John 18:12-27 “Whom Do You Seek? Part 2”

1:01He just turned into a coward. And maybe he did. After all, Peter is a man just like we are, subject to the same temptations and weaknesses. But I'm not so sure that the man who is ready to fight and die for Jesus all of a sudden turned into a coward. Could it be that Peter's denials of Jesus? Had less to do with fear and more to do with the disappointment of unmet expectations. In the first part of chapter 18, we saw that neither the arresting officers nor the disciples were viewing Jesus accurately.

1:49The arresting officers were seeking a dangerous revolutionary, and Peter and the disciples were seeking the revolution that would be led by Jesus. And so we saw last week, and we'll see again today, that it all comes back to the question that Jesus asked the arresting officers: Whom do you seek? Are you seeking a revolutionary or a redeemer? Let's pick up here in verse 12 of chapter 18. In this first section, we see that the Jewish officers and the Roman soldiers arrested Jesus, bound him, and took him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest. Now, if you've ever read this and been a little bit confused, either in this gospel or the other gospels, why Annas is called the high priest and Caiaphas is called the high priest, since the word high priest is singular, you are not alone. Many people are very confused about this. Here's the situation: Annas served as high priest until 15 AD.

2:53The Romans, who liked to do things their way and make sure that they had people that they could trust in power, removed him in 15 AD and threw him away. Three years later, in 18 AD, they appointed Caiaphas, his son-in-law, as high priest. But according to Jewish law, the high priest serves for life. So, in the eyes of the Jews, Annas was still the high priest. Although, in the eyes of Rome, Caiaphas, his son-in-law, was the high priest. And so, both of them carried the title for different reasons. And this explains why the officers bring Jesus to Annas first, because in their mind, he has the actual position, he has the influence, and the authority, and the power. And so, they bring him to Annas first.

3:37At the end of the section, you see here in verse 14, John notes that Caiaphas, though, the son-in-law, was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people. Now, if you remember months ago, back in John chapter 11, the context of where this happens, take a look on the screen. It says, So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.

4:15But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing at all, nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation. Should perish. And so, what Caiaphas is proposing is that they turn their goal into Rome's goal. The Jewish leaders want to get rid of Jesus, and if they can portray Jesus as a threat to the peace, then Rome will want to get rid of him too.

4:49So, politically speaking, that's what's going on, but spiritually speaking, there is a lot more going on here, and that's what John captures next in that passage. Take a look. John writes, Caiaphas did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on, they made plans to put him to death.

5:26Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John tells us that this was no mere coincidence. And just as God spoke through Balaam's donkey, here he speaks through an unbeliever, Caiaphas, who does not think that Jesus is the Messiah, in order to confirm Jesus' mission, the same mission that has been talked about for centuries and centuries. Look what the prophet Isaiah said in the 7th century BC: All we like. Sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. Listen to this, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

6:14Jesus himself said this in Mark chapter 10. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve. Listen to this, and to give his life as a ransom for many. And then the apostles affirm this mission as well. Look at 1 Timothy chapter 2. Paul says, For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

6:49So you see, to Caiaphas and the Jews, it may have seemed expedient to put Jesus to death. It may have seemed like a good idea to have one man die so that the whole nation didn't bear the punishment for this supposed rebellion. But this was God's plan all along, as the prophets confirm, and as the apostles confirm, and as Jesus himself confirms, it was God's plan all along to have Jesus die in the place of his people for their sins.

7:21Let's pick up now in verse 15. Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest. But Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door and brought Peter in. Now, according to Matthew and Mark, as soon as Jesus was arrested, the disciples all ran away, one of them losing his clothes in the process.

7:57That is quite a sprint. Luke notes that Peter must have turned around at some point because he starts following Jesus at a distance. And what John records here is that Peter and another disciple come to the door of the courtyard, but initially he has to wait outside because the high priest does not know who he is. However, the high priest does know this other disciple, and so he's allowed inside, and that other disciple goes back to the door, talks to the servant girl, and gets Peter in.

8:28Now, many readers assume that this is the apostle John, because John doesn't like to name himself in his own gospel, and so that is a theory that many people hold, but that's harder for me to believe. Remember, John is a fisherman from Galilee. He comes from a poor family, blue-collar, working-class home. How likely is it that John and his family are acquainted so well with the high priest that he is allowed to do? Into his home for a trial.

