The Roman Trials

Transcript

GR 408
7/5/1981
The Roman Trials
JOHN 18:15-18, 25-27
Gil Rugh

John chapter 18 in your Bibles. John's gospel and the 18th chapter. In chapter 18 we're in the midst of the trials of Jesus Christ, the formal and informal trials that took place leading to His crucifixion. In our last study together we looked at the three Jewish trials that Christ experience. First before Annas, father-in-law of the official high priest, Caiaphas. We noted something of this man's power and influence, having been high priest himself but deposed by the Romans. He was succeeded by five of his sons, one son-in-law and one grandson. So he maintained a position of power and influence for a number of years in Israel.

Christ first appeared before Annas, then He was taken to Caiaphas who was the official high priest, and then He was presented before the Sanhedrin, the official governing body of Israel over which the high priest ruled. And it would be this body that would render the official verdict that would enable them to come to the Romans and seek their permission, their authority to carry out capital punishment. Now in the midst of this, there is an interesting occasion that most of us are familiar with and that is Simon Peter's denial. This occurs during the Jewish trials of Christ, when Peter 3 times denies His Lord. Each of the gospel writers records it, each adds a little bit different perspective on it. But basically the information is the same. Peter three times denies that he knows Jesus Christ or that he is a follower of Jesus Christ And in many ways, this is a shocking presentation. It would be shocking enough for any of the disciples, but this is Peter, the one who has been so open and forceful in proclaiming his allegiance and faithfulness to Jesus Christ. Peter the one who was willing to do battle in the garden to prevent the arrest, now will be the one who will deny Jesus Christ three times.

Back up to the Book of Luke for our background. Luke's gospel. You get something of a picture of what is happening. I want to spend a little bit of time in the background in what is going on behind the scenes that will enable us to understand a little more clearly what is really going on in the conflict in which Peter is engaged. The conflict in which you and I also are engaged as God’s children.

Luke chapter 22 and in verse 31. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.” Now here Christ gives insight into the background for the occasion with Peter, and here Christ addresses him as Simon, which may be significant. Christ renamed him Peter which means "A Rock.” The occasion is coming when Peter is not going to manifest that rock-like character, that stability, that firmness. "Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat." And it’s interesting the way it's put here. That Satan has submitted a demand or a request of God. This is a rather forceful statement here. He has obtained by asking. And it’s a picture here of how things function in the spirit world, that Satan has sought and obtained permission from God to sift Peter like wheat. And the picture here is of the tremendous beating, in effect, that there will be. Just like the wheat as it is shaken in the sieve, so Peter is going to go through a trying circumstance and occasion. Now Satan has come and obtained the permission from God. That’s consistent with what the Scripture indicates in other places, and that is that we as God’s children are totally under God’s control, under God’s protection, under God’s authority. And even Satan himself is limited and restricted in what he can do in attacking and battling the Christian. The Book of Job is obviously the most clear example, and turn to Job chapter 1.

It take it with Peter we have the same kind of happening as we do with Job in the opening chapters of this book. Job chapter 1, verse 6. "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan also came among them." The angels of God come and present themselves in His presence and Satan also comes. Satan has lost his official position in heaven, his position as the anointed cherub which covered the Throne of God. But he has not lost his access into the presence of God, even down to today. So Satan comes, "And the Lord said to Satan, 'From where do you come?' Then Satan answered the Lord and said, 'From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.' The Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.' Then Satan answered the Lord, 'Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.' Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Behold all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.' So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord." The fact that there was a hedge constructed around Job, and Satan was aware that he was powerless to touch Job, to touch Job's possessions, to touch Job's family. He had no power, no ability. He was closed that he may not be consciously aware of. That the battle is larger than he out. But now he seeks permission to attack Job in special ways, and God grants him permission. Verse 12, "Behold, all that he has is in your hands, only don't put your hand on him." You note. God says, 'Alright, I give you permission to attack him this far but no further.'

