The Death and Resurrection of a Simon Peter - John 18:12-27

1:02Surely there was a laugh. Thank you, thank you, thank you. There was a laugh out there. I mean, we've got Tracy and Greg Frank sitting in the same seat. We've got the whole Baber family taking up three chairs, only three chairs. Of course, Nancy has her own. I don't know how that worked out, but she got her own. And just there's Jamie and Melissa sitting over there on top of it. You've got the whole gentry's back there in one pew. Great. You can really fit a lot back here. But anyway, it's a good reminder, and I love the smiles on everybody's faces, so that means I guess you really loved the sermon already and laughing at my jokes and all that. But it is good to be here, and there's so much around that speaks of life and the preciousness of life. In fact, life, I look back upon the joy and pain of watching people grow up. You know, as a father, I can certainly say I've watched my children grow up, and there is great joy in watching your children grow up. There's also, it comes with a degree of pain, doesn't it? You know, circumstances can change, interest changes, and interests will change. The little boy, the little girl will grow up, and those magical places of childhood where you would have adventures, that person seems to be gone, and they grow up. Child grows up. And life, childhood must give way to adulthood, where the cold, hard realities of life set in.

2:52So there's a joy, but there can also be a pain in watching people grow up. Up. Well, this morning I want us to relive, relive, I'm sorry, relive that painful episode in Peter's life. That painful episode in Peter's life. In many ways, Simon Peter was the best of men and the best of disciples, wasn't he? He left all to follow Christ. He loved Christ. He understood Christ to be, indeed, the Christ, the living God, the Son of the living God. And he wanted to walk in his ways.

3:43And yet he was a man with flaws, wasn't he? I love the gospel record. It's so authentic because it's like you wouldn't get the depiction of the disciples on these pages like you have it. And sometimes it's very non-charitable, isn't it? The Bible, the Gospels record the growing pains of the disciples. And I hope you come to love these characters in the Bible because they're a lot like us. Born in their time and space, working through. The issues of life, having met the Messiah and what all that involved.

4:41Peter was, Simon Peter was in many ways the best of disciples, yet, in many ways, he was a man with flaws. And I think we can see that sometimes he was hasty, hot-headed, vacillating in his faith. He had foot and mouth disease, put the foot in the mouth disease flat. We could probably relate to him better as Simon than Peter. Because I think as we look at Simon Peter, we realize that, okay, we too are weak. We too have limited. We too vacillate. We too can be impulsive.

5:31And the very name Simon, or you know, Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter, which means rock. And really, what the gospel records for us, and what I want to talk to you about this morning, is how that Simon becomes Peter, how the weak, vacillating one becomes Peter the rock. You see, that weak, vacillating. And impulsive, Simon had to die and be resurrected into a Peter. Now, I'm not talking that he had to physically die. I think you get that. I'm talking metaphorically. He had to die. He had to die a series of deaths, if you will. In fact, I think we can think of the whole maturing process as a series of deaths, even in childhood, or rearing children. Children, in a blink of an eye, your child seems to disappear and grow into someone else, and yet there's remembrances of the child, fond memory, and the joy is still there, but yet you can't go back to holding that baby in your arms. So treasure every phase of your children.

6:57But Peter had to come to the end of himself in many ways, and only then he could become the man Christ wanted him to be. It's the same with us. We have to come to the end of ourselves. And I wish that it didn't have to be so painful sometimes. But maybe if we will look at Peter and we'll learn from His example and what he went through, maybe we can become humble and taught and not have to experience such hard breaks.

7:44But this morning, what I want us to do is I want you to see the death and resurrection of Simon Peter so that you will know how God is transforming you. Peter had to die in several ways. His worldly view of Christ had to die. His worldly confidence in himself had to die. And his worldly ambition for greatness had to die. And that happens. As we go through this passage this morning, we'll be looking at the three denials of Peter.