9:03How likely is it that John the fisherman carries enough influence with the servant girl at the door that he can get his friend in at a time like this? I think it's a lot more likely that this unnamed disciple is either Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea. As far as we know, they kept their faith in Jesus a secret until they buried him. Nicodemus is the teacher of Israel. He would have been well known to the high priest and carried plenty of influence. Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy, devout worshiper and probably would have been known to the high priest and his family as well.

9:40But either way, one of Jesus' disciples gets Peter inside. But on the way in, the servant girl at the door, who is probably told, do not, under any circumstances, let this man's disciples in here, she asks Peter, you also are not one of this man's disciples, are you? And Peter replies, I am not. Probably less than an hour ago, Peter was ready to die for Jesus. In the face of overwhelming odds, he was ready to fight, and it seemed like all of the disciples were. After all, in his gospel, Luke records all of them saying, Lord, shall we strike with the sword? It seems that all of them were ready to fight, but especially Peter.

10:31And as we saw last week, Peter didn't wait for Jesus to respond. He drew his sword and cut off the high priest's servant's ear. You know, the guy who owns the courtyard that they're now standing in, that guy. And Jesus did not commend Peter for his bravery, quite the opposite. He rebuked him, saying, No more of this, and put your sword back in its sheath. And then he allowed himself to be arrested and bound. And friends, Peter must have been so confused by the events of the last hour.

11:09What is going on here? He believed that Jesus was the Messiah. As we saw last week, Jesus told them to sell their cloaks and to buy swords. When they produced two swords, Jesus said, It is enough. Peter brought one of those swords and used it and then got rebuked and is forced to watch a group of officers and religious leaders bind Jesus and carry him away. Now, obviously, we can't know what Peter is thinking and feeling because the Holy Spirit does not tell us.

11:46But part of me wonders if he isn't thinking, how could I be so foolish? I actually thought this man was the Messiah. But that can't be right. Because when the Messiah comes, he is going to vanquish his enemies and he is going to rule with justice. And that is clearly not what Jesus is here to do. And so when the servant girl asked Peter if he was one of Jesus' disciples and he replied, I am not, maybe that's because Jesus failed to meet his expectations.

12:33Friends, many people begin following Jesus when they're kids or in college or even later in life. And if you were to ask them in those early days, Are you one of Jesus' disciples? They would proclaim loudly, with a cross around their neck and a Bible in their hand, Yes, I am. But after a while, when their friends and classmates and coworkers begin to make fun of them and ostracize them and exclude them because of their faith, there comes a day when someone asks, Are you one of Jesus' disciples?

13:18And they reply, I am not. Or the trials of life hit, and they don't get the job that they prayed for. Or the girl they hope to marry breaks up with them, or someone they love gets sick and dies, and they think, Jesus, I served you, I prayed, and you still let this happen to me. And then someone comes to them and says, Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples? And they reply, I am not. You see, in all these cases, Jesus didn't do anything wrong.

14:10He never promised us a life free from persecution or trial or heartbreak or disappointment. Quite the opposite, actually. Jesus didn't fail, he just failed to meet our expectations. In the parable of the sower, Jesus talks about this man that sows a bunch of seed, and some of that seed falls on rocky ground. And immediately it springs up, but as soon as the sun comes out and it gets hot, the plant gets scorched and it dies because it had no root.

14:50I want you to look at what Jesus says to interpret this parable for us. This is Mark 4. And these are the ones. Sown on rocky ground. The ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while. Then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. From all that we've seen here in John chapter 18, it seems pretty clear that Jesus did not meet Peter's expectations.

15:33Peter thought that they would fight it out, that he would use his sword, and Jesus would use his supernatural power, and by the very next day, Jesus would be seated on the throne, ruling with justice, the disciples all around him. That was his expectation. But there in the garden, Peter realized that none of that was going to happen. And so, when the servant girl asked him, Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples? He replied, I am not.

16:13What are your expectations of Jesus? If you expect that faith in Jesus will exempt you from persecution or trial or heartbreak or suffering of various kinds in this life, you will be disappointed. But if you expect that Jesus' mission was not to make your life here as pleasant and as easy as possible, but to redeem you from your sin and its power in your life and its consequences over your eternity, you will be satisfied in Jesus. You will never become cynical and jaded because your expectations of Jesus are correct. They are in line with what the prophets said and the apostles said and what Jesus Himself said about his mission. His mission was to come and redeem us. His mission was not to give us the life that we pictured, the life of our dreams here on this earth. What do you expect?

17:24Verse 19. The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them. They know what I said. When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, Is that how you answer the high priest?