Over to chapter 2, verse 1. "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?'" Same answer. Verse 3, "And the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause."' Interesting here. You see that Job is involved in a conflict sees on the human level. This is a spiritual conflict between God and Satan. And Job is involved in that conflict. He has suffered great hardship, great loss. Now, verse 4. ’’Satan answered the Lord and said, 'Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand, now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.’ The Lord said to Satan, 'Behold, he is in your power only spare his life."' Satan says, 'If You'd allow me to press the battle further, you'd see that Job is not as faithful as You think. He could endure the loss of possessions. He could endure the loss of his children, but You put Your hand on his body and that will be more than he can bear.' God says to Satan, 'You can touch his body, but you cannot take his life.1 Again, you see how God draws the line? I take it this is what is talked about in the New Testament where we're told that God is faithful, who will not allow us to be tested or tempted above which we are able to bear, but with every temptation also provides the way of escape. God has limited here, and Job is called to bear tremendous suffering, tremendous heartbreak, and yet God has drawn the line. That is an encouragement here. We recognize Satan at work. And I take it with Peter Christ is saying the same thing. Satan has obtained permission to sift you like wheat, to attack you in special ways that will be especially difficult for you to bear and handle.

But note, God is still in control, and any time a child of God succumbs, as Peter will, it is not because it was necessary to succumb because God draws the line and does not allow us to be tested and tempted more than we can bear.
In effect, we are preserved and protected and kept.

This picture of Satan is also brought out over in Zechariah. A little less familiar picture. Zechariah chapter 3, verse 1. "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him." Here you see Satan in the presence of God now, and he is there for the purpose of accusing Joshua the high priest. He was carrying on that ministry of attacking, slandering the saints of God in the presence of God. Attacking the faith and faithfulness of the servants of God, a ministry that he carries on until today. Satan even today has access into the presence of God. He uses that access to attack you and I before God, to slander us in the presence of God. And he is given permission on occasion to attack us in certain ways. This will continue down to Revelation chapter 12.

Turn over to Revelation chapter 12 just to see the culmination of this aspect of Satan’s ministry. Revelation chapter 12. Now we’re carried to the Tribulation—Tribulation is that period of time seven years in length which follows the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture of the Church is when every true believer of Jesus Christ is bodily removed from the earth and taken into the presence of Christ. Following that event, there will be seven years of tribulation on the earth. In the middle of that seven-year period, Satan will be cast out of heaven. Verse 7 of Revelation 12, "And there was war in heaven Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, 'Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ has come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.’" Satan loses his access to God's presence at that time—that's yet a future occasion. A battle that will take place when heaven is closed to Satan and his angels, the demonic beings. But even today, Satan goes into the presence of God. You think, put your name in there when God says 'Have you considered My servant? He is faithful.' And Satan says, 'Ah,let me attack him in this way, and you'll find out he's not so faithful. He's not so true. He's not so blameless.' Now we come back to Peter in John chapter 18.

This is the kind of conflict that has taken place. But much larger than just Peter and a few individuals in Jerusalem. But part of the overall spiritual conflict going on in the spirit world between the forces of God and the forces of Satan, and now Satan has obtained permission to attack Peter and that's what's happening in John chapter 18. So a little bit of the setting here. Christ has been taken in to be tried before Annas, Caiaphas. It's not exactly easy to pinpoint precisely where the conversation goes on, but during this time of Christ being presented before Annas and Caiaphas, Peter is confronted three times over a period of hours regarding his association with Jesus Christ.

Now the presentation here is obviously negative. Peter folds. He fails.
We ought to keep in mind that Satan has obtained permission to attack at the strengths of the disciples. Peter is a courageous man. We see him here as a coward, but Peter is a courageous man. He was willing to put his life on the line in the garden against insurmountable odds. He is a man who is in love with Jesus Christ. We find him and one other disciple here assembling in the presence of Christ during the trial. Where are the other disciples? Everybody turned and ran at the garden, but Peter and another disciple have made their way back. I take it that's an indication of the great love that Peter had for Jesus Christ. He wasn't willing to just keep on running and hide. He loved Christ and he wanted to be there. So we ought to appreciate the character of Peter, the strength that he has, the commitment to Jesus Christ that he has. But, he also has some weaknesses. One of them is over-confidence. You remember back in John chapter 13, verse 37, Peter said to Christ, "Lord, why can I not follow you right now? I will lay down my life for you." And then Christ said, "You will laid down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a cock shall not crow until you deny Me three times." Peter had over-confidence, a confidence in the flesh. One of the things that's scary, when you meet a Christian who is over-confident. 'Oh, I would never do that. Oh, I would never get involved in such a thing.' That person fails to recognize how subtle and how deceitful the flesh really is. So Peter was over-confident in his own abilities, in his own faithfulness. He also had been weary when he should have been praying. You remember when we looked at him in the garden in the Gospel of Mark chapter 14? When Christ took them into Gethsemane and He encouraged them to be in prayer while He went to pray to the Father. And He came back, in Mark 14:37, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep?" I think it's interesting that He singles Peter out here because Peter is the one, even above the others, who is about to have to bear the special brunt of Satanic attack. "Simon, are you asleep. Could you not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Peter had no conception of the tremendous spiritual conflict that he was about to be caught up in. All he knew was that he was tired and he wanted to get some sleep. Christ leaves, and He comes and finds them asleep again. Again we see that Satan has received permission to attack Peter, and one of the things that he does in preparation for the assault is to lull Peter into a state of unpreparedness, to be sleeping when he should be praying. Now obviously, we have to sleep. And you get run down physically you are ripe for an assault by Satan. But we need to be careful that our physical does not control us to the extent that our spiritual suffers. And here was an occasion when Peter should have done what Paul exhorted, "I beat my body black and blue and bring it into subjection" because the need now was to pray. But you see, Satan has already launched his assault by trying to weaken Peter ahead of time so that he is unprepared for the full frontal attack.

