Mark 14:26-31 - Peter’s Story

This week, we’re diving into Mark 14:26-31, where we walk with Peter through a pivotal moment in his journey with Jesus. As Christ reveals that all His apostles will scatter, Peter boldly resists, only to face the sobering truth of his coming denial. In Peter’s story, we see the raw reality of human weakness, the sting of regret, and the overwhelming grace of God that redeems us. His life reminds us that no failure is too great for Christ’s mercy to restore. Join me as we explore the power of the Gospel to save to the uttermost. Let’s dig in and look to Jesus, our true hope!

Transcript

100 - Mark 14:26-31 - Peter’s Story

Intro

• If you have your Bibles please open with me to Mark 14 and find verse 26…
  • This morning we will be stepping into a familiar story and familiar verses as we see our Lord telling His apostles that they will all fall away.
    • With that revelation came resistance, especially from Peter.
    • It is here he learns that not only will he be scattered away from Jesus but he will even deny Christ before the rooster crows the following day.
  • Today we will have some important reminders about the Gospel and about God’s grace.
• One of the clearest places we see the grace of God and how the power of God worked in the life of His people is in the life of Simon Peter.
  • Simon Peter was a fisherman, he was a tradesman before Jesus found him and called him to be an apostle.
  • Peter was not just any apostle, he was the lead apostle…
    • For good or bad he stuck his neck out there and was often the first or only one to speak.
    • Sometimes this resulted in praise from Christ and other times it resulted in sharp rebuke.  
  • This morning we will be reminded of Peter and how within his story is not only a reminder of the Gospel but a reminder of the nature of man.
• So with that let us read our verses and open in prayer…

Mark 14:26-31

• Before we jump into our points today let's start with a couple of reminders about these verses…
  • First, keep in mind where we are in the story…
    • Jesus is hours away from the cross.
      • By the time we get to the end of this chapter Jesus has been arrested, the apostles scattered, and Jesus' words spoken in the verses we just read proved true.
    • This is a dark time in the life of the apostles.
  • Second, let us also remember that what transpires across these verses and the whole story of the cross was a part of the plan of God from the start.
    • Though things will seem chaotic and out of control God’s sovereignty is never in question.  
      • Though it may not have gone as Peter or the other apostles would have hoped it went as it was predetermined to take place.
    • This is an important reminder in light of our verses today, as Jesus reveals that all will turn aside from Him.
    • Though they denied it, Christ was not surprised by it.
  • Lastly, as we begin I want to let you know that our time together will be a bit different than normal.
    • Instead of looking intently at these verses we are going to use them as a springboard to examine the life of the apostle Peter.
    • Not because of how great he is but because of how much he is found to be just like us.
      • His story is one of relatability, redemption, regret, and restoration.
    • We may hate it but within the life and ministry of Peter we see one much like ourselves.
  • Not because we are great but because we are weak…
• The life of this apostle reminds us that in spite of ourselves, and our failures, God can still use us to accomplish His Glorious Purpose.
  • With that let us step into our first point…

