This sermon series will investigate some persons of interest in the death of Jesus Christ. Each sermon will ask if this person is guilty of the death of Jesus Christ. As we listen and hear the case against each player in the death of Christ, we also hear that the words are for us today. May the Lord bless us as we hear His Word.
This sermon, preached by Pastor Lewis Polzin on March 12, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bemidji, MN, focuses on Matthew 26:30-35. The sermon recording may also be accessed by clicking the title of this blog post and playing it in your browser.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The text this evening is from the Gospel of Matthew, the twenty-sixth chapter:
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Thus far the text.
Dear friends in Christ,
Tonight, our investigation, our person of interest, is turned to Peter. We need to look at Peter to see how exactly it is that he is involved in the death of Jesus the Christ. We know that it wasn’t he who delivered Jesus up to be murdered, yet Peter may be every bit as accountable as John last week, and certainly warrants further investigation.
Now, the eyewitness account we have tonight shows Peter’s character. Every account we have of Peter has shown us one of a few things: 1. Peter often speaks before thinking, 2. Peter often has no idea what he’s talking about, and 3. Peter is incredibly impetuous.
So, we have Peter, a fisherman by trade and training, who is called by Jesus into Apostleship. You would think that Peter, being that fisherman, would be used to patience. But no one said Peter was a GOOD fisherman. Perhaps he never learned patience on the water. Because of that, he does things like when he sees Jesus, Peter jumps into the water to swim to shore AFTER throwing on his overcoat. He cuts people’s ears off with no warning. He blabbers on about building tents for Moses and Elijah and Jesus, and he’s talking so much, the FATHER has to cut him off.
Peter could have, in this same way, been involved in the death of Jesus, saying too much, acting too harshly, saying the wrong thing. After all, not too long after Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Peter also tried to get in the way of Jesus’ plans for the cross, and Jesus did kinda call him Satan. That doesn’t sound too good to me, perhaps it’s enough motive.
But in this eyewitness account, the night before Jesus died, Jesus is telling his disciples, his Apostles, even Peter, will fall away from Jesus. It’s actually been prophesied in Scripture that this would happen. The Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Zechariah, 500 years before Jesus became incarnate, to write what the Apostles were going to do. It’s not that Peter had no choice to deny Jesus, of course he did. It’s just that God has already foreseen what decision Peter would make that fateful night. And perhaps, even this alone is motive for Peter to be involved in the death of Jesus.
It doesn’t really seem fair does it, that Jesus would tell Peter what he was going to do? It would be like Jesus saying to Stephen, the first martyr of the Christian faith, right before Jesus ascended on high, “See you in a weeks there, buddy.” It would freak him out! To know what was going to happen in such a short time? How does one even deal with that?
Peter’s first thought is, NEVER! Peter spoke before thinking. Peter told Jesus he was going to die with Jesus before he would ever deny Jesus. But that’s not what actually occurred. But, that’s Peter. That’s how Peter rolls. What about us though? Perhaps our first thought would be for Peter, “Man, it stinks that you’ve got no choice in the matter. Jesus said it was going to happen; guess it will.”
But that’s not really true. Actually, it’s not true at all. Peter’s denial of Jesus happened because Peter chose to fall away. Yes, that’s right, he chose to deny Jesus. Again, God knew it was going to happen, but He didn’t CAUSE it to happen. Peter chose to fall away, He chose to not trust in the One who had been proclaiming deliberately, for many weeks, what He was going to Jerusalem to do: to die. Peter chose not to hear that, Peter chose to be embarrassed to follow after this Jesus into the death the Father had prepared for Him. Peter chose to deny Jesus, explaining away his Galilean accent, explaining away his presence with Jesus, and even swearing against heaven and against himself that he did not know Jesus. Peter chose to do this. An impetuous man, an impatient man, a troubled man, denied his Lord. Go figure.
And when the rooster crowed, Peter wept bitterly. He wept for a long time. Peter knew what he had done. Peter had fulfilled the Lord’s words. And if the Lord’s words were fulfilled against Peter, Peter also knew that the Lord’s words of His own death would be fulfilled. Jesus was soon to die, and now Peter had a hand in it.
This denial thing, it’s pretty common. It’s not just Peter, it’s also been you. Now, perhaps you didn’t have the weight of Jesus’ death on your shoulders at that very moment, as Peter did, but you’re still guilty, too, it seems. For you have denied Jesus in many ways, by your words, by your thoughts, by your actions. You’ve denied Jesus by not serving your neighbor, you’ve denied Him by not caring about His Word and Sacrament, you’ve denied Him by not caring about His Law, or His Gospel. It’s something that is a daily denial. And you should stop it.
But, you can’t, can you? It’s hard to get out of that sin, if not impossible. But, even though you are just as guilty as Peter here, even though, just as Peter’s denial was leading to the cross, so, too, does your denial of Christ even lead to His death, for He has taken that sin upon Him, even though you are guilty, Jesus knows this. And He has a plan.
For Peter, Jesus came back to him after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and it went like this:
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, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the 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 he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” …And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Just as Peter denied Christ three times, so did Christ restore him three times. For each time, for each “I don’t know Him,” Peter was asked by Jesus if he loved Him. For each sin, the Lord restores Peter. For each sin, He covers it with His love and His blood. For each sin, the Lord has atoned. And He has done this also for you. For each time you sin, there is forgiveness waiting for you. For each time you sin, you may remember that you are baptized. For each time you sin, you may receive the Lord’s body and blood.
The Lord has restored you, just as He did Peter. So, Peter’s verdict in the death of Christ? Guilty, but the sentence was given to Jesus. Jesus has restored Peter, and He has restored you. Though you have guilt, Jesus has asked for that guilt to placed upon Himself on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. Are you guilty like Peter? You bet. Are you just as restored and forgiven? You bet. Peter, definitely a person of interest because Jesus died and rose to forgive him, just as He died and rose to forgive you. Peter’s sentence: given to Jesus. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord! Amen.
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