Back to John chapter 18. We see the tactics now that Satan uses. First, he weakens Peter. Same way he’ll work with us. For the major assault, what does he do? He keeps you from getting into the Word on a regular basis. He keeps you from being in prayer like you should. Then all of a sudden, the attack is there and you're caught off guard. Peter had learned a lesson—he said in 1 Peter chapter 5 when he wrote his letter, to keep on your guard, to watch out because Satan goes about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

John chapter 18, verse 15. "And Simon Peter was following Jesus, and so was another disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest." It was the courtyard of the high priest's home and the door would be closed. We're not told who this disciple is—if it's not the Apostle John, we just don't have any idea who it is. It's consistent with John in this gospel not to identify himself by name. The question comes, How did a Galilean fisherman become known to the high priest? And we don't know. It could have been because of the prominence of his family, it may be that through his mother he is related to the priestly family—some connection there that may be indicated in Scripture. But we don't know for sure. But if it is anybody that we could pinpoint, it would probably be John, consistent with his not naming himself here. He is admitted into the court. Peter was outside the door. So the other disciple who was known to the high priest "went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought in Peter." Evidently Peter and this other disciple came together, and in the confusion that is going on, John is given access, assuming it's John. Because he is known. When he gets in, he realizes Peter has been closed out. So he goes and speaks to the doorkeeper and Peter is admitted.

Now verse 17, "The slave girl who kept the door said to Peter, 'You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?' He said, 'I am not.'" It always amazes me every time I read this account that Peter, that man who was ready to stand against the Roman army with just one sword in the garden is now intimidated by a little slave girl, to whom he does not even owe a response if he doesn't want. A man, who a short time before, was ready to take on hundreds of Roman soldiers with one sword. And now a little slave girl who is responsible to open the door asks him a question and Peter is set back on his heels. But you note how subtle the devil is. I really believe that it would have been easier for Peter if the Roman soldiers had come right now and taken him and shook him up, and he would have seen how clearly the line was drawn. But no,Satan didn't choose to use a Roman soldier. He knew that Peter was a man of courage. He chose to use a little slave girl because Peter isn't expecting this. He's not looking to do spiritual conflict and warfare with a slave girl. Secondly, note what he does here, Satan, as he puts the words in this girl's mouth. The way she words it, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" The way that is phrased and the English gets to it, the Greek clearly implies a negative answer. You see how easily Peter responds. The way Satan moves this girl to speak, she puts the answer in Peter's mouth. "You aren't one of His disciples are you?" That implies a negative answer. Easiest thing for Peter to do is just to fall in line with what she said and agree, 'You're right, I'm not.' And that's exactly what he does. "I am not." You see how subtle Satan has been? He is used as an instrument the least likely person, and then he has put the words in this person's mouth which are geared to lull and lure Peter along. Now he has made a decision—he has denied Christ. From that point on, it will be more difficult to change it.

"Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold..." John is the only one that tells us this was a charcoal fire. It would indicate that it would not be a fire giving off great light. You know how charcoal burns, it gives off the heat but not a great amount of light. It would explain why Peter is not easily recognized by face by someone.