17:58Jesus answered him, If I have been a priest, What I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong. But if what I said is right, why do you strike me? Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest. We see there in verse 19 that Annas was questioning Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. And the reason that he's asking questions about his disciples and about his teaching was because there was a lot in the Old Testament law that had to do with false teachers gathering around people to lead them astray from the worship of the one true God. And so Jesus essentially is being put on trial by Annas as a false prophet, as a false teacher. He's trying to get Jesus to implicate himself by what he says so that they can have grounds to put him to death. Take a look at this passage from Deuteronomy 13.

18:59If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, Let us go after other gods, which you have not known, and let us serve them, you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments. And obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

19:57So think about this situation for a minute. Jesus has prophesied on many occasions, most often about his own death. He said about his body, If you destroy this temple, I will raise it up in three days. He said, just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish, so the Son of Man will be three days in the heart of the earth. Not only that, on many other occasions, he claimed titles like the Son of Man that only apply to God's promised Redeemer, the Messiah, the Christ. He's drawn a loyal following, and earlier in the week, thousands of people had laid palm branches down on the road in front of him, proclaiming that they thought that he was the promised son of David, the Messiah.

20:53So, as far as Annas is concerned, Jesus is a dangerous false prophet, like those spoken of in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 13, who lead people away from the worship of the true God, especially with signs and wonders, not just with his words. And so to them, it looks like the test that's talked about in Deuteronomy 13. Remember, verse 5, it said, For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

21:26But friends, of course, in this case, to love and obey Jesus is to love and obey God, because Jesus is God the Son. He is God in the flesh. Annas wrongly concludes that Jesus must be put to death, and so he's trying to collect evidence that will support that incorrect conclusion. So, in response to Annas's questions, Jesus simply says that he has spoken only in public everything that he's taught and said. In the synagogues, in the temple, he has said everything that he said in view of all people where everyone can hear. In other words, what he's saying is there is no conspiracy afoot against either the Sanhedrin or the Roman government.

22:17Then Jesus says in verse 21, Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them, they know what I said. Now, when a lot of people read that, it sounds a little dodgy. Like Jesus doesn't really want to answer their question, but what's happening here is the Jewish legal system was predicated on the testimony of witnesses, just like our legal system. So you can't just accuse somebody and then have them judged and sentenced. Moreover, you just can't say of yourself, didn't do it, case closed. No, two or three witnesses have to testify either against you or for you in every legal case. So all Jesus is doing is pointing them back to the law. It literally doesn't matter at all if Jesus steps forward and says, I did not say any of that stuff. Here's what I said. That carries no weight in the Jewish court of law. Two or three witnesses have to step forward and either confirm or deny what he said. He's pointing them back to the Jewish law. And ironically, these leaders who are supposed to be experts in the law, they don't get it. They don't see what he's doing here. To add to the irony, one of the officers thinks that Jesus, in saying this, is insulting the high priest and punches him in the face. That is against the law in Deuteronomy 25. You cannot strike an uncondemned person. So this whole situation is a joke. The whole thing is a farce. None of this is allowed. You weren't allowed to conduct trials after sundown. You can go right down the list. They're breaking every law in the book.

24:00But they're doing that because they're so desperate to get Jesus executed before the Passover so they can get back to the status quo. They cared more about preserving the status quo than they did about answering the question for themselves: is Jesus actually who he claims to be? Is Jesus really the Son of God? We're in a bad place where we are willing to disobey God's word in order to get what we want. But sadly, that has been the testimony of God's people all throughout the ages. Look at what Jeremiah laments in chapter 5.

24:43He says, An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction. My people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes? You know, friends, just as a side note, that verse is so important for us to think about and meditate on. The prophets and the priests were wrong. They were prophesying wrongly. They were doing whatever they wanted to do. They were not paying attention to God's law or submitting to it, but the people loved to have it so. And so it's easy to take shots at preachers who preach the prosperity gospel or preachers who preach. A gospel of legalism or license or anything else. It's easy to share clips and to tear those guys apart, but people are sitting there in the seats every week.

25:41They are just as responsible. If nobody listened to false prophets, they wouldn't have a ministry or a platform. All of us are at fault when there is false teaching, false prophecy, and leaders ruling at their own direction. All of us. So Jesus corrects Annas twice in about 30 seconds, and Annas seems to realize he's out of his league, and so he just sends Jesus on to Caiaphas. But the question is now: what's going on with Peter? So let's pick up here in verse 25.

26:24Now, Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, You also are not one of his disciples, are you? He denied it and said, I am not. One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, Did I not see you in the garden with him? Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed. Now, if we go back to verse 17, where Peter first denied being one of Jesus' disciples, I want you to. Look at right after that, what happens in verse 18.

