet we see through this whole process.
Speaker 1:As Jesus is praying, his disciples are sleeping, they're dozing off. We can't blame them. It's the middle of the night, they're dozing off. But notice verse 38. Jesus points this out, actually verse 37. He came again to them and found them sleeping and said to Peter Simon. Now, simon, in saying Simon, jesus is going back to his formal name, not his nickname, peter Pete Rocky, but his given name, simon. That might have been a little bit of a tinge of pain in Peter's heart Mom Peter, not Simon. And Jesus says Simon there in verse 37, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? You're sleeping. So we see his downfall here that when he should have been up praying and watching, we'll find Peter sleeping. I get it, I like to sleep, but Jesus says you ought to have been watching and you ought to have been praying, lest you enter into temptation. Now notice verse 38.
Speaker 1:The spirit, indeed, is willing, but the flesh is weak. Jesus takes a little time here to teach Peter Spirit's willing, you're ready, but the flesh is weak. Now check it out. This is a principle the flesh is weak, our flesh is weak. Now you could simplify our nature between spirit and flesh. We're spiritual creatures to have a relationship with God, but we're made of flesh. We all have it. I can't say the word flesh without grabbing my arm right, because it's on us and the flesh is weak. We can desire to do the right things, but our flesh will always bring us down. The flesh is always weak. Peter is determined to stand in his flesh and Jesus tells him that's great, but your flesh is weak.
Speaker 1:We see this all the time, right, how weak our flesh is when we're trying to eat just a little better. This is the one that hits me the most. Right that I'm willing to admit to, right, um, you're willing, you're wanting to eat a little better and you pass by dairy queen, right, it's always dairy queen and they offer now these. I don't know if you knew this. They offer these mini blizzards can't hurt. How bad can a little dixie cup of blizzard be? You know, and so you know it calls you in and it draws you in. You know, like a moth to the fire. You're like must go to Dairy Queen. Just a little blizzard, a mini blizzard, and you order it and they turn it upside down. You're not really impressed. You wonder why they do that, but but you know, there it is.
Speaker 1:Your flesh gets the best of you and you're eating your s'mores blizzard. It's not a sin, but it's not what you wanted. It's not what you wanted to be. It's not what you wanted to do. It's your flesh that did it. The flesh made you get that blizzard and of course it comes down to heavier passions in our life. Comes down to heavier passions in our life, passions for sin and lust and pride, and all these things Our flesh draws us in. Because we understand this and it's worth writing down at least in your head the flesh is weak, our flesh is so weak and our flesh will absolutely destroy us. So what do we do? And this comes down Now listen, this comes down to the. What do we do? What do we do with our flesh?
Speaker 1:There's a lot of things we read in the Bible we can do with our flesh, but number one is don't trust it. Right, peter was trusting his flesh, but you don't trust it. Right, peter was trusting his flesh, but you can't trust it. Philippians 3, 3, paul says we ought to put no confidence in the flesh. You can put confidence in your car from time to time if things are running the way they're supposed to, but Paul says don't put any confidence in your flesh. Your flesh will let you down. Romans 13, verse 14, he says put on the Lord, jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh. So number one if we're going to deal with this flesh and the flesh is what really ultimately took Peter down If we're going to deal with the flesh, we don't want to trust it, don't trust it at all. Put no confidence, no provision in the flesh. Don't think you're going to be able to just handle it Right now.
Speaker 1:Jesus, in Matthew 5, 29, gives some pretty heavy prescriptions for sin, dealing with lust specifically. Now picture this. Jesus says if your right eye causes you to sin your flesh, your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, right, right, it's a great sound effect for that. Pluck it out, right, right, it's a great sound effect for that. Pluck it out. Now. What is Jesus saying there? That you really ought to just rip that eyeball out? No, never bend the will of God to rip your eyeball out Now. The devil might tell you to do something crazy like that mutilate the flesh, you know, but God would not tell you to specifically literally pull out your eye.
Speaker 1:But what Jesus is saying is you got to be aggressive with the flesh. Make no provision for the flesh. In a way, cut off your ability to give into the flesh. I've known those who struggle with drunkenness that you know. I used to drive home a certain way past the liquor store, but it calls out to me like Dairy Queen calls out to me, you know, and so I go a different way. Right, drastic measure. Maybe it's struggling with lust and someone discontinued their Internet or their cable service. They've cut it off. I don't want to have that ability to give into the flesh as much as it depends on me. Now, that's all some good stuff that maybe you want to take into your life. It's a relationship that's dragging you down. Maybe you need to cut that relationship off. That's pretty aggressive stuff, like pulling out an eyeball, but it's worth it.
Speaker 1:Now, what else, though, we see here, specifically in Mark 14. So this is right here, in dealing with the flesh, verse 38, jesus says watch and pray. Way to deal with the flesh is we need to watch and we need to pray. A way to deal with the flesh is we need to watch and we need to pray, watching, don't let your guard down. Let's turn. Let's turn to Luke, chapter 22. Another account of this.
