Amelia Church of Christ - Christian Church in Amelia, OH near Cincinnati in Clermont County

Welcome to the fifth and final week of our teaching series called Rejected. In this series, we’ve been exploring the lives of people who rejected Jesus during his earthly life.

But out of all the people we’ve learned about, none are more surprising, none are more tragic, than the person we’re going to talk about today. Today, the person we’re focusing on was one of Jesus’ most devoted followers…or so it seemed. Today, we’re going to explore the scene when Peter rejected Jesus. The story is found in Matthew 26.

Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He spent years with him. Had a front row seat to all the incredible scenes that occurred during Jesus’ ministry. He was in the inner circle. But when Jesus was about to be crucified, Peter completely, wholeheartedly rejected him.

Let’s pray and then we’ll experience this incredible and tragic story from God’s Word.

It’s going to take me a while to unpack this whole scene for you, but I’m not worried about losing your attention. The story is too intense for that to happen.

This scene unfolds on the night that Jesus was arrested. In Matthew 26, picking it up in verse 31, the Bible says, “Then Jesus told [his disciples], “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 26:31-35, NIV)

Can you imagine the heartbreak that Jesus was feeling? He knew his arrest was coming. He knew he was only a few hours away from being tried, convicted, beaten, and crucified. And he also knew that, at the moment he would need him the most, his most committed followers would abandon him.

So he looks at his disciples, the men who had left everything to follow him, and he 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.’” (Matthew 26:31, NIV)

Jesus quoted from the Old Testament prophet, Zechariah. The disciples’ rejection of Jesus had been prophesied nearly 500 years before it happened.

Jesus, being the omniscient Son of God, knew it all along. He knew all along that his followers would desert him. Every time he called one of these men to be a disciple, he knew that man was going to leave him. He knew that man would eventually reject him.

After Jesus told his disciples that they would all reject him, one of them spoke up. It was Peter. Peter had a long history of shooting off his mouth. He was known for speaking first and thinking later. He was an impetuous loudmouth. And he proved it again in this scene.

Jesus told his followers that they would all disown him, and right on cue, Peter speaks up. “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” (Matthew 26:33, NIV)

“No way. It’s not gonna happen. I will never leave you, Jesus. Everyone else might reject you, but I never will.”

And Jesus said, “Oh really? Let me tell you exactly how this is going to go down.”

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” (Matthew 26:34, NIV)

“Not once. Not twice. Before the dawn of the next day, you’re going to deny that you even know me three times, Peter. You’re going to reject me three times tonight.”

At this point, Peter goes into a near frenzy. You can almost imagine him shouting as he said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And he got all the other disciples riled up and they all said the same thing. Nothing was going to cause them to reject Jesus. They would die first.

Now, fast forward a few hours. A mob, armed with swords and clubs, comes to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.

And as they led him away, the Bible says, “Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56b, NIV)

In one sentence, one tragic, heartbreaking sentence, the Bible shows us that Jesus was exactly right. His followers deserted him. In one fell swoop, the men who had always been at his side, who had promised that they would die before they ever rejected him…in this one moment, they all deserted him.

But specifically, what about Peter? What about the one who spoke up first, claiming that he would never leave Jesus?

The Bible says, “Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance…” (Matthew 26:57-58a, NIV)

As the mob led Jesus away to face a kangaroo court, Peter followed…at a distance. Close enough to see where they were going, but far enough away to avoid any detection. Peter purposely put some distance between himself and Jesus…and that distance was about to get a lot greater.

While Jesus was inside facing his accusers, Peter was outside. The arrest of Jesus had caused quite a stir in the city, so a crowd was gathering outside in the courtyard. Peter tried to blend into the crowd, but it didn’t work.

In verse 69, Matthew writes, “Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

But he denied it before them all. “I don't know what you’re talking about,” he said.” (Matthew 26:69-70, NIV)

In this first denial, Peter just tries to blow it off. This young girl said, “Hey, I know you…you were with Jesus, weren’t you?”

And Peter rolls his eyes and looks at the crowd. “Kids. They say the darndest things, don’t they? I really don’t know what she’s talking about.”

But now, watch as the pressure on Peter intensifies. Pick it up in verse 71: “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!” (Matthew 26:71-72, NIV)

After his first denial, Peter left the courtyard. But he couldn’t escape the crowd. Another girl saw him and told everyone that Peter had been with Jesus.

Now, instead of blowing it off as nonsense from some crazy kid, Peter gets a lot more intense. Instead of claiming, “I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Peter said, “I don’t know the man.”