27:05It says, Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. I want you to pay careful attention to the words that John is using in verse 18 here. Peter followed Jesus into the courtyard, but he isn't with Jesus. Who is he with? Jesus's enemies, the arresting officers, the servants, these people who had made this charcoal fire.

27:52What are those people doing? Standing and warming themselves by the fire. What is Peter doing? Standing and warming himself by the fire. John is drawing our attention to the fact that Peter is not with Jesus, but he's with Jesus' enemies, doing the exact same things that they are doing. He is doing his best to blend in with the crowd, and in verse 25, he is still there with them, doing the same thing, standing and warming himself by the fire.

28:30Church, that is our great temptation, isn't it? To blend in with the crowd. We don't want to ruffle any feathers. We don't want to offend anybody. We don't want to be known as that Christian. And so we do everything we can to blend in with the crowd. We stand where they stand. We do what they do. Doing our best to blend in and hoping that nobody puts us on the spot and asks us who we are and what we believe.

29:02But Christians, that's not how we're called to live in the world. Look again at Matthew 5, this passage we focused so much on over the last month. You are the light of the world. Now look at that statement. That is a statement of fact. It doesn't matter if you want to be the light or not. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

29:45The command that Jesus gives to us is let your light shine. In other words, people should know that we are Christians. Our faith should be known on campus. Our faith should be known. In our workplaces, our faith should be known in our neighborhoods. It should be known that we follow Jesus. We are not supposed to blend in with the world. As oil does not mix with water, light does not blend in with darkness. We shouldn't be known for sin.

30:21We shouldn't be known for being obnoxious, for being bad neighbors, bad group project members, lazy workers. We don't want to be known and stand out for the wrong things. But, friends, we are called to be the light of the world. This world was plunged into darkness the second Adam and Eve sinned. And as Christians, we've got to stand out. That's part of God's plan. We stand out so that we can point people to Jesus. Let your light shine before men so that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. That's the whole point. We stand out so that we can point them to Jesus.

31:04And so ask yourself: do I stand out in any way? Do I stand out in any way from my coworkers, from my classmates, from my neighbors? Do I even want them to see something different in me? That's a tough question. Do I even want them to see something different in me? Or am I just hoping to blend in? Warm myself by the fire and get home without anybody asking me any hard questions about who I am or what I believe.

31:42I have to confess that there have been times in my life where that's what I've wanted. I've been around non-Christians and I've been exhausted and I've felt awkward and weird and I've just wanted to get home as fast as I could. And I bet you've been there too. But that is not what we're called to do. That is what Peter wanted. He just wanted to be left alone. So when another person came up to him and asked, You're not one of his disciples, are you? He said, No, I am not.

32:14But unfortunately, he's standing in the courtyard of the high priest, which maybe isn't the best idea since he just tried to decapitate one of his servants. And it just so happens that another servant of the high priest, who is related to Malchus, the guy whose ear he cut off, is standing right there by the fire, too. And he asks him, Did I not see you in the garden with him? And I think Matthew captures Peter's reaction best. Look how Matthew records it. Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not know the man. And immediately, a rooster crowed. Now, Peter is not letting loose. A torrent of bad words. What he's doing is he's saying, With God as my witness, may God put me to death if I'm lying. I do not know this man.

33:13That's what he's saying. And Luke captures a detail that none of the other writers record. Look what Luke says. 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 wept bitterly. Until this moment, until Jesus turned and looked at him, Peter had completely forgotten Jesus' words that before the rooster crowed, he would deny him three times.

33:54But more than that, until this moment where Jesus turned and looked at him, Peter had forgotten his own words. Look again on the screen at Mark 14. Peter said to him, Even though they all fall away, I will not. And Jesus said to him, Truly I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. But he said emphatically, if I must die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said the same.

34:30It is so hard to make sense of this, isn't it? How? How did Peter go from confessing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God? How did he go from promising that he would never fall away, from promising to die with him, to denying that he ever knew Jesus at all? Friends, in the infinite wisdom of God, this is one of the beautiful things about having four different gospel accounts because each author sheds light on details that the others don't record. And so look again at Luke 22. I think this gives us a clue as to why Peter reacts the way that he does.

35:14Peter said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death. Jesus said, I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day until you deny three times that you know me. What did Peter say to Jesus? Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death. Well, who in the world says that to their teacher? I'm ready to go to prison and to death? The only person that says that to his teacher is a man who expects to get into an altercation that would probably lead to you winding up in. Jail or dying. That's the only person that's going to say that. So, why did he do that? Why did Peter draw his weapon when these officers showed up? As far as we know, he's the only one who did it. Why did he do that? Well, go back to what we talked about last week and earlier today. What is Peter looking for?

