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After Supper - Part 2

The Denial

Luke 22v31-34, 39-46, 55-62

9th November 2006

Last week, we took a brief look at Luke's account of the Last Supper. In particular, we looked at Jesus's conversation with Simon Peter. Varying slightly from the NIV, we translated what Jesus said like this:

Luke 22v31-34, 22v39-46,
"Simon, Simon, Listen. Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not come to an end. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

And we saw that Jesus is saying:

But this is how Simon Peter answered Jesus:

Luke 22v33
But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."

Peter heard, but he didn't listen. He didn't really connect with what Jesus was saying. He just couldn't believe that he was capable of falling away.

Jesus knew better - No surprise there!

Luke 22v34
Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

Could Jesus have made it any clearer? Simon Peter was going to deny Jesus - three times. It was going to happen!

Are you so much better that Simon Peter? Are you such a great Christian? Can you be sure you will never deny Jesus? Have you ever seen a brother or sister in Christ fall into some gross, embarrassing sin and thought, "I'll never do that"? What makes you different? What makes you better, more able to resist Satan's sifting than another? What makes you sure that you could never be sifted to the point where you DO sin in just the way you think you never could?


Jesus and the disciples left the room where they were eating:

Luke 22v39-40
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, Pray that you will not fall into temptation.

Was Simon Peter listening? Did any of this apply to him? Why would he need to pray that he wouldn't fall into temptation? Maybe some weak Christians need to pray like this, but not him! He was strong! He was ready to go to prison and death! Oh, yeah?

Jesus was aware of the seriousness of the situation:

Luke 22v41-44
He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

That's serious prayer! Even with angelic help, Jesus was in deep anguish as He prayed.

The disciples were sad, tired and confused. But they had little idea of how serious the situation was. While Jesus was sweating blood, they fell asleep:

Luke 22v45-46
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

They were asleep because of the heaviness of the sorrow they were experiencing. Why are we sleeping? Why aren't we praying that we will not fall into temptation?

We don't know if Simon Peter got around to praying this prayer or not. If he did, we don't know how seriously he was taking it. But we do know that he did fall into temptation. A few verses later, we read:

Luke 22v55-62
Then seizing him [Jesus], they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied.
About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!"
Just as he was speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the cock crows today, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Jesus had been right.

Simon Peter had been proud. He thought he was too good to fall so far. But he fell.

Have you ever been in that situation? Have you ever fallen so far? The moment you realised what you'd done, did you have that sense that Jesus was watching? That He was looking you in the eye? Have you ever wept bitterly because you'd let Jesus down so completely?

If not, don't be too sure that it could never happen to you! It happened to Simon Peter! And it's probably happened to Christian people that you know. What makes you so strong that you could never fall like that? "Pray so that you will not fall into temptation".

But there is a way back. Jesus loves to restore us:

Matthew 18v12-14
"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."

He restored Simon Peter. And He'll restore you!