PETER, THE STRONG WEAKLING
TEXT: John 13:36-38 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
INTRO.:
A. At the Lord’s “last supper” the focus was on the betrayer, Judas. But now it shifts to Peter. Both failed the Lord. Judas betrayed Him and Peter denied Him. But there the similarity ends.
🔹The act of treachery was perpetrated by one who hated Him. The act of denial was a momentary failure by one who loved Him.
🔹Judas’ act was cold-blooded, calculated and deliberate. Peter’s act was simply a spontaneous slip in a moment of human weakness.
🔹Judas’ sin was that of an unsaved Christ-rejecter. Peter’s sin was the yielding to temptation of a Christ-receiver.
B. Peter’s sin stands as a bold warning that anyone, even though saved can yield to the suggestions of Satan, the enticements of the eye (world) or the frailty of the flesh.
NOTE: I have been dealing with temptation and have focused on Satanic suggestions. While we must deal with Satan, the world and the flesh, the flesh is the most powerful tempter to us “strong weaklings.” Satan usually concentrates on the most spiritual, e.g. Job, David, Paul & Peter. The world appeals to those of us who are easily enticed by advertisements, allurements of casinos, night clubs, fame, position and popularity. But all of us are prone to the weakness of the flesh! The sinful temptations don’t originate from without, but from within.
I. PETER’S CURIOSITY: v.36
A. Peter Misses Jesus’ Salient Point:
1. Jesus has just made a practical statement concerning mutual love. vv. 34,35
2. Peter fastens his interest on that instruction on which Christ purposely left somewhat vague. v.33
NOTE: We are often more desirous to have our curiosity satisfied than our consciences pricked. We prefer pointless preaching or lessons with barbless hooks. We would rather focus on theological oddities, “doubtful disputations,” “doting about questions and strife's of words,” than deal with our personal faults and failures. We prefer milk to meat!
B. Peter Misunderstands Jesus’ Statement:
1. Jesus is speaking of His death, but Peter is not a careful listener.
NOTE: Jesus spoke of His impending death again and again, but the disciples seem dull or deaf. Like them, we take in much preaching and teaching, and yet take in little by way of application. We are sermon-soakers and lesson-listeners, but fail to become dedicated disciples.
2. Jesus is speaking of His return to heaven, but Peter is thinking of an earthly Kingdom:
Kingdom of Heaven vs. Kingdom of God.
a. Peter thinks Jesus is going to move His earthly Kingdom headquarters from Jerusalem
b. Peter fears Jesus is going to leave him & the others behind.
II. PETER’S CONFIDENCE: v.37
A. Peter was Sincere but Selfish: v.37a
1. His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak (remember Gethsemane)
2. His love and courage are not in question, but his devotion and loyalty are lacking
3. His real problem was spiritual depth, which led to his denial
4. His downward spiral was four-fold:
a. Step #1 – Overconfidence (He was NOT a coward – Garden & sword against odds)
b. Step #2 – Prayerlessness (Jesus warned “pray that ye enter not into temptation”)
c. Step #3 – Following afar-off (We know the focus of warfare is where Jesus stands so, we assume we will be safer if we don’t stay too close to Him)
d. Step #4 – Fellowship with the enemy (We will end up in the enemy’s camp too!)
B. Peter was Courageous, but Needed Correction: v.37b
1. He was bold, but backwards (Jesus would die for him, not the reverse)
2. He was positive but negative (His statement was negative in rel. to Jesus’ teaching)
NOTE: Someone described Peter as: boasting too much, praying too little, acting too hastily & not listening too closely.
III. PETER’S COWARDICE: v.38
A. Jesus Rebukes Peter: v.38a
1. He turns Peter’s bold declaration into a cutting question.
2. He demolishes Peter’s determination with a convicting question.
ILLUS.:
🔴Stress the word “thou” in Christ’s question and we see the severity of His rebuke. “Wilt THOU (who could not even pray with Me one hour, or walk on the water with Me because of the wind & waves)… lay down your life for Me?
🔴Stress the words “thy” and “My” it strengthens the rebuke. “Thy life for My life?” “Who do you think you are Peter?!”
B. Jesus Reproves Peter: v.38b
1. Now Jesus plainly foretells Peter’s cowardice in the crucial hour.
2. Now Jesus links the crowing of the cock to Peter’s cowardice.
a. This reveals Jesus’ omniscience concerning the unlikely events to follow.
b. This reveals Jesus’ omnipotence & control over His creatures (the rooster would become the signal of his denial and the catalyst of his repentance)
c. This reveals the depth of Peter’s denial (“thrice”) & the depth of His forgiveness!
CONCL.: Let us never betray Jesus like Judas, nor deny Jesus like Peter, but rather let us be like John who stood at the foot of the Cross in Jesus’ darkest hour. Let’s not be a “STRONG WEAKLING” like Peter, but recognize our weakness and rely on Jesus strength in the hour of temptation.