"...it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself." Then John breaks in to tell more of the situation with Christ and Annas. Then down to verse 25. "Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself." Again, you see how he’s being drawn in. Don’t want to make more of this occasion than we need to, but it’s significant at least to me that Peter is standing with them warming himself. He’s put himself in a dangerous position. He has joined together here, not in heart, not in spirit, but with those who are the enemies of Jesus Christ, gathered around the fire to meet a physical need, warmth. But he is in a very dangerous position. He is standing with those who are the enemies of Christ, warming himself. And that gives them occasion to speak to him. "They said therefore to him, ’You are not also one of His disciples, are you?'" Now Peter has already denied it. It's hard to go back. Ever been in a situation where you have been lured along like that, and you've been drawn into stating something that was not a truth and the next step was taken and it was hard to go back because you had already committed yourself. And you feel yourself getting into deeper. This was happening to Peter. Again, "You’re not one of His disciples, are you?" "No, I am not." Now the denial has been more broad spread. Two times he has denied the Lord.

Now, verse 26. "One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the one whose ear Peter cut off said, 'Did I not see you in the garden with Him?'" Now it's getting a little more blunt. Malcus, who had his ear cut off in the garden, has a relative. He is a little more sure—"Didn't I see you in the garden with Christ?" Peter: "No, you did not."

"Peter therefore denied it again; and immediately a cock crowed." You can read the other gospel accounts and they will tell you that Peter's denial was very firm. He cursed, he took oaths in denying that he knew the Lord. Immediately the cock crows and Peter realizes what he has done. Isn't it interesting how insensitive we can become? We can get lured along and lured along and lured along, and all of a sudden something happens, and it's just like our eyes are opened. We realize, What have I been doing? This is what happens to Peter. John breaks it off but the other gospel writers tell us that he went out and wept bitterly. He realized the awful thing that had happened.

Go back to Luke 22. You get something of how striking the occasion is. Verse 60, "But Peter said (when he is asked the third time), 'Man, I do not know what you are talking about.'" Denying again that he knows the Lord. "Immediately, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, 'Before a cock crows today, you will deny Me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly." He was overwhelmed with remorse. That he should deny the Lord, the One he proclaimed he would die for. He has denied three times, and the Lord looks at him, the cock crows and Peter remembers, and goes out and weeps bitterly.

Let me say something here. One of the indications of the true character of a child of God is how he responds after he has fallen. You don't find Peter here looking for an excuse or for a reason, but there is the awareness, there is the acknowledgement by his action in effect that he has been wrong, that he has been unfaithful. He goes out and weeps bitterly. That is an indication of the true character of a person who professes to be a child of God How he responds to his failures. We find Peter manifesting the true character that is his as a child of God.

Now when we were in Luke 22 before, we read only one verse. Back up to Luke 22:31. "Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." Now that’s an encouraging note. "I have prayed for you in order that your faith may not fail." Now note, Peter does collapse under the trial. His faith does falter, but because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ Peter cannot collapse totally. He goes out and weeps bitterly. There is remorse and sorrow over his unfaithfulness. We as believers need to have a balanced perspective of the forgiveness of Christ, but also be careful of becoming hard hearted and an acceptance of our sin. Well, it’s forgiven, it doesn’t matter. I think there is the balance. "I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.” John chapter 17 is an example of that faith, for their preservation. In Romans chapter 8:34 we’re told that Christ is at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25 tells us the same thing. First John chapter 2 that if any of us as believer’s sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the satisfaction for our sins, not for ours only but for the whole world. Our sin is dealt with by Jesus Christ, and His faithfulness guarantees our preservation and our security.
Even as serious as the sin of Peter is in denying Jesus Christ three times.
His faith does not fail, he does not cease to be God’s child, and he does not turn permanently from Jesus Christ.

In Luke 22:32 Christ says "When you have turned again, strength your brethren.” You know what's encouraging to me in this situation? Even failure of great magnitude does not mean a Christian service for Jesus Christ is over. Many of us would have written Peter off and said he's done, he's on the shelf. His usefulness is done. To deny the Lord in three times in such a strategic situation. But God is not done with Peter. Even before this sin, Christ exhorts him that when 'you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.' He talks to him about the ministry that he is to have. Some Christians sin—every Christian sins—but some Christians sin and are so overwhelmed with the remorse for their sin that it wipes them out for the rest of their life. They are of no use and service to God because they are going around carrying a load of remorse. I need to be careful. I cannot enter in to sin with the attitude it won't matter because God will forgive it and I will go on. But when I have indulged in sin, there is nothing else to do but to recognize it as sin for what it was and turn from it back to a path of faithfulness. And to go about again in my service for Him, and however He wants to use me.

