What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Peter's Denial and Christ's Sacrifice: Exploring Matthew 26
Have you ever confidently promised something to God, only to fail spectacularly when tested? Matthew 26 reveals this painfully human experience through Peter's story—boldly vowing never to abandon Jesus, then denying him three times before the night ends.
This powerful episode delves into Jesus' final hours of freedom, beginning with his prediction that all disciples would desert him. We explore the fascinating detail from Luke's account where Jesus warns that Satan has asked permission to "sift" the disciples like wheat—suggesting our spiritual challenges aren't random but sometimes specifically permitted tests. Most compelling is Jesus' promise to Peter that after his failure and repentance, he should "strengthen his brothers"—a profound reminder that God uses our failures as platforms for ministry.
The heart of the episode examines Jesus in Gethsemane, experiencing such extreme anguish that he sweats blood—a rare medical condition called hematidrosis. While his closest friends repeatedly fall asleep instead of praying, Jesus models perfect submission: "Not my will but yours be done." This leads to a thoughtful reflection on suffering in our own lives, challenging us to maintain perspective and recognize our blessings amid trials. The narrative climaxes with Jesus' arrest, mock trial, and Peter's devastating triple denial, exactly as predicted.
What makes this story transformative isn't primarily the disciples' failure but Jesus' unwavering commitment to God's plan despite knowing everyone would abandon him. His focus remained on us even while facing torture and death. Ready to see your own spiritual struggles in a new light? Listen now and discover how Christ's response to betrayal reveals the depths of God's love for you.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know? All right, in today's Bible study we are going to be back in Matthew 26, and we'll be picking up at verse 31. It says Then Jesus said to them you will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered, and after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee. But Peter replied to him even if they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away. Jesus said to him. Truly, I say to you that this very night before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times. Peter said to him even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And all the disciples said the same things as well. All right, let's stop here at verse 35.
Speaker 1:All right, in our last Bible study we read about the Last Supper, and you know it was an amazing time they had spent together. Then Jesus hits them with this new revelation and I can only imagine what kind of gut punch this must have felt. Like these men had walked with Jesus for three and a half years. They called him friend. They saw the miracles, they knew him to be the son of God. Peter himself had saw him transfigure on the mountain. Peter himself had saw him transfigure on the mountain. You would ask yourself, and I'm sure they asked themselves how, how am I going to fall? Why would I fall away when I know this is the Son of God? So much so that Peter denies it. He can't grasp that it's possible. And he denies it. I mean he knew how much he loved Jesus. He counted Jesus as a brother, a friend, he counted him to be the Lord and he said you know, others may abandon you, but I will never abandon you. I mean he actually knew that in his heart, that he was willing to die for Jesus. And then Jesus says before this night is done, you, peter, will deny me three times. And I can kind of relate to Peter, because when he hears this, what do we do? What's the first thing we do when we hear something about ourselves? We don't want to believe. We double down, as the Bible states, we stiffen our neck and he just argues he just can't believe it.
Speaker 1:In Luke, chapter 22, it says this in verse 31. It says Simon, simon, satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat. But I have prayed for you, simon, that your faith will not fail and when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. Now we learn here that the adversary, the devil, he, has asked permission to put the disciples to the test. I guess, much like he did with Job, he wished to prove to God that these men were only in it for the things that were good, that the weaknesses and selfishness of man would always lead him to abandon God.
Speaker 1:I don't know about you, but for me this is a stark reminder of the lesson we learned from Jesus in the Lord's prayer. Now, when the Lord teaches us to pray, he says do not lead me into temptation, but to deliver me from evil. Do not let me be led into temptation, but deliver me from evil, Because we know God doesn't. He doesn't tempt anybody, but he allows sometimes us to be led into temptation. And Jesus tells us in our prayer that we're supposed to pray to God to keep us from the hour of temptation.
Speaker 1:Jesus says something else here that I know I gloss over many times and I'm sure somebody else does too. But he says to Peter he says, when this is over and you have turned back, go and strengthen your brothers. Now when he says, turn back the word that's used in Greek is epistrepo, and epistrepo is primarily used in the Bible as to repent, turn from the direction you were going and head back to God. So he tells Peter when you repent, so you're going to go astray, but when you repent, go and strengthen your brothers to do the same. And that's another harsh reminder that we I mean like Peter says he's willing to die for Jesus and his heart is set on it. He's willing to fight, he's willing to die for Jesus and somehow the devil is able to tempt him to such a point that he's going to have to repent. And Jesus says that that very night he was going to deny Jesus three times. I know how we set our mind on things. We have in our mind that we're going to follow Jesus, we're going to do whatever it is. We're going to do it right. We're not going to be led astray. We set our minds to go forth. It reminds me of what Paul says in Romans about I know the good that I want to do, but I find that the good I want to do I do not do, and it's just a stark reminder that we're weak, our flesh is weak and it must be very weak to be able to fall so easily, so quickly. All right, let's continue in verse 36.
Speaker 1:Then Jesus came with him to a place called Gethsemane and he told his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray. And he took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him and he began to be grieved and distressed. Then he said to them my soul is deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch with me. And he went a little beyond them and he fell on his face and he prayed, saying my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not as I will, but as you will. And he came to the disciples and he found them sleeping. And he said to Peter so you men could not keep watch with me for one hour, keep watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And he went away again a second time and he pray and saying my father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink from it, your will be done Again. He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy and he left them again and he went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then he came to the disciples and said to them Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up.
