Mark 14:27-31 and 14:66-72
Read Mark 14:27-31 and 14:66-72
Helpful Background Information:
This week, our sermon passages center around Peter’s denial of Jesus. First, looking at Mark 14:27-32, the setting takes place right after the Last Supper as Jesus and his disciples are on their way to the Mount of Olives. After discussing his betrayal, he tells his disciples that they will all fall away. Jesus quotes the prophet Zechariah, showing that the events leading up to Christ’s death and resurrection are a part of the sovereign will of God, foretold long ago.
Peter responds with strong confidence. He insists that even if everyone else falls away, he will not. Jesus then gives a very specific prediction: Peter will deny Him three times before the rooster crows twice. In that culture, the rooster's crow marked the early morning hours, roughly between three and six a.m. This means that Peter’s failure will happen very soon, within just a few hours.
Jumping forward to Mark 14:66-72, we find Jesus’ prediction of Peter fulfilled. As Jesus is on trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Peter is outside the courtyard. Peter is first recognized by a servant girl, and then by others standing nearby. At first, he simply says he does not understand what they are talking about. Then he denies it again. Finally, he begins to curse and swear, calling down judgment on himself to convince others that he is telling the truth. Peter cannot even bring himself to utter Jesus’s name, only calling him “this man.”
However, people identify him as a Galilean. People from Galilee had a distinct accent, which made Peter stand out in Jerusalem. Even if he tried to blend in, the way he spoke gave him away. Then the rooster crows. At that moment, Peter remembers what Jesus had said. The realization hits him, and in the most literal of terms, he “threw himself upon the ground and was weeping.”
Reflection Questions:
What kinds of situations make you most tempted to “distance” yourself from Christ? What does this story teach you about how quickly fear can override conviction?
Why is it important that Jesus predicted Peter’s failure ahead of time?
Even knowing Peter would fail, Jesus still chose him. What does that tell you about God’s grace?