This year, as we journey through the season of Lent, we are focusing on several passages of scripture that describe events that occurred during Jesus' last days on earth. Last week, we recalled Jesus washing his friend’s feet in the middle of the last supper – Jesus wanted his friends to take care of each other and to serve each other…Jesus wants us to care for each other and to remember acting kindly or charitably is never “beneath us.”
This morning, we are focusing on two events that occurred a few hours after the foot washing. After the last supper, Jesus and a few of his disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. While they were there, Judas came to the garden with a detachment of soldiers and some of the Chief Priests. The group approached Jesus to arrest him. In the confusion, Simon Peter thought he could defend Jesus. He pulled out a sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the chief priest. Jesus told Simon Peter to put his weapon away. According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus reattached the ear. And, then Jesus was arrested. There is no explanation why Simon Peter wasn’t arrested for attacking the servant – the gospel of Matthew just says Jesus' disciples ran away as Jesus was arrested. In our reading from John, it says that Simon Peter and another disciple followed the group who arrested Jesus to Annas’ house.
We pick up the story in John, chapter 18, verses 12 through 27:
The Scripture John 18:12-27
Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard,
but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
“You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.
He replied, “I am not.”
It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”
When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.
“If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?”
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”
He denied it, saying, “I am not.”
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 garden?”
Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.
Here ends this reading of the word of God for the People of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Let us pray….
The Message Peter Denies Jesus
It is much easier to be brave when you are part of a group of like-minded people. Most of us are more comfortable being part of a group, the in-crowd, than we are to break from the norm. We don’t see very many people wearing Cowboys jerseys at Eagles games or Mets caps at Phillies games. It is easier to be open about your political views if you are in a group of people who agree with you. It is easier to eat vegetarian food at a vegetarian restaurant than at a barbeque joint. It is much easier to be brave when you are part of a group of like-minded people.
Today, our scripture reading focuses on the back-and-forth story of Jesus and Simon Peter. Jesus was arrested, dragged to Annas’ house, and was questioned. Annas was the former High Priest and was the father of the current High Priest. Simon Peter and another unnamed disciple followed the group of soldiers and officials who arrested Jesus. They waited in the courtyard of Annas’ house for news about Jesus.
Both Simon Peter and Jesus were questioned – questioned in different ways.
This was Jesus’ first interrogation after his arrest – each gospel account is slightly different – but Jesus was possibly interrogated by Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilate. He was questioned again and again. Annas was the former chief priest, but he still probably held power within the priestly community. He did not have the official role of high priest, but it has been suggested he was making an informal assessment of the “Jesus problem” so he could advise Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin – the 71 member Jewish Council that held the power to adjudicate legal and religious matters.
Since Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night, we can assume this interrogation was taking place during the night and in an unofficial capacity. The text suggests Annas was fishing for valuable information that could be taken to the Roman governor, to Pilate.
But, Jesus, standing alone without an attorney or a friendly Sanhedrin member to represent him, refused to play Annas’ game. He didn’t give away any incriminating information. He told the truth. And, he was so blunt that one guard was provoked to hit Jesus after he answered one of Annas’ questions.
Jesus didn’t cower in fear. Jesus didn’t make an incriminating confession. Jesus was unwavering.
Simon Peter, on the other hand, reacted in a very human way. Just a few hours earlier, at the last supper, Jesus said that Simon Peter was going to deny Jesus. When Jesus said this, Simon couldn’t believe it – he didn’t accept Jesus’ words. But, Jesus was correct – Simon Peter denied Jesus three times.
Simon Peter was recognized by other people outside of Annas’ house. A female servant questioned Simon Peter: “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” A group of people warming themselves around a fire asked him: “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” A relative of the man whose ear Simon Peter cut off “challenged him” and asked him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”
Every time Simon Peter was asked if he was a follower of Jesus, he lied and said he was not. A few hours earlier, Simon Peter was sitting at the table with Jesus and his friends. When Jesus told Simon Peter he would soon deny his connection to Jesus, Simon Peter couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe he would ever not feel brave and unafraid to proclaim his relationship with Jesus. But, things changed quickly. Simon Peter was no longer with a group of believers; he was alone outside of Annas’ house. And, all of the bluster and love and confidence he felt a few hours earlier had quickly cooled. Now, Simon Peter was alone and afraid. And, he was scared that he was next – that he would be arrested and tried and have his own life on the line.
What a human response! It is much easier to be brave when you are part of a group of like-minded people.
Fortunately, we know the rest of the story – Simon Peter eventually got over his fear. He became the “rock” upon which Jesus built his church. On Pentecost, Simon Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to boldly preach and proclaim the Good News. He became the leader of the Christian community of Jerusalem and eventually was martyred for his faith.
We all have chicken-out moments. We all have lived through situations we regret – moments when we should speak out about our faith and are afraid…moments when we should stand up for vulnerable people and don’t…moments when we should help people in need and fail.
But, God gives us more and more opportunities to get things right. We may make mistakes – but we are forgiven by the grace of God. Every day, we have opportunities to do what is right, to help our neighbors in need, to speak up about our faith, to take actions modeled on Jesus’ actions, and to do the right thing even when the other people do not. We shouldn’t get stuck focusing on what we “should” have done in the past. Instead, we must work to do what is right in the here and now. We are Jesus’ hands on earth. We are Jesus’ feet on earth. We are Jesus’ eyes on earth. We are Jesus’ ears on earth. We are given daily opportunities to serve God.
So, let’s do it. Let’s proclaim our faith in Jesus. Let us put our faith in action now. Amen.
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