Luke 22: 31-34, 47-62

John 18: 10 confirms that it was Peter who chopped the guys ear off. 

Here is the 22^nd chapter of the book of Luke I believe we can learn a very valuable lesson.  The reason we can learn a valuable lesson from our text is because Peter is one we can all identify with.  We all know about Peter.  He was the most vocal of the 12 disciples.  This helps us relate to him because we often get to hear exactly how he processed information. 

In Peter’s spoken words we see both the best and worst of humanity.  Peter is both weak and strong.  He at times was vengeful, while at other times he was merciful.  Sometimes he was full of pride, while at other times he was humble.  If we look closely enough at Peter we will find that there is some of him in all of us. 

Peter knew what it was like to fail God miserably.  Let’s get real today:  How many of you sitting here today would say that there have been times in your life that you failed God miserably?  How many of you can say that you have failed God since you got saved?  Every hand in the building should have gone up between the two questions.  We have all failed God.  Not only have we failed God, but some of us today may have failed ourselves or our families.

Every person on the planet has this in common:

Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 

Do you realize that although there are winners at the Olympic Games every four years, 90% of the best athletes in the world do not win a medal?  Like them, many of us try, but it seems that we are never able to win.

What are some examples?

The sense of failure is never far from the surface.  How many of you know what I am talking about today? 

For some of you, maybe you have messed up terribly.  You made a huge mistake.  You committed a sin that you totally regret.  The result of your mistake has allowed Satan the opportunity to beat you down over that thing.

The thing we must understand and never forget is the fact that we can love God with all of our heart and have the best intentions in all of the world and we can sometimes still make a mess out of things.  Let’s get real.  Nobody is perfect.

Verse 31 And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.

First of all anytime Jesus said something back to back it means you need to pay attention.  Often times he would say truly, truly or verily, verily.  In other words, listen to what I am about to say.  He was actually saying “pay attention Peter” because what I am about to tell you is going to help you later on.  Satan has not asked a couple of times, but repeatedly he has come before Me wanting to destroy you.

Satan is persistent because he understands the magnitude and potential of every person. 

1 Peter 5: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

We have three distinct enemies: the Devil, the world, and the flesh.  The devil’s ultimate agenda is to destroy us.   

He desires to sift you like wheat.  This actually means that Satan tries to show God that you are not the real deal.  The chaff is the worthless part of the grain.  One meaning of the word sift is to trick.  We all know that Satan is a liar and most of what he tries to do to us involves trickery and deception. 

He has deceived many into believing they have done too many terrible things to be used by God.  They feel worthless.

Verse 32: But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

I believe that some folks need to understand that things may look real bad in your life.  Your marriage may be a mess.  Your finances may be a mess.  Your body may be a mess.  Your children may be a mess.  You might have even done something that you totally regret, but I got some good news for all of you.

Jesus has prayed specifically for you.  Jesus knows exactly what you are facing and he is interested in your situation. 

Notice that Jesus did not say that I have prayed that you fail not, but He said something that most of you have probably read over a thousand times.  He said I have prayed that your faith fail not.  Many people are losing hope and have lost hope because they do not understand this verse. 

What is this text saying?  Jesus Himself knew you were going to fail.  This is what Easter is all about.  The reason Jesus came is because He knew we could not live this out on our own.  He knew you would make a mess of things.  He told Peter I pray that your faith fail not. 

There is a big difference between you failing and your faith failing.  If we do not understand this when we do fail we will allow our faith also to fail because we will feel like we have blown it.  I refuse to sit back and allow the devil to steal my faith.  I will get back up no matter how bad it is. 

When – when is a big word.  I believe there is going to be a when for some people today.  I am going to take your failure Peter after you have turned again and I am going to use it to strengthen and establish your brothers.  We know now that Jesus did not pray that Peter fail not, but we see from this verse that Jesus actually predicted that Peter would fail Him. 

That is why He said when because God has a way of taking our mistakes and using them to propel us into our destiny.  The very thing today that might have you holding your head in the sand may be the very thing that God wants to use to bring you into another level.

Verse 33 But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you, both to prison and to death.

Jesus has in so many words explained to Peter that he would mess up, and Peter did not like the fact that Jesus was saying he would mess up.  So Peter in his self-

reliance says if it means prison I’m ready, if it means death I’m ready.  No matter what I am ready to go with you.

Self-reliance = self-righteousness

Many people have this problem.  The bible says to the person who thinks he stands: take heed lest you fall.  Pride comes before the destruction. 

Verse 34 Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.

Peter did not get the message so Jesus just prophecies exactly how Peter would fail.  He said you will not fail me once, or twice Peter, but you will fail me 3 times.

Some of you think that your mistakes are a surprise to God.  You think God is shocked by some of the things that you have done.  God may be disappointed, but He is not surprised.  God knows you better than you know yourself. 

Some people go around bragging about how they know God or how they found God, but we need to brag because He knows us.  The bible says that we have not chosen God, but He has chosen us.  We are still trying to know God, but He already knows us. 

God is committed to us in spite of all our mess.  Some people say God loves you just the way you are.  This isn’t true.  If this was true He would not have sent Jesus so that our lives could be changed.  The truth is not that God loves us just the way we are because some of us are messed up.  The truth is that God loves us in spite of the way we are.

After Jesus had this conversation with Peter he then gives the disciples some instructions and then he enters the Garden of Gethsemene where his sweat became great drops of blood.  This brings us up to verse 48 where Judas has brought a crowd to carry Jesus away to be crucified. 

Before we go any further we have to be careful not to be too hard on Simon Peter.  The story here of the arrest of Jesus shows that he was a man of great courage.

Verse 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 

When the authorities came to arrest Jesus it was Peter alone who grabbed a sword to defend Jesus.  Not only did he display courage, but he also managed to cut off the right ear of the High Priest’s servant.  You cannot tell me that Peter was not ready to die for Jesus at that very moment.  At this point in Peter’s life he would have done anything for Christ.  He would have given up anything for Christ at this point in his life. 

So the story continues; Jesus heals the right ear of the servant and then He is arrested.

Verse 54 Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house.  But Peter followed at a distance. 

He followed at a distance.  Taking the sword and defending Jesus took courage, but this also took courage.  A lot of the other disciples probably fled and went to where they could not be found and arrested because of their affiliation with Jesus, but Peter followed at a distance.  He may have been at a distance, but he was still there.

Verse 55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 

He also manages to worm his way into the courtyard area of the place where Jesus is being held (the courtyard of the high priest).  This was the most dangerous place Peter could have been at this point in time because there were soldiers all around and he could have been easily identified.

Verse 56-60 And a  servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “this man was also with Him.”  But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”  And after a little while another saw him and said, “you also are of them.”  But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”  then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”  But Peter said, “man, I do not know what you are saying!”  Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

The 3^rd and final denial of Peter was in response to a man who could tell that Peter was a Galilean just like Jesus.

Matthew 26: 73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” 

The bible says that it was his accent that gave him away.

We have talked about Peter’s story and we should be encouraged by it because if we have read past the 4 gospels we know that he learns from his failure and that is what I want to focus on for the next few minutes. 

The reason I want to change our focus is because the question is not will we fail or not, but the question is what do we do with failure.