Sunday Devotional
God’s Sovereignty (As Seen in Peter’s Denial)
Pastor Wes
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God is sovereign. In other words, God sees all and is in complete control of everything. Nothing happens without His knowledge. He is able to intervene and do anything at any moment in time. If Jesus is God revealed in flesh to mankind, then we could say Jesus is sovereign. God/Jesus’ sovereignty is something often in life we have to remind ourselves of, especially during times when the world is in a frenzy over viruses, political circumstances, protests, racial divisions, heightened offendedness. (I think I just made up a new word) Right now we’re going look at a gospel narrative that will help remind us of God’s sovereignty, and that will also encourage us by displaying God’s extreme love for us.
All 4 of the gospel books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) record Jesus predicting Peter’s denial before the rooster crowing, and all 4 books record how that prediction came true. I’m going to read the narrative to you, but instead of picking a gospel book to read from, I’m going to read the account as it is put together by a chronological bible, that attempts to put the various pieces of the narrative together in one seamless account. Splicing together what John and Luke record, we have the following:
Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “where I am going you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” (John 13:36-37 NIV) “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-32 NIV)
Ok, so concerning Jesus’ sovereignty, here’s what we can determine: 1.) Jesus told Peter He wouldn’t die that night (cannot follow now), but later would die in the same way Jesus was about to die (follow later). Jesus knew when Peter’s life on earth would end, and how it would end. Fulfilling that prophecy, we have other historical books outside of the Bible that confirm Peter later died by crucifixion at the hand of Rome. 2.) Jesus knew exactly what was taking place in the spiritual realm (Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.) 3.) Jesus knew the journey of Peter’s future faith, and perhaps even changed its negative trajectory by intervening for Him in prayer (I have prayed for you… that your faith may not fail) and by giving Him a personal command (when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers). 4.) Jesus knew the exact moment Peter would deny knowing Jesus, and the exact moment the rooster would crow. If you haven’t been around chickens much, you might think a rooster crows when the sun comes up, but from experience- I tell you it is much less predictable than that. Usually a rooster crows several times in the middle of the night, sometimes in the middle of the day, when he wakes up, when it’s time to go to sleep, when someone comes near him. Actually, now that I think about it, Jesus’ prediction is even more mind blowing when we think about Him knowing when the rooster was actually going to be silent before crowing again!
You might say, well, maybe Jesus knew all this information just about Peter, because Peter had a special, ordained part God wanted him to play. I don’t think so- it wasn’t just Peter’s future that Jesus saw. It appears that this passage was one conversation, that took place in the upper room, and then after other conversations (that we’ll look at in future messages), they left and walked to the Mount of Olives. There it looks like another conversation took place, as recorded by Matthew and Mark, I’ll read it to you now.
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written; ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. (Matthew 26:30-35, Mark 14:26-31 NIV)
In this passage, Jesus conveys that He knew the future actions of all the rest of the disciples as well. They all would desert Him and temporarily fall away. Peter just got an extra dose of prophecy because He spoke up and challenged Jesus’ word. If John had spoken up and done the same, Jesus might have done the same with him. “John, you’ll follow me closely, and be let into the court with me- but you won’t challenge the authorities on my behalf, and you’ll help get Peter in too, and later you will be exiled on the island of Patmos for your testimony about me.” “Thomas- because of your fear, you won’t be around when I appear to the other disciples, and when they tell you I’m alive you won’t believe until you see with you own eyes and feel with your own fingers the nail marks.” He could have done that for any of the disciples.
What is amazing to me is that even after the disciples were warned that they would scatter, and even after Peter was warned that he would deny, even after armed with the knowledge of what not to do, the disciples all still scattered, and Peter still denied.. Let me read this passage from my chronological bible:
“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. Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.” He denied it again, with an oath; “I don’t know the man!” A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. (Matt 26:57-58, Mark 14:66-67a, Luke 22:55-58, John 18:25)
After a little while [about an hour later], those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.” Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” 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 olive grove?” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” (Matt. 26:73-74a, Mark 14:70b-71, Luke 22:59-60a, John 18:26-27) Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. (Matt 26:74b-75, Mark 14:72, Luke 22:60b-62)
Jesus knew beforehand that all this would happen, and yet still humbly, kindly, and lovingly He washed Peter and the rest of the disciples’ feet, and encouraged them to follow Him so that they might be with Him in His coming kingdom. Most of us, if we knew all the darkness of people’s hearts and actions, we’d probably cut off all human relationships and each become hermits. At our best, we attempt to see good in people, at least assume it’s there, and then we wait for failures in people to change our minds, viewpoints, and actions towards them. Jesus (God), however, sees every single bit of darkness and “messed-up-ness” within every single one of us, and yet choses to pursue a relationship with us and invite us to spend eternity with Him in His kingdom. This is an incredible attribute of God, one that surpasses all human understanding!
Jesus knew not only the disciples’ failures, but He knew what would come after the failures. He foreknew their understanding and knowledge increasing, their trust and faith multiplying, their boldness and courage growing. Every moment, every step, was foreseen by Jesus- and the same applies to you and me. Although He sees all our mistakes and future mistakes, He sees also the growth and progress we are making and will make- and He’s loving us and cheering us on every step of the way.
Earlier I pointed out that Jesus knew how and when Peter would die. That He knew what was taking place in the spiritual realm. That He knew the details of Peter’s future journey and even intervened to make sure that future journey was a better one. That He foreknew exact moments that would occur, moments that would be impossible to time and predict by anyone else. I believe this same level of Jesus’ foreknowledge extends even to you. He knows how and when you will pass from this earth. He knows the things taking place in and around your life behind the scenes in the spiritual world. He sees the journey you have been on, and the journey you have yet to experience- and if you are His child- He is even intervening on your behalf. He foreknows the timing of all events in your life, and in your city, your state, your nation, your world. Trust Him and know that He loves you!