8:21And what's interesting about how John records Peter's denials when you compare him to the other gospel writers is that John interweaves Peter's trial with Jesus' trial at Annas's house or palace. The other gospel writers, you see the denials happen in sequence in the narrative. John puts a little interlude in there. He looks at Peter, and then the first denial. And then he gives us a picture of Jesus' trial before Annas. And what a contrast between the two. And then Peter resumes, or then John resumes the narrative of Peter's second and third denials. It's interesting how John doesn't spend any time with Jesus before Caiaphas, where the other gospel writers put their time and space.

9:30But John puts as much space to Peter's trials intermixed with Jesus' trial before Annas to compare and contrast so that our minds would be taken back and forth between the two. So first, I want us to look at the death of a Simon. The death of a Simon. And so to take you there, go look at chapter 18, verse 12. And the first thing I want to do is I want to take you to what I call the palace of examination. Now, so think for a moment a priestly palace. It's grand. It is situated on the western side of the Temple Mount with the central valley in between it. Now keep in mind, Jesus had been on the eastern side. On the Mount of Olives, he was arrested and led over to this western side of the Temple Mount to a very luxurious palace, priestly palace. We know the priestly palace had at least a couple of levels because Mark's gospel records that there is a courtyard, and there must have been some kind of colonnade, balcony, platform, raised platform, because you could look down because Peter was below in the courtyard. The palace would have been spacious, would have had room for dignitaries, would have had room for businessmen, would have had rooms, would have had places for meeting. It was quite a priestly palace, but it is a satanic place of examination because the prince and the ruler of the world comes and uses that to try Jesus. So I want to take you into that for just a moment.

11:43So look at verse 12. Now keep in mind, here Jesus has come out of the Garden of Gethsemane in verse 11. You remember he has been there in the Garden of Gethsemane, they come to arrest him. He comes out not as one who is weak or running away, but one that comes out in strength. And let your mind, as you go through these trials of Christ over the next few weeks, let your mind get a hold of the fact that Jesus reigns. He's reigning in strength, as we just sung. He reigns in strength. And you can see that here in his humility. He is reigning. He has not given up who he is. He reigns throughout both the Jewish trials and through the Roman trials. He reigns. And if you can see him reigning when he is in the posture of a servant, just wait till you see him in glory.

13:04Because then he's going to come out of the grave. He's going to come back. But just you can see, look at this individual, how he reigns in the midst of this horrid and bitter cup of suffering that he takes in. Well, first, let's look at the geographical movement. And I want to move from the Garden of Gethsemane to this palace. Of examination. Verse 12. So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him and led him to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. So as Peter, in verse 11, he has cut off, in verse 10, he's cut off the ear. Jesus says, put the sword back into the sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink? And now it's like he's saying to Peter, Peter, I'm going to drink this cup. Put your sword away.

14:31And the language in verse 12, listen to the action. So the Roman cohort, the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested, that is, they took, that would be a little, they took Jesus, they bound Jesus, and they led him. Took, bound, led. John is calling attention to just that sequence. That is what you did with the lamb. You took, you bound, and you led. And so here is Peter watching. His Lord. He said, I'm not fighting this, Peter. He watches him be taken, bound, and led away like a lamb. Peter's like, I know where this goes. I know what these people want to do.

15:17And at that moment, Peter's worldly view of the Messiah began to come crushing down. You see, there was this idea that the Messiah comes and reigns. He's all about his people, his ethnic people. He's all about them. Messiah doesn't suffer for his people. He reigns. He certainly doesn't die. That's the one thing Judaism is missing today. They don't understand their Messiah has to die, conquer death. Only then can he reign and fulfill the promises of a perpetual kingdom for his people forever. Resurrection. He's got to deal with the issue of death.

16:08So the Messiah, and that's the way we think of a king. That's the way Peter, his idea, your idea of what God is like, has to understand the death that he faced. We'll look at where they led him to Annas first, verse 13. To Annas. And why did they take him to Annas first? Well, John tells you, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now, it's real interesting. It takes him to Annas, this palace, and think about just for a second who Annas is. Annas is Caiaphas' father-in-law.

