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• After the third denial, Jesus looks at Peter and he remembers his failure, leading to bitter weeping |
• The concept of Jesus looking at Peter with love in his eyes, rather than anger or malice |
• The idea that a look of love from God could cut a betrayer's heart in two and cause repentance |
• The contrast between God's loving gaze and the reactions of gods in other pantheons |
• The message of forgiveness as taught by Jesus on the cross ("Father forgive them, they know not what they do") |
• The power of forgiveness to change everything and defeat hatred with love |
• The power of forgiveness and second chances to bring peace and change the world |
• A personal anecdote about Roy Reggles and a football game in which he received a second chance from his coach |
• The Church of Jesus Christ as a place for people who have blown it and are seeking forgiveness and love |
• The importance of receiving forgiveness and then going out to do good and show love to others |
• How looking at others with love can transform individuals and create positive change in the world |
• Privilege of joining in restoration project |
• Restoration of the world |
• Expressing gratitude and love for God/Lord |
• Request to make restoration a reality |
[0.00 --> 8.62] Well, good morning, everybody. It's good to see you here this morning, and it is good to be here. |
[9.08 --> 14.06] As Dave said earlier, you were sitting over there last time, you're going to throw me off, but as Dave said earlier, |
[14.38 --> 20.32] my name is Ed Gerber. I'm university chaplain at Trinity Western University. I'm also director of campus ministries there. |
[21.00 --> 24.48] And part of the reason I'm saying that again is because I was with the president last night, |
[24.48 --> 30.66] and I want to extend the greetings of Trinity to you. One of the things that we long for at Trinity |
[30.66 --> 36.36] is, and covet, is the prayers of the people of God in our local churches. So we seek to develop |
[36.36 --> 42.64] relationship with local churches, and we love it when you pray for us. As I said at the first service, |
[42.80 --> 50.38] there's 6,000 students at Trinity Western University, 50% of which are international students, |
[50.38 --> 56.84] many of which are hearing the gospel for the first time, and they are ripe to hear the gospel. |
[57.02 --> 62.78] They're coming to faith left, right, and center. So there's much work to be done, and much to be |
[62.78 --> 67.58] grateful for. So I covet your prayers. That's the first thing. Also, I just wanted to say it is an |
[67.58 --> 73.30] absolute tremendous honor to be able to bring the word to you this morning. Dave, thank you for the |
[73.30 --> 81.32] invitation. I'm glad to do it. As I was thinking about what to do, preachers will have this experience |
[81.32 --> 87.06] where you're studying a text and trying to prepare a sermon, and it's almost as though a message is |
[87.06 --> 94.72] given to you, and you receive it. And then it is a tremendous joy just to give it back. It's a message |
[94.72 --> 100.26] that is spoken to my heart, and it's my prayer that it will speak to your heart as well. In addition to |
[100.26 --> 107.16] that, I'm hoping that this message will do something of a bridging job from our time in Advent together, |
[108.04 --> 116.12] and particularly Dave's focus last week, and it will bridge us and send us well into 2025, as we have |
[116.12 --> 122.48] just a few more days left here in 2024. So in the grace of God, we'll travel that distance together. |
[122.48 --> 130.64] I invite you, if you have your Bibles, to turn to Luke chapter 22. We're going to look just at a |
[130.64 --> 139.96] short passage this morning from verse 54 through 62. So the context here is it's the passion of our |
[139.96 --> 147.62] Lord. Yes, we are moving straight from the incarnation, the celebration of the nativity, to the end of the |
[147.62 --> 155.50] gospel story. The apocalypse, John's revelation in chapter 12, will collapse. It's very fascinating. |
[155.96 --> 161.10] The woman is pregnant, she gives birth, and immediately it's the Christ child. It's actually |
[161.10 --> 166.44] the story of Christmas in Revelation 12. Immediately the child is snatched up to heaven and to God. |
[167.00 --> 173.34] It is incarnation, life of Christ, ascension in a single moment. Why? Because the birth of Christ is |
[173.34 --> 178.72] victory. And so it is appropriate, as we're moving through the stages here, to move right to the end of the |
[178.72 --> 189.28] gospel. So Jesus has been arrested, and then we come to this in our text for today. Beloved, listen to God's |
[189.28 --> 189.50] word. |
[192.46 --> 200.10] Then seizing him, Jesus, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a |
[200.10 --> 205.80] distance. And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, |
[205.98 --> 211.62] Peter sat down with them. The servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely |
[211.62 --> 219.18] at him and said, this man was with him. But he denied it. Woman, I don't know him, he said. A little |
[219.18 --> 227.46] later, someone else saw him and said, you also are one of them. Man, I am not, Peter replied. About an hour |
[227.46 --> 236.64] later, another asserted, certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean. Peter replied, man, I don't know |
[236.64 --> 243.88] what you're talking about. Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at |
[243.88 --> 251.26] Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him. Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me |
[251.26 --> 258.80] three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. |
