#1442 Luke 22 Part 8 Cocky

 

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22: 54-62 ESV

Luke 22: 54-62

Led him to the high priest's house - The religious leaders were corrupt, very similar to the Popery of the Roman Catholic Church. They were using religion as a means to sell, Jesus interrupted this like Martin Luther later exposed such heresies as indulgences. This is a case where the corrupt will judge the innocent, but they are not looking for the truth, only to silence Him. It is a kangaroo court. 

A "kangaroo court" is "a military court that ignores recognized standards of law or justice, and often carries little or no official standing in the territory within which it resides. The term may also apply to a court held by a legitimate judicial authority who intentionally disregards the court's legal or ethical obligations. The defendants in such courts are often denied access to legal representation and in some cases, proper defense." (Wikipedia) The trials of Jesus fulfilled all the nefarious aspects of this definition!

S Lewis Johnson makes an excellent point - What is also ironic about this, is that He appears before the judges, both of the ecclesiastical court and of the civil court, and in the final analysis there is no judge, no high authority, in human life who does not receive the authority from the Lord God (Ro 13:1). And so he who gives authority to man now stands before the bar of the authority that he himself has given. I say the irony is excruciating, and we do not understand these sections of the gospels if we do not appreciate what we have here.

MacArthur summarizes the 6 trials of Jesus - From Gethsemane, He was taken to Annas, for what was to be an arraignment. Annas was to function like the grand jury, coming up with an indictment. (ED: Keep in mind of course that Satan was behind all of these events because now was "the hour and the power of darkness." Lk 22:53) From Annas, He was sent to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin for the main Jewish trial. They did what they wanted to do, and then from there, in the morning after daybreak – so that they could make it legal, it had to happen in the day – they had a very brief thing, may have lasted ten minutes, and they reaffirmed their condemnation of Jesus Christ. And then from there, He was sent to Pilate, and then Pilate sent Him to Herod, because Pilate knew He was innocent. Then Herod sent Him back to Pilate, and Pilate, under the pressure the Jews put on him that they would tell Caesar that he was an inadequate ruler, decided to condemn Jesus to death. (Sermon - The Illegal, Unjust Trials of Jesus, Part 1) - Precept Austin

Peter was following at a distance - Some had gone much further away, but Jesus had told Peter that he would be sifted, and in another gospel it appears that John was probably nearby as well. This is a serious testing, because in our minds we are too noble to buckle under such pressure, but we are fallen and wired to this place, so that the fear of pain, imprisonment, ostracization and ridicule is often enough to put us on wobbly legs and principles. 

V.56 Then a servant girl - She doesn't sound very intimidating, but I remember as a young man being at a Biker Bash that I shouldn't have been at, and one of the proctors from my college, a girl a couple years older than me, spilled her drink, and then looked over at me and said "hey, get me another one of these, you spilled my drink." I told her no because she spilled her own drink, but of course a crowd of bikers overheard and came to the young maidens rescue, so after sizing up the crowd I said, okay, went up towards the bar and then left without buying her a drink. So the girl is in not scaring Peter, but what she is saying, who is around, and what might happen. It's like a jackal, the leopard doesn't fear him, but his yipping little bark draws in the lion pride to steal the leopard's kill. 

Servant-girl (3814)(paidiske diminutive of pais = a girl, youth) refers to a young girl or maiden. In NT refers to a slave girl or female slave. This very word is used 6 times (see uses below) in the Septuagint translation of Genesis 16 to refer to Hagar.) - Precept Austin

V.57 But he denied it - Just like Christ told him he would, even against Peter's ideals and prior promises of undying devotion.

…33Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” 34“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “ this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.… Matthew 26: 33-35

V. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter - Jesus was out in the courtyard at this point, probably when he first started being beaten and struck. It's crazy when you pause and really look into this, you will find that in studying about God that He is omnipresent and omniscient. Jesus told Peter he would do this, and prior Peter had disobeyed his Teacher in not praying against such a course of action, this painful disgrace. Now think, Christian, me, how many times have I been in this same courtyard, making light of sin, acting other than how I have been called, denying my Lord? What a face to behold, what grief, how traitorous he must have felt, yet there is no one more compassionate to behold as well, and Jesus had prepared him for this moment, Jesus had prayed when Peter did not. 

THOUGHT - John MacArthur has a very interesting comment that I would agree with (especially it you combine it with boasting which reflects an element of pride saying "I can handle this temptation!"). MacArthur writes "I’m convinced that most of the problems and failures Christians face are directly related to prayerlessness. “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Perhaps Peter’s failure could have been averted if he had been obedient to the Lord and spent that time in the garden praying that the Lord would grant him grace to endure." (Theoretically that is correct but Jesus had prophesied denial would occur. Perhaps He would not have needed to make this prophecy had Peter prayed in the Garden instead of sleeping! O my am I convicted by this spiritual dynamic - prayerlessness predisposing to falling into temptation!) (Borrow - The Murder of Jesus : A Study of How Jesus Died - see page 127). - Precept Austin

…18I have surely heard Ephraim’s moaning: ‘You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God. 19 After I returned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh in grief. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ 20Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me, a delightful child? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore My heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the LORD.… Jeremiah 31: 18-20

V. 62 And he went out an wept bitterly - The sign of a penitent, broken, the raging, brawling fishermen brought to tears. This is a beautiful place, no gross boasting here.