Peter is Relatable

• Within the life and ministry of Peter we do not find one that is distant from us…
  • Peter seemed to be a simple man…
    • The first time we find him he is with his brother and his fishing partners working at their trade.
      • They were fishermen upon the sea after a long night of no success.
    • Such is the case often with trades like this, sometimes you find great success other times it is fruitless labor.
  • The important thing to remember when we come to this man who would end up being a leader among the apostles, he was not a scholar.
    • He was a regular man, doing regular work, when Jesus called him to Himself.
      • What a reminder for us of what God can do with a regular life yielded to Him. 
    • Mark’s account of this calling and their response is unimpressive and we are told in…
      • Mark 1:18b - “...immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
  • We could look to other accounts where we find that he was relatable not only in his ordinary work but also in his need for a savior.
    • We will not turn there today but I want to point out that Luke provides for us another detail about this calling of Peter that is important to our discussion today.
      • Luke tells us that Peter and his companions were listening to Jesus teach and that Jesus had borrowed their boat as a platform for His instruction.
        • Sometime into the teaching Jesus commanded Peter to cast the net and catch some fish.
        • If you will recall, Peter was reluctant to do so because they had been fishing all night with no success.  
        • However, at the word of Christ, Peter obeyed even if it was with reluctance.
        • What followed was a catch of fish so great that the nets were beginning to break.
      • Here is where the story gets interesting, because in light of that great success Peter knew that Jesus was more than just a simple man.
        • I am certain that Peter did not know fully who Christ was at this moment but he knew something very important.
        • He knew about himself and what he knew about himself was that he was a great sinner…
      • And that he was unworthy to be standing before this Great Man.
        • Whoever He was…
    • Yet unworthy as he was Jesus called him and he responded with obedience.
      • His relatability to us does not end here… 
  • We find other stories of Peter throughout the Gospels that showcase other relatable traits…
    • There are times where he says things that he should not say…
      • Can anyone relate to this?
      • Is there anyone besides me who struggles with controlling the tongue?
    • There are times where he seeks to correct Jesus, even rebuking Him at one point…
      • Though we may not like to admit it, is this not something that we can find ourselves doing?
      • If not in words, quite possibly in deeds…
        • Does not every one of His commands that we fail to follow testify that we think we know better than He? 
        • Peter was just bold enough to say what we often fail to.  
      • Then though, not to miss it…
    • There are times where he says the right thing and is praised by the Savior…
      • Certainly this is also true for us, times where we are right and hit the nail on the head.  
      • Yet that is not all, and our verses today remind us…
    • There was a time where he even denied knowing the One who would be dying in his place…
      • Again, though we may not want to admit it, the struggle of Peter is one that exists in the heart of the most devoted followers of Christ.  
      • It is the temptation to deny Him before man.
  • Surely we all can relate to Peter because he was a man just like you and I…
    • He had success, he had failures, he had faults, but more than any of that…
  • He had a Savior.
• Yes, Peter is relatable but, also…

Peter is Redeemable

• This is so important for us to keep in mind, that not only was Peter like us in every way, but just like us redemption was something that he greatly needed.
  • Peter's faults and failures are on display and in of himself, he, like us, would be unable to stand before God in purity.
    • However as great a sinner as Peter was found to be, and as great a sinner as we all find ourselves to be, we have a Savior that paid for that sin in full.
  • This is what the cross was about, that we are unable to stand on our merits but rather by our merits we are condemned.
    • The work of our hands produces nothing but greater guilt before God.
    • It is the reality that is expressed in several places across the scriptures but one of my favorite places is Isaiah 64:6…
      • Isaiah 64:6a - “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment…”
        • This polluted garment is a covering that a leper would have used to cover over their diseased area, and once it was saturated it would then be described as a “polluted garment” 
      • Isaiah writes and tells us that our righteous deeds, not even our sinfulness, but the best we are is this…
        • The best we have to offer God is a soiled rag that is disease infested, blood covered, and puss filled.
          • It is a terrible image, but it is an accurate one…
      • Our sin is so deeply sinful that even the actions that we think redeem us are still wretched before God. 
    • Take heart though, this story is not about Peter, it is not about us, it is about Christ.
  • What we learn in the life of Peter is that he is redeemable not because of anything in himself but because of the work of Christ upon the cross…
    • Peter’s life testifies that though we are unworthy, though we have fallen short, though we have nothing to offer, Christ is still able to Redeem.
      • The precious blood of this precious Savior has paid for the sin of man so that even the least among us is able to stand before God with clean hands.
    • Even if you find yourself in a position similar to that of this apostle.
  • Consider for a moment what is happening across these verses.
    • Jesus has told Peter, as well as the others, a truth that they could not see coming to pass.
    • How could they abandon and deny the One who was before them?
      • They witnessed Jesus walking on the waters…
      • They saw Him call a dead man back to life…
      • They were on the boat and feared the storms that Christ silenced in a moment…
      • They had aided in Him feeding thousands with such little food…
      • They had heard His teaching and even Peter at one point confessed to Him that…
        • John 6:68b-69 - “...You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
        • These men got some things so right…
      • So how could they…
    • After three years walking in step with Jesus, scatter from Him?
      • No wonder it was inconceivable to them, it was against reason that they would ever turn from Him.
      • I imagine this is even more true for Peter…
        • He had witnessed things that many of the others had not witnessed…
          • The Transfiguration where he saw the Glorified Christ…
          • He walked on water with Jesus…
          • He is the one that confessed that Jesus is the Messiah that was to come…
          • He had even been renamed by Jesus…
            • From Simon to Peter…
        • Yet somehow before the morning he was going to not only flee from Jesus but he was going to outright deny him…
      • Not once, it was not a slip of the tongue, but three times and the last with a curse.
    • And unfortunately, it is here we find another connecting point for us and this apostle…
  • Not only was he relatable and redeemable but… 