16:58It is also a matter of historical record that Annas, who was once a high priest, had five sons who were high priests. And now here's his son-in-law. This is your patriarch that has probably the most powerful influence over what happens on the Temple Mount and has probably made quite a lot of money in the process. That's why he owns such a nice palace. Or that's why he's in that palace. And what's interesting is you keep in mind what just happened a week ago. Jesus comes in and clears the temple for at least a second time.

17:46And just think, when Jesus overturned those money changers, he publicly denounced those who were responsible. And he could boil it down to one family that really would have taken a Fence, it's Annas. So let me see Jesus first. Bring him here. So there is revenge. You can certainly feel a tone of revenge. And this is the satanic court system, right? This is how the ruler of this world, at this satanic palace, you can expect that there is a tone of revenge involved here.

18:29Now look at verse 14. Now, Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people. And that's what he says back in, I won't turn there, but John chapter 11, verse 47 through 50. He says, yeah, it's expedient. You know, nothing at all. It's better for one person to die for the whole nation. And you can read a lot into that. What in the world? I mean, he prophesied. He said it correctly. It is better. Though he spoke a lot better than he knew. But what is very clear in this is there is a predisposition against Jesus on Caiaphas' part. Caiaphas has already said somebody needs to die, regardless of what's right or wrong. We need to pick somebody needs to die. So there is already a tone of revenge and a predisposition against Jesus right off the bat.

19:23And so now we move from the garden. Of Gethsemane to this palace of examination. And now there are three examinations that take place at this palace that I want to call your attention to as we go through. First, Simon Peter is examined by a slave girl. Simon Peter gets examined by a slave girl. So again, look at the, again, we have geographical movement. Peter is outside the courtyard, and then he comes inside it. Let me just read in verse 15. Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Certainly, that was John. Now, the disciple was known to the high priest and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest. But Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple who was known to the high priest went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in. So John, disciple, who was known to the high priest. And the language there is he was a friend of the high priest. And this has caused a lot of consternation among some, but I wouldn't read too much into that other than John certainly had a connection with the high priest. And this shouldn't be too hard to understand either, because if you remember that it's very possible that Salome, Jesus, the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus, that Salome is the mother of James and John, then keep in mind, Mary, mother of Jesus' cousin, was Elizabeth, who had, who was of priestly, you know, Zacharias. And so there was, there, there's, it's very likely that there is a connection through family, even, or certainly, certainly Zacharias had access to the priesthood. And so it's not unlikely to expect that, yeah, John had some kind of familiarity with the high priest at some level, but the point is enough to get Peter in through the door. That's the point that John's making here: is that there's enough of a connection here where Peter was outside that he was brought in to the inside.

22:03And then we come to Peter's first denial. Look at verse 7:17. Then the slave girl who kept the door said to Peter, You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you? And he said, I am not. Not I am. Interesting. A slave girl. The mighty. Peter had witnessed the transfiguration, seen an enslave girl. Can there be anyone more lowly in society? And she takes him down like that. A simple question. Now, maybe this was, I don't know what all is going on in Peter's mind at this point. Maybe he wasn't wanting his cover blown.

23:00There's a good number of people that certainly would have been part of bringing Jesus over to the palace. And so some remained outside. There's probably a good number on the inside of the courtyard. But whatever it is, Peter wants to slip in and see what's going on. And he doesn't want to be discovered. Maybe this whole thing happened so quickly, did I just deny it? Whatever happened, Peter certainly did not want to associate himself with Jesus.

23:35To his credit, he was there while the others were not. And yet, you see this tearing, this rending going on in his soul. Not I am. Painful to watch. And here it's where Peter's confidence in himself begins to come. Crashing down. Not only is his view of his worldly view of the Messiah is coming crashing down, but his worldly confidence in himself begins to come crashing down. Well, there's another point of geographical movement. Look at verse 18.