"Strengthen your brethren." We need to remember that too as Christians when we see other Christians fall. Sometimes there is a bitterness. We don’t want them to be used again. There is a vindictiveness about it. I wonder if I had been there what my attitude would be toward Peter? He doesn’t deserve to provide leadership among the apostles. He doesn’t deserve to preach in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost. He doesn’t deserve to be privileged to carry the gospel to Cornelius’ house. He denied the Lord on that unique occasion. No, that’s not the way God deals with His children. He forgave him, He strengthened and established him so that he might strengthen and establish others as well.

This word ’strengthen.’ Look over in 1 Thessalonians chapter 3. You get a glimpse of how God uses us. The word is used on a number of occasions in the New Testament of strengthening Christians in their faith in the midst of temptation and persecution. And in effect, this that you go through, Peter, should enable you to minister to other believers in strengthening them in the midst of persecution and temptation. And in 1 Thess. chapter 3, verse 1, "Therefore, when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone; and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow-worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith." Note. Timothy was sent to strengthen them, even as Christ told Peter to strengthen fellow Christians. Now look down to verse 11. "Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all men, just as we also do for you; so that He may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints." "That He may establish your hearts..." Strengthen your hearts. You note, in verse 2 Timothy is to do it. In verse 13, it’s God who does it. So I take it what happens is that God uses us as believers to strengthen and establish other believers in their faith in the midst of persecution and temptation. Every believer stands on his own. Peter stands alone here. No one is blamed for Peter’s fall except Peter. But you know, we do have a ministry to strengthen one another. When I see a Christian fall or succumb to temptation, cave in under persecution, I need to ask myself ’Are there things I could have been doing or should now be doing to strengthen and establish that believer in the faith? It’s easy to sit back and talk about how terrible that fall was, how awful the sin was. But I need to look and say ’What ministry of strengthening them does God have for me that they might be restored to effective usefulness for Him?’ And that ministry carried on a regular basis will be a preserving factor to keep us from succumbing to temptation and persecution.

So Peter, unique occasion, special occasion, could never be repeated. Not be given opportunity to stand for the Lord in the same way as he is on that night as Christ is tried. And we see something of the forces of Satan at work. Anytime you feel yourself under the pressure of temptation, in the midst of conflict, you need to remind yourself that there is a larger battle going on. This is not just you in a situation, but this is God and Satan. And as God’s child, you are privileged to have God’s power. I can remind myself that no matter how hot the battle, God is in control and will not allow me to be tempted and tested beyond which I am able to bear it. He provides the strength and enablement to stand. I also need to remember that when I do fall, He is gracious and loving to forgive and to use me. I need not be overwhelmed with my own unworthiness in a wrong sense. I may be reminded of my unworthiness, but I can still go on for an effective ministry.

Where are you this morning as a child of God? Are you being set up by Satan for a conflict you won't be ready for? What is your prayer life like? How much are you in the Word? That will tell you how Satan is working to set you up for conflict. Perhaps you're in the midst of temptation and battle now. Do you see it in light of the larger picture? That an Almighty God wants to use you as a demonstration of faithfulness to Him? Perhaps you have succumbed, been defeated, failed miserably. Do you take courage in the fact you have been forgiven because of the finished work of Jesus Christ? All that God demands is that you turn from that sin, submit yourself to Him that He might accomplish His purposes in your life. What a privileged position we have as God's children. To be in the midst of a conflict in which He is working His purposes in our lives for His glory.

If you're here and you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, you too are in the conflict, but you are in the conflict as a pawn and a tool of Satan. You're thinking you're your own person, but really deceived by Satan to be used by him for his purposes. The glory of it all is that the Son of God has died to pay the penalty for your sins so that you might believe in Him, be forgiven your sins, be transferred from being a child of the devil to being a child of God. Let's pray together.

Father, how we praise You today for the greatness of Your love for us. For the victory that is ours in Jesus Christ, for the privilege of believing in Him. Lord, I pray that You will keep us as Your children sensitive and alert. Lord, that we might be a people of prayer, a people of Your Word, that we might be nourished and strengthened, Father, as the enemy of our souls attacks, engages us in battle we might be prepared to draw upon Your strength and Your enablement to stand against the schemes of the devil. Lord, I pray for those even in this congregation this morning who may be going through particular temptation and battle, Lord, that they may draw upon Your power.

For those here, perhaps Father, who have suffered great defeat. May they take heart and courage in Your grace and forgiveness, to recognize that You still plan to use them and work in their lives to magnify Yourself. We praise You for it all, in Jesus' name