I Don’t Know Him

Luke 22:54-62

Key Verse 57

“But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.”

1. Read verses 54-56. Where was Jesus taken? (54a) Why might Peter have followed at a distance? (54b) What did he do? (55) Who recognized Peter and what did she say? (56)

2. Read verses 57-60. How did Peter deny Jesus? (57) How did Peter deny Jesus a second time? (58) Who else noticed him again? (59) How did Peter reply? (60a) What happened as he was speaking? (60b)

3. Read verses 61-62. Why might Jesus have turned and looked straight at Peter? (61a) What did Peter remember? (61b) What did Peter do? (62) What can we learn from Peter’s failure?

I Don’t Know Him

Luke 22:54-62

Key Verse 57

“But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.”

Introduction

In today’s passage Peter disowned Jesus three times. Undeniably Peter had desire to follow Jesus even to the point of death, but he totally failed by denying Jesus three times. In the midst of Peter’s failure, Jesus still helped him. Through this, we can learn how we can follow Jesus to the end.

1. Read verses 54-56. Where was Jesus taken? (54a) Why might Peter have followed at a distance? (54b) What did he do? (55) Who recognized Peter and what did she say? (56)

1-1. Read verses 54-56.

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

1-2. Where was Jesus taken? (54a)

Into the house of the high priest. – they took him to the place to put charge on him with plan to kill him.

1-3. Why might Peter have followed at a distance? (54b)

Peter followed at a distance

• He did not want to follow Jesus too closely. Following Jesus at a distance was the exact expression of his human dilemma.

• When we follow Jesus at a distance, we create room for Satan to enter into our hearts.

• We need a full commitment in our relationship with Jesus. Peter was not spiritually prepared for the events that were about to take place.

– As Jesus’ disciple, he was afraid of being arrested together with Jesus. But he remembered his promise to Jesus that he would follow to the end.

Matthew 26:33-35 reads,

Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

- Peter also wanted to know what would happen to Jesus.

- Even though he had desire to follow Jesus, he was not strong enough to overcome the fear of death.

1-4. What did he do? (55)

And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them

• Peter followed into the courtyard and sat down together with others. He didn’t expose himself to others. He was sitting there pretending he didn’t have any relationship with God.

- He didn’t want to expose his identity as Jesus’ disciple because of the fear of persecution.

- He hid himself among the unbelievers.

1-5. Who recognized Peter and what did she say? (56)

· A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and exposed his identity by saying, “This man was with him.”

- Peter wanted to avoid suffering by hiding himself but God exposed him through the girl servant.

- Through this event, God wanted to expose his lack of faith and weakness so that he might find himself, repent, and grow.

- Often through certain situations, God exposes who we really and the condition of our faith so that we can grow.

2. Read verses 57-60. How did Peter deny Jesus? (57) How did Peter deny Jesus a second time? (58) Who else noticed him again? (59) How did Peter reply? (60a) What happened as he was speaking? (60b)

2-1. Read verses 57-60.

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

2-2. How did Peter deny Jesus? (57)

But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said

- He disowned Jesus even though he said that he would never disown him.

- ‘I don’t know him’ – This meant he didn’t have any relationship with Jesus. To save his life, he denied his relationship with Jesus.

2-3. How did Peter deny Jesus a second time? (58)

A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”“Man, I am not!” Peter replied

- Someone else recognized him as Jesus’ disciple.

- “Man, I am not” – It means ‘ I am not his disciple’ Before he was proud of being one of his disciples.

- But now he denied his identity as his disciple.

2-4. Who else noticed him again? (59)

About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean

- People kept recognizing him. One of them was very sure about his identity recognizing his Galilean accent.

- Now it was hard for Peter to hide himself.

2-5. How did Peter reply? (60a)

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

- Peter denied him three times just as Jesus predicted.

- By disowning Jesus three times, he disowned Jesus completely.

- According to Matthew 26:74, he even began to curse and swear.

“Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.”

2-6. What happened as he was speaking? (60b)

Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed

- Everything happened exactly as Jesus had told him.

3. Read verses 61-62. Why might Jesus have turned and looked straight at Peter? (61a) What did Peter remember? (61b) What did Peter do? (62) What can we learn from Peter’s failure?

3-1. Read verses 61-62.

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

3-2. Why might Jesus have turned and looked straight at Peter? (61a)

The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.

-Jesus looked at Peter not to criticize him but to help him to remember what he said.

Luke 22:31, 32, and 34 reads,

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

- Jesus wanted Peter to restore his faith after his failure instead of losing heart and suffering with a sense of guilt or failure.

- Sometimes we fail due to our weakness. But we should stand up again by remembering and holding onto God’s word.

- Peter disowned Christ, yet Christ did not disown him, though he might justly have cast him off, and never looked upon him again. But Jesus looked at him with hope to restore him.

- God looks at us with His compassionate heart even as we fail.