And Matthew is careful to point out that Peter denied knowing Jesus with an oath. This means that he invoked something sacred to try to convince the crowd that he was telling the truth. This probably means that he invoked the name of God. Here’s the modern day equivalent of what Peter said. The girl claims that he was with Jesus, and Peter said, “I don’t know the man. I swear to God that I don’t know the man.” And the worst thing is that he’s not done yet.

Pick it up in verse 73. “After a little while, 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!” (Matthew 26:73-74a, NIV)

Peter’s accusers keep following him. This time, there is a group who accuse him of being with Jesus. They know because of his accent. Just like in our country, people from different regions had different accents. Like most of the disciples, Peter was from Galilee. Galileans had a very distinct accent.

And at this point, Peter loses it. The Bible says that he began to call down curses on himself. Peter is cussing, swearing, and more-or-less just going insane, trying to convince these people that he doesn’t know Jesus.

And look at what the Bible says next. “Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:74b-75, NIV)

This story is told in all four of the gospel books in the New Testament. And Luke’s gospel adds a little detail that really blows my mind.

“Just as [Peter] 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.” (Luke 22:60b-62, NIV)

Right when Peter reached the height of his denial, the apex of his rejection, Jesus looked right at him. Some of you married guys will know what I’m talking about here. My wife has a distinctive look. I don’t see it often, but when I get the look, I know one thing. I’ve messed up. She doesn’t have to say anything. Not a word. She just looks at me and I immediately know, “You screwed up again, genius.”

Now that look comes from a finite human being. Can you imagine the look that the Son of God gave Peter? The Bible says that, “Just as [Peter] was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.”

Put yourself in Peter’s shoes. You deny that you even know Jesus three times, just like he said you would. Immediately after you go insane with your third denial, you hear a rooster crow, just like Jesus predicted. You look up and there’s Jesus, being led away by those who would crucify him. And as the rooster crows, Jesus turns and locks eyes with you. Not a word was spoken. No words were needed. The one you that you have denied three times, looks straight at you.

Is it any wonder that Peter went outside and “wept bitterly?” Is it any wonder that Peter’s world came crashing down around him? He had left everything for Jesus. He had devoted his life to Jesus. He had claimed that he would die before he rejected Jesus. And then, in the span of a few hours, he had rejected him three times. Swearing in the name of God that he didn’t even know him. Peter was completely, totally broken.

And that’s exactly where some of us are today. Broken because of how we have rejected Jesus.

I remember the first time I was truly broken by my sin. I was a teenager at a Christ In Youth conference. As the weeklong conference went on, I began feeling more and more uncomfortable. I had allowed an ongoing sin to have a place in my life. It was a secret. On the outside, everybody thought I was this completely committed Christian kid. I had even done some preaching, so everybody thought that I really had it going on, spiritually speaking. But I knew the truth…the truth was that I had sin in my life that went completely unchecked.

But the night before the conference ended, I found Jesus looking straight at me. Through the sermon that I heard that night, I was convicted about my sin like never before. And I absolutely felt Jesus turn and look me in the eye. The one that I claimed to love, but the one that I was rejecting by my sinfulness, turned and looked straight at me. And I did exactly what Peter did. I wept. Uncontrollably. I went back to my room that night and cried, and cried, and cried. I was completely broken.

Apparently one of the other kids at the conference went and found Scott, my youth minister, because he rushed into my room. He didn’t say a word. He just grabbed me, hugged me, and let me sob on his shoulder. He knew what I needed at that moment. I didn’t need him to tell me how wrong I had been. I didn’t need him to inform me of how sinful I was. I knew it. I knew it all too well. I didn’t need him to say anything at all. What I needed was love. What I needed was grace. And that’s exactly what I received from him. In a very real way, Scott was Jesus to me that night.

For a month, we’ve been talking about people who rejected Jesus. But up until today, we haven’t talked about anyone who returned to Jesus. In this series, we’ve talked about Herod, the people of Jesus’ hometown, the Pharisees, and the rich young man. All of them rejected Jesus, and as far as we know, that was the end of their story. But our story today is different. Peter’s rejection of Jesus is the most surprising and the most tragic because he was in the core circle of Jesus’ disciples. But this story also ends differently than all the others. Instead of walking away from Jesus, never to return, Peter’s story ends with repentance. It ends with grace.

John 21 tells us the rest of the story. This happened after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead three days later. Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and they all had breakfast together on the beach. Now, just as a note, we need to remember that Peter’s given name was Simon. Jesus is the one who had nicknamed him Peter. So keep in mind that Simon and Peter are the same guy.