24:21Peter moves from the door to the fireside. Verse 18, now the slaves and the officers, that would have been those who were in the arresting party, now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold, and they were warming themselves. And Peter was also with them, standing and warming himself. It's interesting. It must have been pretty cold. I think we lose that detail of even of Christ's suffering, just another way that he suffered. It was cold.

24:58And it must have been pretty cold for Peter to move that close to those who had arrested Jesus. He's trying to be inconspicuous, see what was going on. That's the first examination. Then John takes us into a second examination in this palace, in this satanic palace of examination. It's the examination of Jesus by Annas. High priest. And this is quite a contrast. Look at verse 19. The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Now, some people look at this as the high priest, that, okay, well, this is Caiaphas. No, it's not. It's completely, it's completely acceptable to see this as Annas, who was once the high priest. If you think about it today, we still call our former presidents by the title president, even though they may not still be acting. You see, you still call a retired general, general. You'll still call an ambassador, ambassador, a colonel, a colonel. You get the point. So he still would bear that title. So Annas comes in and he questions Jesus. And look at he questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teachings.

26:23Now, this is completely inappropriate. These proceedings are starting off on a very inappropriate setting or in a very inappropriate manner. It's like what Annas is saying to Jesus: okay, Jesus, I want you to make a public statement about your disciples and yourself. Let me ask you, how would you feel? Let me just give you an illustration of how inappropriate this would be. How would you feel if you were driving home, driving across town? I mean, two, four, five of you, six of you, I guess. If you guys driving home and a policeman pulled you over and he asked you, what have you been doing wrong?

27:13What would you say? That's a little inappropriate. You pulled me over. I mean, you tell me what I did. Obviously, you had some reason to pull me over because that's wrong. I did something wrong in your eyes. That's why you pulled me over, right? I mean, we have laws that you cannot just, you can't, the government doesn't have that kind of power. The authorities don't have that power just to pull somebody over to tell me everything you've done wrong. No, you've got to have a good reason, right? Well, that's the same thing happening here.

27:47Annas is saying, tell me, what all have you been doing wrong? Tell me something I can. And look at Jesus' response. Verse 20, Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together, and I spoke nothing in secret. Why do you question me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them. They know what I said. It's interesting how this plays out. I mean, obviously, Jesus He informed His disciples on a greater level, but He didn't go beyond what He did. Everything He spoke. Was public. Now, he gave more detail to his disciples. He didn't say one thing in public and then start saying something different to his disciples. He may have explained what he said in public a little more. Now, he did nothing in secret. He spoke openly. And Jesus is saying, question those.

28:49And it's a command. You go ask those. And it's interesting that there's a word missing that didn't get translated here. But in verse 21, it says, question those, probably standing in the room. And Jesus says, behold, they know what I say. You don't see that word there. Or see, behold, these ones, they know what I say. You talk to them. So far from shrinking back, you see this commanding presence to Annas, the most powerful man in Judaism at that time. Very different from that slave girl out there. Here's somebody on the opposite extreme, and he's like, You ask those. I have not hidden anything.

29:47It's a matter of appropriate proceedings here. It's funny. I think there's a good reason why Annas may not have brought some. May not have want them to speak. I don't know. But you remember back in chapter 7 and verse 45, it's really comical. The officers had sent, or the Pharisees had sent some officers to arrest Jesus. And then in chapter 7 and verse 45, the officers come back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they said to them, Why didn't you bring him back? And the officers said, Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks.

30:32The Pharisees then answered, You have not also been led astray, have you? No wonder they had to get the Romans involved. It was like, never has a man spoken like this. And Jesus says, and some of those guys would have been in there, probably. Ask them. They've heard everything. And just think about all the conversations that Jesus had been having with the Pharisees and the chief priests and the scribes for that whole, for the week leading up to this. He's like, you guys are all very much aware of what I have been teaching.

31:05Annas, you talk to them. Well, look at, so the proceedings are inappropriate, to say the best. Illegal, for sure, out of line. Verse 22, look at the officer's response. When he had said this, one of the officers standing nearby struck Jesus, saying, Is that the way you answer the high priest? So, not only are these inappropriate proceedings, they are brutal proceedings. They are intimidating proceedings. Look at what Jesus said, verse 23. Jesus answered him: If I have spoken wrongly, testify of the wrong. But if rightly, why do you strike me?

