WHEN PETER THOUGHT ABOUT IT, HE WEPT
Sermon Text, St. Mark 14:66-72. Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.
Lord, this is Your Word and these are Your words. Sanctify us by the truth. Your Word is truth. We pray You: Let us learn from these words about Peter’s denial, so that when we too are not strong enough to overcome temptations, we may weep over our sins truly repenting, but also not forget Your words that promise our forgiveness for the sake of Jesus’ Passion and death. Amen!
Dear people loved by God in Christ, who never turns His face away from us even when we deny Him: Grace, mercy, and peace be with you. Amen.
This is Peter’s denial in Mark. Since we know the eyewitness details of Mark came from Peter, this is a “you-are-there” reporting of Peter’s denial.
The other gospels only have one crowing of the rooster. It’s in Mark that Jesus says, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” The rooster crows after Peter’s first denial – “he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed” – and at the end a second rooster crows. The other gospels show that Peter denies three times before the rooster crows. But like every troubled sinner, Peter is hyper-aware of each little part of his sin.
When the rooster crows the first time, after one denial, it’s supposed to be a reminder: “Don’t you see what you’re doing, Peter? Wake up!” But he doesn’t even hear it. This is one thing Peter wants to say about his denial: God gave him a rooster crowing, he should have noticed and he didn’t.
This is the first thing we learn from Peter’s denials: God gives us lots of “rooster-crowings” – many warnings from God’s Law, many blessings to show us how good and merciful He is, and He even lays sufferings upon us so we will pray to Him for help. God gives us all these “rooster-crowings” as if to say, “Don’t you see what you’re doing? Wake up!”
Another thing is that in Mark it seems like hardly any time goes by, even though that isn’t true. Luke points out that between the second and third denials, a whole hour goes by. But the most Mark says is “a little later.”
This shows how even if time passes between temptations, in our minds there isn’t a moment of peace and quiet. Just like the servant girl, all she says to Peter is, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth” – and yet there is a lot more shouting in Peter’s mind, producing fear and threat – so also in our case: It’s just one temptation but inside you’re hearing all kinds of thoughts that make you afraid or feel under threat. It could be the fear of rejection, the disapproval of others, or even the fear of failure.
The thoughts come back again and again, you can’t sort them out, or see straight or think straight, just like Peter was startled to hear: “Surely you are one of them.” Then he began “to curse and swear, ‘I do not know this Man,’” which means: “Let me be condemned if I would say I know Him.”
The second thing we learn from Peter is how temptations are so constant.
Then we hear this: “Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’ And when he thought about it, he wept.” We naturally think he’s dwelling on his most recent unthinkable sins.
But he’s also dwelling on something else: It says he “called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him,” when Jesus foretold his denial. Then it says, “And when he thought about it, he wept.” When he thought about what? Not just his sin, but it was the word Jesus spoke to him.
We tend to think of Peter as a man of action who acts before he thinks. But here we’re told specifically what he “called to mind,” that it was “the word that Jesus had said,” that he wept after “he thought about it.”
Peter (via Mark) is telling us to think about it. To think about what? Not just the sins that we’ve done. But especially “the word that Jesus has said.”
This is the word that Jesus speaks to sinners. It’s the word of grace, the Gospel. In a narrow sense, the word Peter remembered from Jesus was about his denials. But that wasn’t all. In the same breath, Jesus also said these words: “All of you will be made to stumble,” Peter too, but “after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” This is the Gospel.
Peter was plunged into the depths of hell by what was in his thoughts, as he was tempted and did the unthinkable. But he was saved as the Holy Spirit led him to think about what Jesus had spoken to him. So are you. Peter’s tears of sorrow for denying Jesus will turn into tears of joy to know that Jesus died for these sins and rose again. Jesus’ resurrection proves that these very sins – Peter’s andyours – are forgiven.
How do you know they are? From the words Jesus has said to you.
Jesus said to the paralyzed man: “Be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” But when you hear or read this, now He has said it to you. Jesus said to the woman guilty of adultery: “I do not condemn you; go and sin no more.” But when you hear or read this, now He has said it to you.
When we hear in His Passion that there was no fault in Him and yet He was led to be crucified, that He went to the cross and died for us who love to wander, that He paid the debt we owe Him, that He drank the cup of God’s anger over sin Himself, down to the last drop, and finally said: “It is finished!” – this wasn’t only being said and done at that time, but when you hear or read these things, Jesus is saying to you: “I did this for you!”
When – like Peter – you’re sad, troubled over your own unthinkable sins, or you feel ashamed or unworthy – this is especially why God has given you the Bible, His words of love for sinners, written not only in ink but in Jesus’ blood. He wants you to think about it – not just your sin, but what He, your Jesus, has said to you (and is saying now) that He died for you. As the Holy Spirit leads you to think on these words, He saves you. Amen!