❓Are you a STRONG WEAKLING in your witness among the unsaved, as Peter by the fire of the enemy of our Savior❓
INTRO.:
A. At the Lord’s “last supper” the focus was on the betrayer, Judas. But now it shifts to Peter. Both failed the Lord. Judas betrayed Him and Peter denied Him. But there the similarity ends.
🔹The act of treachery was perpetrated by one who hated Him. The act of denial was a momentary failure by one who loved Him.
🔹Judas’ act was cold-blooded, calculated and deliberate. Peter’s act was simply a spontaneous slip in a moment of human weakness.
🔹Judas’ sin was that of an unsaved Christ-rejecter. Peter’s sin was the yielding to temptation of a Christ-receiver.
B. Peter’s sin stands as a bold warning that anyone, even though saved can yield to the suggestions of Satan, the enticements of the eye (world) or the frailty of the flesh.
NOTE: I have been dealing with temptation and have focused on Satanic suggestions. While we must deal with Satan, the world and the flesh, the flesh is the most powerful tempter to us “strong weaklings.” Satan usually concentrates on the most spiritual, e.g. Job, David, Paul & Peter. The world appeals to those of us who are easily enticed by advertisements, allurements of casinos, night clubs, fame, position and popularity. But all of us are prone to the weakness of the flesh! The sinful temptations don’t originate from without, but from within.
I. PETER’S CURIOSITY: v.36
A. Peter Misses Jesus’ Salient Point:
1. Jesus has just made a practical statement concerning mutual love. vv. 34,35
2. Peter fastens his interest on that instruction on which Christ purposely left somewhat vague. v.33
NOTE: We are often more desirous to have our curiosity satisfied than our consciences pricked. We prefer pointless preaching or lessons with barbless hooks. We would rather focus on theological oddities, “doubtful disputations,” “doting about questions and strife's of words,” than deal with our personal faults and failures. We prefer milk to meat!
B. Peter Misunderstands Jesus’ Statement:
1. Jesus is speaking of His death, but Peter is not a careful listener.
NOTE: Jesus spoke of His impending death again and again, but the disciples seem dull or deaf. Like them, we take in much preaching and teaching, and yet take in little by way of application. We are sermon-soakers and lesson-listeners, but fail to become dedicated disciples.
2. Jesus is speaking of His return to heaven, but Peter is thinking of an earthly Kingdom:
Kingdom of Heaven vs. Kingdom of God.
a. Peter thinks Jesus is going to move His earthly Kingdom headquarters from Jerusalem
b. Peter fears Jesus is going to leave him & the others behind.
II. PETER’S CONFIDENCE: v.37
A. Peter was Sincere but Selfish: v.37a
1. His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak (remember Gethsemane)
2. His love and courage are not in question, but his devotion and loyalty are lacking
3. His real problem was spiritual depth, which led to his denial
4. His downward spiral was four-fold:
a. Step #1 – Overconfidence (He was NOT a coward – Garden & sword against odds)
b. Step #2 – Prayerlessness (Jesus warned “pray that ye enter not into temptation”)
c. Step #3 – Following afar-off (We know the focus of warfare is where Jesus stands so, we assume we will be safer if we don’t stay too close to Him)
d. Step #4 – Fellowship with the enemy (We will end up in the enemy’s camp too!)
B. Peter was Courageous, but Needed Correction: v.37b
1. He was bold, but backwards (Jesus would die for him, not the reverse)
2. He was positive but negative (His statement was negative in rel. to Jesus’ teaching)
NOTE: Someone described Peter as: boasting too much, praying too little, acting too hastily & not listening too closely.
III. PETER’S COWARDICE: v.38
A. Jesus Rebukes Peter: v.38a
1. He turns Peter’s bold declaration into a cutting question.
2. He demolishes Peter’s determination with a convicting question.
ILLUS.:
🔴Stress the word “thou” in Christ’s question and we see the severity of His rebuke. “Wilt THOU (who could not even pray with Me one hour, or walk on the water with Me because of the wind & waves)… lay down your life for Me?
🔴Stress the words “thy” and “My” it strengthens the rebuke. “Thy life for My life?” “Who do you think you are Peter?!”
B. Jesus Reproves Peter: v.38b
1. Now Jesus plainly foretells Peter’s cowardice in the crucial hour.
2. Now Jesus links the crowing of the cock to Peter’s cowardice.
a. This reveals Jesus’ omniscience concerning the unlikely events to follow.
b. This reveals Jesus’ omnipotence & control over His creatures (the rooster would become the signal of his denial and the catalyst of his repentance)
c. This reveals the depth of Peter’s denial (“thrice”) & the depth of His forgiveness!
CONCL.: Let us never betray Jesus like Judas, nor deny Jesus like Peter, but rather let us be like John who stood at the foot of the Cross in Jesus’ darkest hour. Let’s not be a “STRONG WEAKLING” like Peter, but recognize our weakness and rely on Jesus strength in the hour of temptation.
❓Are you a STRONG WEAKLING in your witness among the unsaved, as Peter by the fire of the enemy of our Savior❓