Speaker 1:We'll turn to a couple of accounts of this same passage today, but Luke 22, verse 31, gives us a little different perspective on what's going on during this time. So the Lord said, simon, simon, indeed, satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail and, when you've returned to me, strengthen your brethren. So we get the picture here. It's along these same lines. It's Peter's denial and Jesus tells Peter the background of the situation. He says, simon, satan has wanted to sift you like wheat.
Speaker 1:Now I think we get from this this realization Satan has asked for you to sift you like wheat. Now I think that's weird for Satan to ask. I mean, what does that even mean? Satan comes to God and says you know what I really want, what Pete is just to sift him like wheat. You know, and you're like, what does that even mean? It's creepy, but it's terrifying, because there Satan tells Jesus I have it out for Peter, I really want to tempt him, I really want to bring him down.
Speaker 1:Peter would use the example in his letter that Satan, the example in his letter that Satan, your adversary, goes about like a roaring lion. I think that's a little better than sifting like wheat. Is this idea that Satan goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. So we're looking at wild kingdom there, right, the old nature shows, where, you know, they start zeroing in on one of those gazelle or whatever, I don't know what it is. Gazelle, is that right? And and and then there's the cheetah on the other side, you know, and they're telling this story and that gazelle is going to get it. I'm pretty sure about that. You know, and you see this, this predator you know, coming in to get this poor little animal, and Jesus says that's it, pete. Satan wants to destroy you. So watch, right. If you were that animal, you'd wanna watch, you'd wanna be aware.
Speaker 1:It's good advice in the battle. If we live in a battle and Satan is the enemy and wants to destroy us, be on guard, be watching, be aware of what's going on. That's important for us, that we realize that this world, this life, is a battle that Satan does want to destroy us. We can't be overly confident in the flesh. We have to be looking to God, and that really is the third thing here.
Speaker 1:Notice in verse 38, back in Mark 14, watch and pray. Simple Watch, be on guard and pray. Prayer is our connection to God. You don't have to get overly spiritual about it. It's talking to God, it's our reliance on him. So check it out. If we're sheep and he's the shepherd, praying is like getting as close to the shepherd as you possibly can. You know those pictures of Jesus as a good shepherd, where he's got the sheep on his shoulder and he's just holding them in. That's exactly where you want to be in life, right? You want to be right next to the shepherd. You want to be right next to God. Now check it out.
Speaker 1:We find out that God's desire is to be close to us. In Matthew 23, verse 37, just listen to this. Jesus has gone off on the religious leaders in Matthew 23, verse 37, and he speaks to the city of Jerusalem and he says Jerusalem, jerusalem, how often I've wanted to bring you in, like a mother hen brings her chicks in, but you are not willing. And so check it out. We see the heart of God is always to bring us in Picture, as a mother hen does her chicks, as she brings them in for safety. God wants that, so you can default on this. It's always God's desire to be close to us.
Speaker 1:Man, any time of day, no matter what you're going through middle of the night, god wants to be close to you. He wants to bring you in, and prayer is really the way that we come close to God. We say, god, I see that this is what you want for me to be close to you. I want to be close to you too. And, god, I want what you want. I need your wisdom, I need your understanding and insight, I need your protection in my life. I just need you. And so, in prayer, we come close to God, and and so that's what prayer. Does your kingdom come? Your will be done.
Speaker 1:So here, just a few things to notice in this Pete's downfall. One is he put some confidence in the flesh. We shouldn't put confidence in the flesh. Our flesh will always let us down. He wasn't watching. Jesus warns him you need to watch and you need to pray, because the enemy is wanting to destroy you. Pete, watch and pray, close, purposeful direction towards God, as close to the good shepherd as you possibly can be.
Speaker 1:Now the rest of the story. We know the rest of the story. The rest of the story is that it happened just the way God said it would happen. Everyone was scattered, jesus was left alone. Peter, great intentions, I'll never let you down, jesus. And he denies that he even knows Jesus, the downfall happens, and we'll see that when we get to verse 66 another time.
Speaker 1:But notice what happens next. We're told in Luke, chapter 22,. Picture this when Peter finally denies that he even knows Jesus, three times the rooster crows, just the way Jesus said. And Luke 22 says that at that moment Peter looked up and I don't know if Jesus was being moved from one place to another or what, but Jesus and Peter locked eyes. It seems like a crazy detail, but it's definitely effective, isn't it? As Peter just realizes, I did it. I did the very thing I didn't want to do. I denied that I even knew him. The rooster crowed, just like Jesus said.
