PERSECUTION OF JESUS (4)

0. Introduction

a) Who is Jesus? Who is this man who stands at the apex of human history? According to many, Jesus was a great man, a distinguished moral teacher, a wise human philosopher, and even a prophet. 

b) Do you know Him? 

c) Here is an account of His-story of Jesus whom we are talking about. 

1. Peter denies knowing Jesus (see Matthew 26:58,69-75)

a) Chapter 26 of the Bible's book of Matthew begins with a prophecy from Jesus that he would be betrayed and handed over to be crucified. And the chapter ends with the fulfillment of another of Jesus' prophecies - that Peter, Jesus' loyal Apostle, would deny knowing Jesus three times before the break of dawn.

b) After Jesus was arrested and led away by the soldiers, Peter followed them into the courtyard of the high priest. He took a seat near some of the guards and waited to see what would happen with Jesus. A servant walked up to Peter and asked him if he was with Jesus. Peter said "I don't know what you're talking about."

c) Peter then got up and went outside of a gateway where another person saw him and identified him as a follower of Jesus. Peter again denied knowing Jesus. Other people then identified Peter as being a follower of Jesus and again Peter denied knowing Jesus. In all, Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times before dawn, just as Jesus had predicted.

d) When Peter remembered that Jesus had predicted Peter's denials, Peter began to weep because he had denied knowing the Lord.