Speaker 1:Let's stop here, at verse 46. It says that Jesus became so deeply grieved and distressed to the point of death. Now, the time of Jesus' trial has already begun, and he hadn't even been arrested yet. So what does being grieved to the point of death actually look like? Well, I know that in the Gospel of Luke it says that his sweat became droplets of blood. Now, this phenomenon is called hematopoiesis. This is when someone, when they become so stressed that the blood pressure becomes so high that the capillaries in their skin they burst and the blood pours from their pores like sweat. Now, it has been said that this happens sometimes in the most extreme cases of torture. Now, this is what Jesus is going through at this point in time. The whole time this is happening, jesus is praying to his father to let this cup pass from him. But he says if this cup cannot pass from me unless I drink of it. Let your will be done. Now, I don't know about you, but I should spend many hours just dwelling on what this means God's will.
Speaker 1:We think we want God's will, but we get so caught up in our mundane life, the little things that we struggle with, and we find that we pray and we plead to handle the things in our life, to deal with the things that we're fighting over, that we're struggling with. This isn't always the case about the little things Sometimes we have, and I know people have a lot of struggles in life. I know there's people who have many difficulties and I'm not trying to take away from that. But in light of God's will, these things are minor things we shouldn't even be worried about. If we truly trust God, we wouldn't worry about them. But because we're so blinded by our own problems, blinded by our own goals, that we get lost in our pursuit of God's will.
Speaker 1:Matter of fact, I was just talking to my daughter the other night and she was telling me that she feels like her life was meant to be a life of suffering, and I questioned her on this because I've thought some time in the past the same thing, and then I was challenged on it by God? Has my life ever been that tough or that bad? And I'd say, in respect to other people's lives, I mean, we know what our walk is like, we know what we've been challenged with. What we suffer with is like we know what we've been challenged with, what we suffer with. But if we view that in respect or in light of other people's suffering, our suffering looks like a gift from God. It looks like the greatest life anybody would have. I mean, I have a job that is demanding, but there's other people out there who desperately need a job to take care of their families. There's homeless out there who would love the opportunities that I've had. And who am I to complain about the little things in my life when there are so many who need more, who would love to have more, and I'm blessed with it.
Speaker 1:My daughter has three kids, three young kids, and she's a single mother and it's a tough, tough situation that she's in. But there's women out there who pray to God every day to get pregnant and here's my daughter with you know, three healthy and let me, let me just say there's people out there whose kids are sick and suffering and my heart it goes out to them, because I couldn't even imagine what that would feel like. There's parents out there whose kids have been kidnapped, who have been taken from them, and they grieve for them every day. Can't imagine what that feels like In light of those things. Can't imagine what that feels like In light of those things. My life is a blessing, so is hers we. Just our perspective gets off and we need to be reminded that we are blessed and, above all things, we have God to go to. We have God to rely on. In the end, we know God's going to deliver us into paradise with him forever, and this life is a short life compared to eternity. So I say all this it's just because I know how easily we get distracted and we get so focused on our own little trials that we kind of miss the big picture, and the big picture is God's will. And I just kind of wanted to I don't know just touch on that for a minute.
Speaker 1:All right, let's pick back up at verse 47. And while he was still speaking, behold, judas, one of the twelve, came, accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now he who was betraying him gave them a sign previously, saying Whoever I kiss he is the one, arrest him. And immediately Jesus went up to Jesus and said Greetings, rabbi. And he kissed him. But Jesus said to him Friend, do what you have come for. Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested him. Behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached in and drew a sword and he struck the slave of the high priest and he cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you not think that I cannot appeal to my Father and he would at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that this must happen this way? At that time, jesus said to the crowds have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me, as you would against a man inciting a revolt? Every day I have used to sit with you in the temple grounds teaching, and you did not arrest me. But all this has taken place, so the scriptures of the prophets will be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left him and fled. Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Seiphas, the high priest, where the scribes and elders were gathered together. But Peter was following him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest and he came inside and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.
Speaker 1:Now the chief priests and the entire council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus so they might put him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward and said this man stated I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days. The high priest stood up and said to him do you offer no answer for what these men are testifying against you? But Jesus kept silent and the high priest said to him I place you under oath by the living God to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said to him you have said it yourself, but I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robes and said what do you think he deserves death? Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists and others slapped him and said prophecy to us, you, christ, who was the one who hit you?
Speaker 1:Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard and a slave woman came up to him and said you too were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied it before them all, saying I do not know what you are talking about. When he had gone out of the gateway, another slave woman saw him and said to those who were there this man was with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied it with an oath, I do not know the man. A little later, the bystanders came up and said to Peter you really are one of them as well, since even the way you talk gives you away. Then he began to curse and swear I do not know the man. And immediately a rooster crowed and Peter remembered the statement that Jesus had made Before the rooster crows. You will deny me three times. And he went out and he wept bitterly.
Speaker 1:All right, we've come to the conclusion of Matthew 26. We see here Jesus, who is literally God made flesh, and he has the power to put a stop to all of this at any point he chooses. Yet he chooses to carry the burden to be arrested and abandoned to suffer. They spit in his face, they mocked him, they beat him, yet he chose to endure all of it for the very sake of the ones who were attacking him. This has been a long chapter and it has much to say, and the time of Jesus' suffering is just beginning. The thing about it is that, through all this suffering, through all this that Jesus is going through being mocked and humiliated, peter and the disciples, and you and me, were on Jesus' mind. He never stopped worrying about us. He never stopped worrying about us, he never stopped worrying about them and he did it all for us. I'm going to stop this one here. We'll pick up in chapter 27, in our next Bible study. Until then, god bless you guys. I love you Bye.