Peter experienced Regret

• Consider the weakness of the flesh showcased in this story…
  • As you do, please jump down to the final verses of this chapter, we will begin reading in just a moment in verse 66.
  • Things had to progress very quickly for Peter and the other apostles…
    • They went from our main verses to a time of prayer where they were unable to stay awake.
    • Then they awoke as a mob approached and arrested Jesus, Peter ended up drawing a sword and retaliating against them.
    • This leads to what is perhaps Jesus' final miracle…
      • As in one motion he rebuked Peter and healed the servant as he was ushered away.
  • I wonder, did Peter think himself brave at this point?
    • He followed at a distance to see what would come of his Lord.
    • It is here where we find the words of Christ proving true…
      • As Peter, the rock, the leader, the one who had just drawn a sword moments ago denies even knowing Jesus.
      • Mark 14:66-72
    • How can we read these verses and consider Peter any different than ourselves…?
      • Have you ever at one point considered a particular sin and thought to yourself, “I could never do that”?
        • Or, “that is not possible for me”?
      • Then only at some point in the future do you find yourself yielding to that particular sin?
        • Even wondering how you got to that point…
      • If so then perhaps you know a bit of what Peter is experiencing in these verses.
    • He confessed that he could never deny Christ, he was willing to die for him, he even drew a sword for him.
  • However, when the time came and he saw Jesus before the council and then maybe he knew that Jesus was really going to die…
    • He turned from Him, he denied the One that he said he could never deny.
    • I cannot help but consider the words of the apostle Paul written to the church at Corinth on this matter…
      • He writes about how certain things were recorded for our benefit and for our instruction speaking of the Old Testament stories, he writes…
        • 1 Corinthians 10:11 - “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”
      • The same could be true for this situation with this apostle, it was recorded for our benefit and to remind us of an important truth for which Paul expressed in the next two verses.
      • He writes…
        • 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 - “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
      • These verses confront us with the fact that throughout our lives we will struggle with sin and temptation.
      • In view of that please remember… 
    • The most dangerous place we could find ourselves is thinking that we are above some temptation or sin.
      • That is to say that we think that we are unable to fall into some fleshly desire…
        • Brothers and sisters, that thought is when we find ourselves most vulnerable…
        • It is when we think it is not possible to fall into a particular temptation or sin.  
      • Again, consider Peter…
        • This is where he was…
    • Peter mere hours before thought it completely impossible that he would deny Jesus.
  • Yet he did, and he fled, and in that he had great regret.
• Perhaps you can relate to Peter in this way…
  • Do you find yourself looking back at a point in your life that you wish you could erase?
  • Do you have moments that you look back on and wish that you could redo?
    • Certainly we all have moments where we would like a do over, moments where we wish we could erase.
    • I believe this was that moment for Peter it had to be his lowest moment as he denied and turned from Jesus.
  • More than that it is worth noting that not only was this…
    • Peter’s lowest moment, perhaps his greatest regret..
    • It is recorded for all the world to know.
  • How would you like to have your biggest failure penned for all the world to consider?
    • Everywhere the Gospel is proclaimed Peter's failure and abandonment of our Lord is on full display.  
    • Makes you wonder, did Mark really have to include that in this Gospel?
  • This brings us to an interesting consideration regarding this story and this apostle.
    • The Gospel of Mark was penned by John Mark, a disciple but not an apostle of Jesus.
      • What most scholars believe about John Mark's Gospel is that his primary source was Peter.
    • This is an interesting thing to consider, not only did Peter fail greatly in these verses but included his great failure for the world to see.
  • Where the temptation for you and I is to minimize and hide our failures Peter made sure his failure was front and center.
    • Not because it made this story about him in any way, but because his life and ministry was a living example of the grace of God upon his life.
    • The fact is there are two people in the New Testament that remind us that any man can be saved…
      • Peter, who denied Jesus… and
      • Paul, who sought the lives of the followers of Jesus…
    • Both were among the redeemed though I am certain both had experienced regret…
  • Paul when talking about his weakness and his struggles said this…
    • 2 Corinthians 12:9 - “But [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...” 
      • He goes on and writes…
    • “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
  • Maybe this is why Peter included his greatest blunder as a footnote of the cross, because it reminds us that if that man can be saved then anyone can be saved.
• This brings us to our final point… 