36:26Peter is looking for a revolution. That's what he's looking for. And so, when armed guards and soldiers come to arrest Jesus, of course, he drew his sword and attacked them because that's what he expected. He said he was willing to go to prison and die, and he proved it. What he didn't expect is what happened next, where Jesus rebuked him, saying, no more of this and put your sword back in its sheath. He definitely did not expect that.

36:58You see, friends, Peter was willing to die for Jesus. But Peter was not willing to allow Jesus to die for him. At this point, Peter is unable to see that Jesus is the Redeemer, the suffering servant promised in Isaiah 53, the one man that is Kai. Ephesus said would lay down his life for the people. Over the years, I've had lots of conversations with others who have the same problem as Peter. They're willing to see Jesus as a revolutionary of some kind, but they are unwilling to see him as the Redeemer that they need.

37:55In fact, the very idea that they need to be redeemed is offensive to many people. They cannot accept the idea that they can't atone for their sin. And so, just like Peter, they are glad to have Jesus' help with their sin, but they are not ready to accept his sacrifice on their behalf. Friends, if you find yourself in that position today, if you have only looked to Jesus for help with your sin, but you have not looked to him to redeem you, to save you, then I hope that this passage shows you that we are beyond help.

38:43We need far more than help. We need to be rescued from the power and the penalty of our sin. That is why Jesus came. That's why he allowed himself to be arrested and condemned and beaten and crucified. Because he came. To lay down his life in our place and take it up again. All that we can do and all we must do is receive him through repentance and faith. We turn from trusting in ourselves and in anything else besides Jesus, and we put all of our faith in the fact that his life, his death, and his resurrection alone are sufficient to save us from our sin and to reconcile us to a holy God. So, friends, if you have not done that, let today be the day that you turn from your sin and receive Jesus by faith, not as a revolutionary who can help you with your sin, but as a Redeemer who can and will rescue you from your sin.

39:52If you're a Christian, this is one of the most heartbreaking passages in the Bible. And I think it affects us emotionally because it's just so sad that after all that Jesus had done for Peter and all that he would do for Peter, to see him deny Jesus not just once, but three times in a row is heartbreaking. But I think, church, more than that, this passage is so hard for us to read because we've all been there before.

40:29We have all Stood with the world and warmed our hands by the fire and been too afraid or too ashamed or too guilty or whatever else to claim that we know and follow Jesus, the one who lived and died and rose again for us. We've all been there. We have all felt that guilt and shame that led Peter out of the courtyard to go and weep bitterly because of the way that he denied his Savior and his Lord. We have all been there.

41:06And so you may remember a little earlier when we looked at Luke 22 and how Peter said that he was ready to go with Jesus to prison or to death. I didn't show you that full passage, and I want you to look at the other words. Jesus says to him, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has 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.

41:47Jesus knew exactly what Peter was going to do. And he still prayed for him. And he said, when you've turned again, strengthen your brothers. Church, before you believed the gospel, before you were ever born, before Jesus died for you, before the foundation of the world, God set his love on you. There is nothing that you have done in your life that has caused God to love you, to shower his mercy and his grace upon you, to adopt you into his family. There is nothing that you have done.

42:35And therefore, there is nothing that you could do that is going to catch God off guard. There is no sin that you could commit that would keep you from his love. Nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. So when you fail to let your light shine before others, when you fail to stand out from the crowd, when you fail to give a confident answer for the reason for the hope that is in you, then I want you to remember that Christ died for you so that on your worst day, you'd have a Redeemer that you could run to.

43:17Let's pray. O Father, it is difficult to read this passage of Scripture. Every time I read it, I want it to be different. Every time I read it, I want Peter to say with confidence that he follows Christ. But I don't think any of us hold it against him because we've all been there too. And so we pray, God, that just as you prayed for Peter and you told him to go, after he turned and strengthened his brothers, would you, Jesus, intercede for us and would you give us the strength?

45:00To build up and encourage others who are weak like us so that we can together be a city on a hill and a light that shines in the darkness and that we can help one another shine our light just a little bit brighter when we're intimidated and scared and when we'd rather just turn it off. Thank you for your word to us this morning. And thank you most of all for being the Redeemer that we needed. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

45:42Thank you for listening to the sermon audio from New Life Baptist Church in College Station, Texas. For more information or to support our ministry, visit us online at newlifecs.net.