[264.80 --> 273.82] We've all experienced it. There are a few things like it. It can fill us with conviction or festoon us |
[273.82 --> 282.20] with shame and grief. It might even make us cry. I remember when my grandfather used to give it to us. |
[282.88 --> 291.22] Heavy eyebrows furled down, lines making creases in the side of his eyes. Receiving it was enough to |
[291.22 --> 296.62] assure us that we did not want to mess with him. I remember even better when my mother used to give |
[296.62 --> 304.60] it to us. Again, heavy eyebrows furling, one lifted slightly higher than the other, and sparks. I'm sure |
[304.60 --> 309.86] I saw sparks coming from those eyes at times. She occasionally gave it to us in a place just like |
[309.86 --> 317.22] this. At times, just like these, when we were sitting young and full of Dutch peppermints, buck teeth and |
[317.22 --> 323.40] bony knees shifting from cheek to cheek on wooden pews that I was convinced became stone as the preacher |
[323.40 --> 328.94] would go on and on. And when the long-awaited for amen didn't come quickly enough and we'd start |
[328.94 --> 336.30] fidgeting too much, we would get it. And we'd get it good. Yes, you know the it I'm talking about. |
[336.92 --> 347.24] The look. The formidable look. We've all experienced the look, haven't we? It's interesting to me that in |
[347.24 --> 358.74] our text for today, in verse 61, Luke makes special mention that Jesus turned and looked straight at |
[358.74 --> 364.20] Peter. For some reason or another, unlike any of the other gospel writers who don't mention anything |
[364.20 --> 370.86] of Jesus turning and looking at Peter at the moment of his betrayal, Luke wants us to pause |
[370.86 --> 379.20] and focus on Jesus' look for a moment. I don't know about you, but I imagine that this was one of |
[379.20 --> 386.08] the most piercing looks in the history of the world. If ever there was a reason for Jesus to give one of |
[386.08 --> 394.10] his disciples the look, it was now. If ever there was a reason for one of Jesus' disciples to weep and cry |
[394.10 --> 402.52] for having received a look, it was also now. The stage had been set. Only a little while earlier, |
[402.66 --> 407.80] while eating the last supper with his disciples in the upper room, Jesus had warned Peter that Satan |
[407.80 --> 415.60] desired to sift him as wheat to ruin his faith. Peter, in response, tried to live up to his name. |
[416.64 --> 424.00] He was going to be a rock. He confessed that while everyone else might be blown around like waves on |
[424.00 --> 431.30] the sea, he was going to be sturdy and strong. He was going to be resolutely dedicated to his Lord, |
[431.38 --> 437.52] to this one who had taken him from casting his net in the sea for fish and brought him to an |
[437.52 --> 446.06] infinitely more meaningful life fishing for men. Lord, he said, I am willing to go with you to prison |
[446.06 --> 456.64] and to death. But Jesus knew Peter. He knew his heart. He knew his weakness. He also knew the future. |
[459.26 --> 465.28] Before the rooster crows today, Peter, you will deny three times that you know me. |
[467.22 --> 471.88] We don't know what Peter may have said in response to Jesus' words. Luke doesn't spell it out for us. |
[471.88 --> 479.04] No, he allows Peter's actions to tell us instead. When the soldiers come up the mountain to arrest |
[479.04 --> 483.80] Jesus, we are told that one of the disciples pulls out his sword like John Wayne pulls out guns and |
[483.80 --> 490.40] starts swinging it around, lopping off a soldier's ear. And who might this passionately protective and |
[490.40 --> 496.40] daring soul be? Luke leaves it to the delight of our imagination, but the author of the Gospel of John |
[496.40 --> 502.92] tells us, it's Peter. When the soldiers get a hold of Jesus and begin leading him off down the Mount |
[502.92 --> 510.48] of Olives, we are told that all of the disciples run away and abandon the Lord, except one, one brave |
[510.48 --> 518.86] disciple patters intrepidly behind. And who is this fearless friend? Again, it's Peter. Peter does not run. |
[518.86 --> 526.42] Peter does not hide. No, as we are told at the beginning of our text for today, in verse 54, Peter |
[526.42 --> 533.58] follows behind right into the city and right into the courtyard where he will be able to see Jesus |
[533.58 --> 544.68] and consider it where Jesus will be able to see him, to see his faithfulness, to see indeed just how strong |
[544.68 --> 551.76] and resolute and how much a rock he is. But this is where the heat gets too hot for dear Peter. |
[552.72 --> 558.78] The rock begins to crumble and crack like clay in the desert sun. This is where Jesus' words to Peter |
[558.78 --> 564.18] and the other sleeping disciples on the Mount of Olives only moments earlier become dreadfully true |
[564.18 --> 572.20] for Peter. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Peter's spirit wants to be near his Lord, |
[572.20 --> 578.68] and so he is near his Lord. Nearer though than his flesh can handle and his character can hold. |
[579.60 --> 583.28] For just as Jesus is undergoing an interrogation from the high priest, |
[583.94 --> 590.44] so now will Peter undergo an interrogation of his own. It is a struggle for Peter of titanic |
[590.44 --> 596.72] proportion and significance. If ever there was a reason for him not to fail, it is now. |
[596.72 --> 603.36] Well, to betray a friend is bad enough. To betray a friend in their hour of greatest trial |
[603.36 --> 611.46] is as bad as it gets. Peter is about to lose his illusions about his own strength and his own |
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