The reading
John 18:12-27
12 So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police
arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they took him to Annas, who was the
father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one
who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the
people. 15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple
was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high
priest, 16 but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple,
who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the
gate, and brought Peter in. 17 The woman said to Peter, "You are not also
one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." 18
Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and
they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing
with them and warming himself. 19 Then the high priest questioned Jesus about
his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus answered, "I have spoken
openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple,
where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you
ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said."
22 When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the
face, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" 23 Jesus
answered, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have
spoken rightly, why do you strike me?" 24 Then Annas sent him bound to
Caiaphas the high priest. 25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself.
They asked him, "You are not also one of his disciples, are you?" He
denied it and said, "I am not." 26 One of the slaves 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?" 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that
moment the cock crowed.
The message
Today’s reading is one of the clearest examples that Jesus
changes everything, that because Christ died and rose again for the forgiveness
of sins, things are different. We see
that in how Peter responds to the first significant challenge to his faith and
how he will respond later, after Good Friday when Jesus dies, after Easter when
Jesus rises again, after Pentecost when the promised Holy Spirit fully enters
the world, after the church exists to teach, encourage and strengthen faith.
Peter’s three denials start when Jesus changes his tone. Right
after Jesus washes his disciples feet in the beginning of John 13, Jesus
reveals that one of those disciples, his hand- picked, earliest, closest and most faithful
followers, will betray him. After that,
we are told that Satan enters Judas, who gets up and heads out to sell Jesus
identity and location to the religious authorities. The disciples somehow miss the fact that
Jesus said, whoever eats this bread I just dipped will betray me and Judas both
eats the bread and leaves. Now, with
Judas gone, Jesus tells the disciples a hard truth “Where I am going, you
cannot come”. That’s a change, a first
really. Before this, Jesus had consistently told them follow, promised I will
bring you, I will take you, I will make you fishers of people, come and see.
For this one moment the people who have given everything to
follow Jesus have reached the end of their time with him. They cannot follow anymore. Jesus knows he is
off to death, that he will be executed, spend 3 days in hell and rise again,
fulfilling God’s ultimate renewal of creation.
Even Jesus himself struggles with this, the Gospels report long,
intense, tear filled prayers from Jesus,
in particular John has several chapters of Jesus’ pleas to “take this cup
from me” and acceptance that God’s will be done”. The disciples cannot follow. Even if they
could, their deaths would not being salvation.
Along with the news, you cannot follow now, Jesus tells them
what to do instead, he shares a new commandment.’ that you love one another. Just as I have
loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that
you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. They used to be
identified by being around Jesus, by being witnesses and participants in God’s
healing, restoring and welcoming power.
Now they will be identified by love. Their faith will be lived out in
the world, in daily life.
Simon Peter, curious and dedicated, asks Jesus “Lord, where
are you going?” Jesus answers, the same as before “Where I am going, you cannot
follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” Peter, realizing that Jesus will lose his life
(but not clear that he rise again) says to
him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”. Now
the stage is set for Peter boldly walking with Jesus, telling the authorities,
what you do to him , do to me, whatever happens, I will confess that you are my
Lord and God. Peter really believes he
will do it. To this generous,
compassionate and faith filled offer, Jesus answers, “Will you lay down your life
for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me
three times. We never get Peter’s
response, Jesus goes immediately into the words I have turned to for almost
every funeral I have helped with over the past 9 years, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe
in God, believe also in me. In my
Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have
told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am,
there you may be also”. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
Now of course, Thomas and Phillip jump in with their
questions. Thomas asks “Lord, we do not
know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me. If you know me, you will know my
Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Then Philip jumps
in seeking some clarification “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be
satisfied.” (I guess he wants something like a photograph or painting or
vision) Jesus said to him, “Have I been
with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen
me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’. God is
revealed through love.
Even Jesus disciples seem to be in some darkness of
misunderstanding, like Nicodemus and the woman at the well and everyone else
Jesus encounters. To the great
proclamation, mystery and joy of the Word made flesh and dwells amongst us”,
they say he must mean something else. To
Jesus frank and honest talk about his death and resurrection, they keep saying
“eh can’t be, he must be talking about something else”. To Jesus promise he will save all people from
sin and death, they say, as though Jesus cannot do this by himself, “we’ll work
on it with you”.
Now, this morning, several chapters later, we see Peter’s answer
to Jesus question, “will you lay down your life for me”. The opportunity
presents itself, as Peter is questioned in the courtyard. . The woman asks, you are not one of his
disciples are you? And Peter says “no”. Moments
later, Peter is standing out, new to their community, odd on this of all nights
for a random person to show up, a group asks Peter the same question, You are
not one of his disciples are you? I get
the feeling this is after a conversation, is that the guy we say with Jesus,
no, maybe im not sure, it really looks like him, I saw them on a boat together,
well boats are far out in the water, you couldn’t tell, dude, im sure its him,
yeah you were also sure you saw a guy floating in the moon, let’s just ask, if
he’s a disciples, im sure he will tell the truth. Again Peter says no. Finally the third question comes, this time a
direct witness, someone who saw Peter with Jesus in the garden, a relative of
the man whose Peter cut the ear off.
Peter, confronted with the truth, deines Jesus the third time, saying it
was not me, You must not be sure what you were seeing, it was dark, chaotic,
frightening, fast, your relative got hurt.
If Peter said yes at any of these times, he would have certainly had the
opportunity to lay down his life for Jesus.
Right after this, a rooster crows, a completely meaningless sound to
everyone but Peter.
After Jesus resurrection, Peter will be asked three times,
do you love me, and answer yes, undoing the denials we just heard. about 20 years after that, Peter will follow
Jesus, he will lay down his life for him. According to the earliest church
traditions, Peter was crucified upside down, as he insisted he did not deserve
to die in the same way as Jesus (and we’re left to believe his executioners
didn’t care one way or the other). Most of Jesus disciples will end up being
martyred, killed for their faith.
Jesus has shown us the way. We are an Easter people, things are
different. We are not just sharing
theories or ideas, of self helpy life philosophies for successful living or
some strong reason to be nice, we are not just community do gooders or semi
social workers, we are not a relief organization, those things are all sort of
who we are, but those things do not lead us to say “yes I am one of his
disciples”, to act and confess and witness in the face of danger, attack or
embrassment. When we try to be church
without Jesus, we end up saying No way too often.
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