Starting in John 21:15, the Bible says, “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17, NIV)

How many times did Jesus ask Peter, “Do you love me?” Three times. How many times did Peter deny Jesus? Three times. Don’t miss the significance of that.

Did you notice that Jesus didn’t get angry with Peter? There was no anger, no revenge. Jesus didn’t pay Peter back for his rejection. In fact, Jesus never even brings it up. After Jesus’ resurrection, don’t you think that Peter was waiting for that? Don’t you think that he was always thinking, “Man, am I going to get it! Jesus is going to bring the hammer down on me for what I did.” That never happened. Jesus never asked Peter, “Why did you reject me?” The only thing Jesus asked is, “Peter, do you love me?”

Remember how my youth minister treated me that night at CIY? I was broken by my sin, and he didn’t see a need to tell me how much I messed up. How sinful and awful I was. I already knew that. He gave me what I needed…grace.

Jesus didn’t have to tell Peter that he had failed. He didn’t have to remind him about how he promised that he would die before he would reject Jesus. He didn’t have to remind how he swore in the name of God that he didn’t even know Jesus. Peter already knew all of that. So instead, Jesus gave Peter what he needed. A second chance.

That’s why, “Do you love me?” was the only question that Jesus asked. Because that was all that mattered. It didn’t matter that Peter had fallen. It didn’t matter how badly he had screwed up. It didn’t matter that he had committed this incredible sin. All that mattered was this: “Do you love me?” Because if Peter still loved Jesus, then that was all he needed to receive a new start. A second chance.

Now, something else we need to notice: every time that Peter said, “Yes Jesus, I love you,” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs” or “Take care of my sheep” or “Feed my sheep.” The words “lambs” and “sheep” are references to God’s people…his church. Jesus was preparing Peter for the leadership role that he would have in the birth of God’s church.

Think about that…this man who totally blew it, who swore three times that he didn’t even know Jesus…this man would go on to be the point person in the early church. He preached the very first gospel sermon in the book of Acts. He wrote letters that are now included in the New Testament. God used Peter to launch his church and change the world!

But it all came back to the moment where Jesus looked at him and said, “Do you love me?” Peter’s life wasn’t defined by the night that he denied Jesus three times. It was defined by one moment in time when he looked into the face of Jesus and said, “Yes, I love you.” That was the catalyst for change in his life. That was the conduit for God’s grace to cleanse him and restore him. That was all that was needed for God to use him in incredible ways.

And nothing has changed. Every one of us has rejected Jesus. Maybe you find yourself where Peter was…broken. Completely broken by your rejection. You’re sitting in this room this morning, remembering how you have rejected Jesus. And you’re broken in two. That’s a very, very good thing. Peter’s life would have never changed if he hadn’t been broken by his sin.

Today, Jesus has a question for you. “Do you love me?” Your life does not have to be defined by your rejection of Jesus. It can be defined by how you answer this question. “Do you love me?”

You have to understand that your prior rejections of Jesus do not minimize future impact for Jesus. God can still use you, even if you have rejected him in the past. Your past failures do not have to determine your future. God can forgive you, purify you, cleanse you, and use you for His purposes. But it all starts with this question…do you love me?

Now how is that possible? How can God forgive us and use us after we have rejected him so many times? Let me answer that question with a question. What happened between Peter’s denial and Jesus asking him, “Do you love me?” What happened between these two events?

Jesus was crucified. Jesus’ died a death reserved only for those who were completely and totally rejected. Did you know that the Roman government only used death by crucifixion on people that they didn’t even believe were fully human? In their mind, Jesus fit that mold. He died in a way that was reserved only for those who were completely, totally rejected.

But by dying the death a reject, he paved the way for all who have rejected him to have a second chance. That’s why it didn’t matter that Peter had rejected him. All that mattered was, “Do you love me?”

And that’s why your past rejection of Jesus doesn’t matter, either. Your messed up, screwed up, jacked up past doesn’t matter. The complete sinfulness of your life doesn’t make a dime’s worth of difference if you answer “yes” to this question: “Do you love me?”

Today, we invite you to look Jesus in the eye and say, “Yes. Yes Lord, I love you. You loved me enough to die for me. To take all of my sins and shortcomings and failures on yourself. To forgive my fully, finally, completely. So yes Jesus…I love you.”

That simple answer to Jesus is all you need. Because he’ll take over from there. He’ll do a work in your life that will blow your mind. All he needs is for you to love him.

Mike Edmisten

Tags: grace, John 21, Matthew 26, Peter, Rejected