Luke 22:54-71 What do we do with guilt, shame, and sin, especially when we fail as Christians? What about things from the past that still haunt us? These are serious questions. Then you have accusations of hypocrisy when folks who are well meaning don’t seem to walk the walk even if they talk the talk. What do we do?
Three parts:
Peter’s Denial
What went on in his mind? How could he so easily have turned away from the one he was so eager to defend? And what happened when Jesus saw him? What remorse, what a failure. From arguing as to who was the greatest to being the most broken. In the end, his loyalty was only to himself. For all his wild ideals, his great revelations, his encounters with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration, his special times with Jesus being taught, encouraged, from the boat encounter on Galilee, to this moment of greatest failure. Now, of all times, when Jesus needed a friend, he left him alone with his enemies. The tears are of a depth of remorse that all his values and strengths could not restore. His hope was gone. The loss was becoming clearer as he remembered the last 3 years of following Jesus and now he had failed the only one who had the words of eternal life! Had he not David, where shall we go? We won’t leave you? The eyes of Jesus looking at him are burned into his memory, and leave him broken, lost depressed and unable to do anything. See his coward ness from the sleep of sorrow and the results of not praying about entering into temptation.
The persecution of Jesus
The beatings begin, the mockery, the cruel jokes and humiliation of Jesus. His reaction is silence and allowance of these events. They blindfold him yet they are the ones who are blind. It is his willing participation in identification with us all in all our troubles and sorrows. Peter is not left out. His loving eyes are about to show him just how much he is committed to Peter in spite of his denial.
The first trial of Jesus: the Sanhedrin
The chief priests and scribes made up the Sanhedrin. There were 71 members. These will include all those who have been interacting with Jesus who have been exposed by him, and who have been platting his death as their authority among the people has been diminished. Here is a difference in that Luke wants us to see first who is to blame for the death of Jesus and second, the lack of a proper trial which demonstrates Jesus willingness to die for the sins of the world. A good lawyer could get him off easily, and the house was filled with lawyers on whom this was painfully obvious.
The importance of prophecies fulfilled
The key here is two-fold: First Jesus is not just any prophet, he is the prophet who ushers in the very presence of God, and infuses life with truth, removing darkness and making all things new.
Second his words are true and eternal as in 21:33: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
Let us know that he keeps his word. The situation appears to be hopeless at the moment, but it will not remain that way. Victory is coming!
Peter: “And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.” Luke 22:24
“But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”” Luke 22:33
Beatings and trial: 7:29-30 - “When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God’s justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.”
His condemnation of the leaders: “And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake” Luke 20:45, 47
“Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon,” Luke 18:31-32