31:58If I have spoken evil, testify to the evil. But if I have spoken what is right, why did you strike me? And Jesus draws back the curtain. These are also evil proceedings. This is the manner of the satanic trial. Inappropriate, brutal, intimidating, and characteristically evil. And this is what Jesus had said earlier. You may tell you why the world hates me? Because I testify that its deeds are evil. And that's basically what Jesus is saying to this guy. Why did you strike me? If I did what was right, if I spoke what was right, what's wrong with you that you would strike me?

32:52And so, automatically, the very first thing, as you walk through this narrative, you realize, or you asked the question. Question, who is really examining who? God had given Annas power. And then now God is examining Annas as to how he's going to use it. This officer is being examined by how he's using the authority given to him. You know, that's how God examines. God gives us power and ability and a freedom of exercise. And the way we exercise that says who we are.

33:56So look at what Annas did, verse 24. So Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas to the high priest. He sent him away. Now, at this point, I believe that Jesus was led to Caiaphas and that Caiaphas was staying in the same palace, same courtyard where all the denials happen are there. I think Caiaphas may have lived. It's very possible that he lived in that place. It's possible that he was, or he could have just been there because they knew this trial was coming. This has all been staged. And so. And they're going to end up in taking him before the Sanhedrin. But he's taking them through this palace to Caiaphas.

34:42But what's interesting is then John doesn't give us anything about that examination before Caiaphas. The other gospel writers do. John, however, is more interested in what is going on in the courtyard with Peter. And so he changes the scene, and we go to the third examination that takes place: Simon Peter by those at the fireside. Simon Peter is examined by others. So at the time that Jesus is being examined in the palace chamber, something is happening in the courtyard. Peter is being examined as well. So look at verse 25. We pick up the, we're back at the fireside. Now, Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, You are not also one of his disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not.

35:46Not, I am. Same basic question in verse 17. You are not also one of his disciples, are you? No. Not, I am. Well, then, look at verse 26. Another example. Person, Malchus' relative. Verse 26, one of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off, said, Did I not see you in the garden with him? Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed. And at this point, Luke 22, verse 61 adds the detail: The Lord turned and looked at Peter.

36:35And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had told him, Behold, before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly. So you get this scene where Jesus is probably being moved from Annas to Caiaphas. He looks down to the courtyard, and their eyes connect. Right after that piercing, horrid sound of the rooster. Never has there been a stark reminder of the desperate heart of man, the pitiful condition than that rooster noise that fateful day.

37:30That rooster noise pierced the dark and pierced the soul of Peter. And he went out and wept bitterly. And that's the death of Simon. His worldly view of the Messiah came crashing to an end. His worldly confidence in himself came crashing to an end. He wasn't who he was. Far more distance between he and his master than he ever imagined. But before leaving this section, I'd like to ask a couple questions. What should Peter have done?

38:19I mean, we're no better. I'm just saying, looking back, what would have been a response that we might have loved to have seen? You remember the first denial from the slave girl? Are you one of his? You know, what might have been refreshing to hear? I am. I am. I'm only here to just observe. I don't want to cause trouble. I'm here. At least I think I am one of his. Verse 25. Remember the second denial? Are you one of his? I am.

39:00At least I thought I was. I ought to have a little more honest. Or maybe I am, but a pitiful one indeed. Maybe at verse 26, where you see the denial to Malchus' relative. Aren't you one of his? Weren't you in the garden? You did see me in the garden. In fact, I'm the one who cut off your relative's ear. His blood is actually still on my dagger. I wanted to take up and fight. Jesus told me not to fight.