Speaker 1:And Peter looks up and there's this just world of conviction, as it says that Peter wept bitterly. This big fisherman just gets down and starts crying because he know he sins. It's conviction. Now, that's a hard place to be when God looks at the sin in our life, because we all have sin, we all mess up, we all do the wrong thing, we do so many things that we never thought we'd see ourself doing. And then God convicts us. He looks at us and he says there you are. Now. I don't think it's necessarily like I told you, so kind of look, but it's this realization. I'm sorry, and that can be our response and conviction is you're right, you were right. Confession, that's what it is. Repentance, god, I don't want to go that way anymore. Then this remorse that comes down to it, but all of that stuff goes on and we don't know exactly what was going on in Peter's heart, but we can assume a lot of it was that and we see ourselves there.
Speaker 1:The last place I want to turn to is John, chapter 21, because if we leave Peter hanging like this, it's just too hard, it's too much to deal with John 21, you might see in your Bible it says Jesus restores Peter. But the story there is very picturesque, right, it's after the cross, it's after the resurrection. The disciples have had these kind of random encounters with the risen Jesus and here in John 21, they're out fishing. It's been a little while since they've seen Jesus and they're out fishing and they've fished all night. And you know the story. They haven't caught a single thing and Jesus appears kind of incognito, it seems on the shore and he tells them kids, children. Imagine what that does for a group of fishermen who haven't caught anything all night. When the guy on the shoreline says hey, children, you catch anything yet Don't ever ask a person who's fishing, did you catch anything yet? Right, because it's not going to be pretty. And they say no, and Jesus, still unknown to them, says well, cast your net on the other side. Cast your net on the other side. I mean we're like what a three-foot difference. There's not much difference there. But they do it and they pull in. You know the story this huge load of fish that's breaking the nets and Peter all at once says it's the Lord and he jumps out of the boat and swims to the shoreline there and Jesus has a fire and some fish cooking on the fire. He has breakfast.
Speaker 1:Notice verse 15. So when they had eaten breakfast, jesus said to Simon Peter Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He said to him yes, lord, you know that I love you. He said to him yes, lord, you know that I love you. He said to him feed my lambs. He said to him again a second time Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him yes, lord, you know I love you. He said to him tend my sheep. He said to him a third time Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time see the parallel third time, denied three times, asked three times do you love me? Said to him Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him feed my sheep.
Speaker 1:And so it's real pointed here, right as Peter's standing with Jesus, jesus says Simon, you love me more than these guys. Maybe that's what he's saying, maybe he was pointing the fish, but I think maybe he was pointing to the other disciples hey, these guys gonna let me down. You gonna let me down. You love me more than these guys. And Peter says you know, I love you. And Jesus says a lot in that he gives them a kind of commission that we could study this for a long time Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep.
Speaker 1:But I think it's really pointing to what Peter would do. He would go on to take care of people. He would be a shepherd. Well, he's a sheep, but he's also a shepherd under the good shepherd. He would take care of people. He would say in his letters shepherd, the flock of God that is among you. And here I think Jesus is pushing him on and saying all in one do you love me three times, like you denied me three times? Do you love me three times? You denied me three times. Do you love me three times? I have work for you to do and that is important for us to remember that God has a purpose. Even though we let him down, god has a purpose. Now you look at this. Nobody understood the attack of the devil like Peter understood the attack of the devil. Nobody understood watching and praying like Peter understood watching and praying because of what he went through.
Speaker 1:And it's interesting that God so many times uses the very way that we fail to help someone else. He takes the worst part of our life and he says now you help someone, you feed someone, tend the sheep, take care of other people. But it's wonderful to see that not only does God offer us forgiveness right John says if we confess our sins, he's faithful. And just to forgive us our sins it's what he wants. If we say, god, you're right, I was wrong he wants to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Think about how wonderful that idea is that God in Christ could cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and it's not just even the idea of scrubbing off the dirt until there's no more dirt, it's like a fresh sheet of paper. He makes it new as far as our sin. He just makes our lives new, makes us clean and fresh and new. And then God says I do have something for you to do. It's to help other people. It's to love other people. It's to tell them the truth. It's to come next to someone who's discouraged because they've been beat up by sin and say look, I know what it's like, I've been there before. God offers forgiveness and a fresh start.
Speaker 1:And Peter is a warning for us not to put confidence in our lousy flesh this week. Don't, not even for a second. Don't put confidence in your flesh. You got to be watching on guard, aware of the enemy who goes about like a roaring lion. You want to pray, spend time getting as close to God as you can in every area of your life. God, what do you want, god? I need your help. God, show me.
Speaker 1:But then realize that God wants to use you. He doesn't need to. We're not even great vessels, right. But Paul says God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. He says we're like jars of clay. That it's not us, it's what's inside of us. It's what God has to give through us. So that's the encouragement for us this week Watch, pray and serve, love others. God, thank you for this example. We look at Peter, someone that you used in radical ways and yet he was not perfect in any kind of sense, god. He messed up quite a bit, and I appreciate that. Because I've messed up quite a bit, I sin and I let you down, but, god, you offer forgiveness and a fresh start. God, you offer and have for us a good calling for this week. God, help us to walk in all these things as we give our weeks and our lives to you. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.