John 18:15-27
Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
“You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.
He replied, “I am not.”
It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
“If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Jesus and Peter were having a bad night. Jesus is completely self-controlled even though he is facing death. Peter is completely out of his mind and has no idea where the real dangers lie. It is very reminiscent of the occasion when Jesus was walking on the water and Peter went to him but found himself doubting and sinking. This night Peter wants to go to Jesus but is again doubting and sinking.
No doubt Annas and Caiaphas were Jesus’ enemies. And now that Jesus is apparently in their power, we see that he lives up the incredibly high standard he preached in Matthew 5:43-45,“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Jesus is determined to meet the cross for Peter, for Annas and Caiaphas for you and me.
Peter had, perhaps in a daze, not knowing what he did, followed Jesus to Annas’ house but once there the danger he is surrounded by seems to work on him. Proverbs 29:25, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
With his close friend just outside telling everyone he doesn’t know him and with the snakes before him trying to entrap him Jesus demonstrates again his righteousness and their sin. They had no right to hold a mockery of a trial in the night, like thieves, working to entrap Jesus in his own words because their false witness, Judas, had run out on them and they had nothing to bring before Pilate. When Jesus pointed this out their reply was to strike him thus fulfilling prophecy and further proving Jesus right and themselves wrong.
Micah 5:1, “Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.
Job 16:10, “People open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me.”
Jesus’ response to them was perfectly in keeping with his teaching in Matthew 5:39, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” And as Peter himself later wrote 1 Peter 2:23-25, “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
When Peter realized that the Lord’s prediction of his denial had been fulfilled exactly I wonder if he thought about when Jesus said Luke 9:26, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
We know that this isn’t the end of Peter. Not because Peter gets over it but because Jesus is the Good Shepherd and came after Peter and restored him. Matthew 18:12-14,“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, truly I tell you, 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 perish.
brotherpayne 