39:43I also saw something else happen there. Your relative's ear is back on. I mean, you go talk to him and ask him how that ear got there. There's something going on in this courtroom. There's something going on in this palace that you have, you don't understand, that I don't think any of us really understand. It's not you examining him, it's him examining us. He does only what God can do, and I have seen it with my own eyes. And I am a pitiful, miserable disciple indeed. But I tell you, there's something going on here that you have. No idea, and you better be watching what's going on in your heart and do what's right.

40:40Why couldn't Peter do that? He didn't have the same spirit as Jesus. He was taken to the end of what human commitment and human zeal can do. His old Simonly zeal was not sufficient for such a task. His worldly view of the Messiah had to die, his worldly confidence in himself had to die, and his worldly ambition for self-promotion had to die. Simon had to come to the end of himself before he could become the rock.

41:29What does a man look like when he has come to the end of himself? Bitter weeping, thorough brokenness. I wish there was a way we could come to this point without going through such a humbling experience. It's painful to watch, and yet I can see in my own heart many of the same tendencies as Simon, and I think you can too. But maybe there is a way. If we can identify and let this instruct us and let the word humble us, you will all be examined. In fact, I think the world is watching us right now.

42:14We will all be examined. Not in this satanic palace of examination that Peter and Jesus were examined in, but ours may be the workplace, ours may be society, ours may be in the school, ours may be in our family. We will be examined. And when your interrogators want to look in and to see who you are, remember, God is the one who is examining. Well, that's the death of a Simon. Now, I want in the next few moments to look at the resurrection of a Peter. The resurrection of a Peter.

43:02Notice I did not say a resurrected view of a Messiah. A resurrected, I'm sorry, first, take you three. I want to take you in, I want you to see the resurrection of a Peter. First of all, Peter had to have a resurrection view of the Messiah. He didn't have to resurrect his old view of Messiah. He needed a resurrection view of Messiah. And that began. On that beautiful resurrection morn, let me just read to you John chapter 20. You can turn over the page. I'll read to you the first 10 verses there. Now, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb while it was still dark and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. And she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him. So Peter and the other disciple went forth and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together, and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first. And stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there, but did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came following him and entered the tomb, and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the facecloth which had been on his head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. And get this, verse 9. For as yet they did not understand the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. And so the disciples went again to their home.

44:53They had to understand from the scripture that he must rise again. Messiah must. Must rise again. Now, what does that imply? That he must die, right? John doesn't give us a particular scripture, but one comes to mind. Maybe Isaiah 53, in fact, maybe the whole tenor of Scripture, the scripture speaks that Messiah must reign, must live. Of course, you've got that right. But he must be resurrected from the dead. Isaiah 53, 10 says this, but the Lord was pleased to crush him, putting him to grief, if he would render himself as a guilt offering, a guilt offering, death.

45:37If he would do that, he will see his offspring, those offspring, as a result of his guilt offering. He will prolong his days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand. As the result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it and be satisfied. And by his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, will justify the many, as he will bear their iniquities. That's why he's a guilt offering. But the resurrection, therefore, I will allot him a portion with the great, and he will divide the booty with the strong, because he poured himself out to death and was numbered with the transgressors, yet he himself bore the sin of many and interceded for their transgressions.

46:27Psalm 16:10 says, For you will not abandon me. My soul to Sheol, nor will you allow your holy one to undergo decay. Why can we say he is risen? Because God would not allow his holy one, Jesus, to go to be decayed. Why can we say, and we shall be risen indeed? Because Psalm 16 says, For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol. Christ had to die as a guilt offering for his people, and he had to resurrect his people. He had to be resurrected to resurrect his people.

47:08So Peter, that morning, all of a sudden he begins to set into play, set in motion, a resurrection view of Christ, of Messiah. Well, second aspect of the resurrection of Peter was that he had to have a resurrection spirit for ministry, a resurrection spirit for ministry. Look at verses 21. I'm sorry. Where am I? 20, verse 19. Let me look over 29. So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, Peace be with you. And when he had said this, he showed them both his hands and his side, and the disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them, Again, peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Okay, so the Father sent Jesus into the world. Now, here is Jesus sending his disciples into the world to accomplish his mission. Well, you're going to have all, you need a whole different source of strength because Peter was taken out by a slave girl. So how are they going to carry on this mission? And when he said this, verse 22, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.