Peter was Restored

• It is a subtle thing in the Gospel of Mark but we do see a hint of the pursuit of Christ that occurs after the Resurrection of Christ.
  • Please turn with me to Mark 16 as we see the final time Peter is mentioned in this Gospel.
  • We will look at two verses for the context but our focus will be on verse 7, please look at verse 6.
    • Mark 16:6-7
  • The angel testifies to the women who went to the tomb of Christ that Christ is risen.
    • Then, these women were instructed to go and tell the disciples and Peter that Jesus is going to be at Galilee.
    • Some have wrongly speculated at this point that this was an act of chastisement against Peter and that at this point he was not even counted with the other disciples.
  • That is simply not the case, what we find in this verse is that though Peter had failed greatly the pursuit of Christ and the grace he bestows is even greater.
    • J.C. Ryle agrees on this point as he writes…
      • “Yet Simon Peter, who had denied his Lord three times, is specially mentioned by name. Peter, who had sinned particularly, is singled out and noticed particularly. There were to be no exceptions in the deed of grace. All were to be pardoned. All were to be restored to favour,—and Simon Peter as well as the rest.”
      • Peter is pardoned and restored, he is named and it is a gracious thing.
    • It reminds me of another quote from Bryan Wolfmueller, a pastor and theologian…
      • "Jesus is a better Savior than you are a sinner. Your sins cannot undo His cross. You cannot manage a stain that the blood of Jesus cannot wash. Christ Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus is not the Savior of little sinners, baby sinners. Jesus is the Savior of David and Moses, of Peter and Paul, of you and me. He has taken the enemies of God and redeemed them, redeemed us."
    • It was an act of mercy and grace that Peter’s name was spoken here at this time…
      • Even more so as we are reminded that Mark is the testimony of Peter.
      • It stood out to him that this angel spoke his name as a reminder that Jesus’ work in him was just beginning.
  • I want to remind you brothers and sisters that though our failures can be great, His grace and mercy is greater still.
    • I know that I am grateful for that in my life and I am assuming that if you consider it you will be grateful as well.
    • Lastly, I want to say one final point on this matter…
      • We may never outrun our greatest failures, we may always look back and wish we would have done things differently.
      • However, please know this today…
        • Christ is a better savior than you are a sinner and He is able to redeem even your worst mistakes.  
        • We are not judged by our lowest moments, we are not even judged by our greatest strengths…
        • Instead, if we are in Christ, we are judged by His life and can stand redeemed.
      • Peter’s story and his sin reminds us much about ourselves but even more it reminds us of the Gospel and its power to save to the uttermost.

Closing

• As we close today I would ask you to reflect upon your life, your failures, your regrets, and then to reflect upon the cross of Christ.
  • He took upon Himself your sins and paid for them in full and so has offered us grace and mercy today.
    • Have you received it?
      • If not then I urge you to place your faith in this great Savior today.
      • He can redeem you, His grace is greater than your sin.
    • When the music plays I urge you to come down front and receive Christ today.  
  • Brothers and sisters, I am certain that many of you, like myself, have regrets. 
    • I want to remind you once more that you are not defined by your weakest moments…
    • Instead, you are defined as a son and daughter of the Creator, rest in that truth today and be thankful that you are counted as one of the Redeemed.