48:45You get this picture of a dead, dead person, like at the very beginning when God breathed into the nostrils of Adam and he became a living being. You see this picture of the Holy Spirit, Jesus breathing into his disciples, a very Holy Spirit. And then keep in mind that this is the Spirit that submitted to the will of the Father, that said, I'll drink that cup. I'll drink the whole of it. He came out of Gethsemane as a champion. He unflinchingly stood trial before the most powerful rulers on earth.

49:26And Peter had to, he faced the cross, faced the cross, he went through all. All of that as one who ruled from a place of strength, even though he was humble in the form of a servant, he reigned through it all. Such spirit drove Jesus to accomplish his mission, and it was necessary for Peter to accomplish the mission that Christ gave him and others. Peter needed a resurrection spirit, the resurrection spirit. Third, in the resurrection of a Peter, Peter had to have a resurrection love for the Messiah's people. So his view of the Messiah had to change. His confidence in himself had to go.

50:22And he had to receive a resurrection love for people. Looking over to chapter 21, verse 15, Jesus meets the disciples, has this encounter with Peter. They ate some breakfast together. In verse 15, so when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my lambs. He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And he said to him, Shepherd my sheep.

51:11He said to them a third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And Jesus, and he said to him, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you, said, Tend my sheep. Do you really love me, Peter? Do you really love me, the one who unselfishly gave himself for the benefit of those the father loved? Do you really love me? Do you really love me? Then you will do the same for those that I love.

51:47You see, Peter had been intoxicated with self-promotion, and that is sin. And let me make sure you understand something here. Peter wanted to be first in God's eyes over his disciples. There was a competition going on with the disciples. He knew Jesus was the Messiah. And so he wanted Jesus, he wanted to say, Jesus, I want you to see me as the one who loves you more than everyone else. He knew the Messiah, and he knew that Jesus, that was a good thing. Good motivation in some way, but there's something wrong with it. It's coming to the, he wants to set himself apart, and we can very easily fall into that trap, right?

52:45It smacks of worldliness. Even wanting to be first in God's eyes can smack of worldliness. No, we should want to be all that God created us to be simply because he created us to be so. The way Jesus rid his disciples of this sin of self-promotion was to show them the sin of it, then forgive it, and show them and leave them a true example of love, and then strengthen them to walk in it. Do you really love Christ? Then you will serve his people.

53:26Peter, do you really want to be first? Give your life completely to those I love. That's what I want. Give yourself away. Well, this morning we've looked at the death of a Simon and the resurrection of a Peter, and I did that so that you will know what's going on in your life and how God is transforming you. He is going to bring us to the end of ourselves. Come willingly. Come in repentance. Come easily. Believe the scriptures and just come.

54:06He wants to bring you to the end of yourself so that you can begin anew and walk in his strength. Think about all that Simon had given up, and yet he still had far to go, didn't he? Christ was not what he imagined him to be. He wasn't what he imagined himself to be. Or I should say, Christ wasn't what he imagined Christ to be. He wasn't what he imagined himself to be. We sometimes don't imagine ourselves as we really are. But you know what the good news in all this is?

54:47God loved Simon Peter the same before and after he grew up. Do you think I love my children more as a 20-year-old as I do a two-year-old? No, the very love motivations, I wanted them in and I wanted to see them grow, and I was joy. But the love, I love them at both age groups, even though they were mature. I don't love them because they're more mature now. We fellowship on different levels, but the same is true.

55:24God loved Simon Peter the same before and after he grew up, and he loves us. So let us respond. The one that is calling us to die is the one who loves us because he wants us to experience his resurrection life. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for the words. Thank you for this morning. Thank you for the beautiful sunshine now. Thank you for the beautiful arrangement in this room. Those who wanted to make much of this day and so decorate the place and sing to your name. And Father, I just thank you for all of this.

56:10It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.