- Jesus’ looking led Peter to repent.

- Peter might have understood why Jesus was looking at him

3-3. What did Peter remember? (61b)

Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”

· By remembering Jesus’ word he was humbled and could repent of his pride.

Also he could come back to Jesus instead of getting lost with self-condemnation or a sense of guilt.

3-4. What did Peter do? (62)

And he went outside and wept bitterly

- He had godly sorrow recognizing his pride and sins. Godly sorrow led him to repent and be restored.

- Shedding tears with godly sorrow and recognizing our sins helps us to repent of our sins and make changes.

2 Corinthians 7:10 reads,

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

3-5. What can we learn from Peter’s failure?

· We should be humble and rely on God acknowledging our weakness and limitations.

· We should remember God’s word and his love and mercy in the moment of our failure so that we can stand up again to serve God’s will.

· We have to pray that we may be empowered to overcome Satan’s attack and challenges.

Conclusion

Peter completely failed by denying Jesus three times. Despite his desire to follow Jesus, he couldn’t overcome his fear and weakness by himself. His pride and self-confidence were crushed and was humbled. But God still helped him to restore his faith. Peter remembered what Jesus said. Jesus looked at him to help him repent and restore his faith. We must rely on God through prayer. We must also restore our faith by remembering God’s word, his mercy, and grace even after our failure.

One word: The Lord looked straight at Peter

The Lord looked straight at him.

Luke 22:54-62

Key Verse 22:61

“The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”

Today’s passage shows Peter’s big failure. We all fail one time or another. We do not fail all the time 24/7. And our failure is not all we have. But it is a fact of life that we fail many times. So there is a saying, “To err is human, to forgive, divine.”

Now Peter failed. How did Jesus helped him? So today we would like to know how Jesus helped Simon Peter when he failed miserably. My message has two parts. Part I. Woman, I don’t know him. (v. 54-60) Part II. He went outside and wept bitterly. (v.61-62)

Part I. Woman, I don’t know him. (v. 54-60)

Look at verses 54-60.

⁵⁴ Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵ And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.⁵⁶ A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

⁵⁷ But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

⁵⁸ A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

⁵⁹ About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

⁶⁰ Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 

When the Roman soldiers and Jewish temple guards arrested Jesus they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. They wanted to try him there. And Peter followed Jesus in distance. He could not do so because it could mean to be arrested too. He could not do so out of fear of losing his life. When the fire was kindled in the court yard Peter sat down with them. So by his actions he was with other people rather than Jesus. He followed Jesus but that was as much as he could go.

Then a servant girl challenged him. And he denied Jesus saying, “Woman, I don’t know him.” Another man challenged him and he said, “I am not.” One hour later still another challenged him and he said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

He denied Jesus three times. He failed completely. Peter failed. Do we fail too? Yes, all the time. To fall into temptation and make mistakes and sinning is a part of man’s life. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying it is okay to sin and it is okay not to be changed. We need to be changed. If our actions do not show any difference between unbelievers and us why do the unbeliever believe God? But it is true that we sin or make mistakes in our body because we are not perfect and our bodies are not redeemed yet.

Now when Peter failed how did Jesus help him?

Part II. He went outside and wept bitterly. (v.61-62)

Look at verses 61-62.

⁶¹ The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” ⁶² And he went outside and wept bitterly.

When Peter denied Jesus three times and the rooster crowed Jesus intentionally turned and looked straight at Peter. It was critical moment of Jesus life. But Jesus was mindful of Peter that he intentionally turned back and looked straight at Peter. What kind of look do you think Jesus had in his eyes?

A look of condemnation or the look of “I told you so” or the look of love and mercy and hope. The latter one, I believe. I don’t think it was a look of condemnation or pity but the look of love and trust and hope.

So how did the Lord help Peter?

First, the Lord helped Peter by helping him to remember what he had spoken to him. When Jesus turned back and looked straight at Peter Peter remembered what the Lord had spoken to him, “Before the rooster crows today you will disown me three times.” Then he went outside and wept bitterly. He could not forgive himself. It was too painful for him to see his own failure. It was a complete failure against his desires and will.

So Jesus’ help for Peter was to help him to remember what he had spoken to him. What about us? When we fail miserably or big time or small time, how does the Lord help us? The Lord helps us to remember what he has spoken to us, that is what is written in the Bible.

For example, we know the woman caught in the adultery in John chapter 8. Jesus told her, “Neither do I condemn you; go now and leave your life of sin.” There is great possibility that she left her life of sin. But there is also still a possibility that she could commit another adultery.

Let’s suppose she did it again and she was under severe depression and was thinking about committing suicide. How can the Lord help her? By helping her to remember what he has spoken to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” What Jesus had said to her was not just one time words. It would be the word of the Lord which she should remember and applied to her life again and again until she was healed of her adultery.

The Lord’s words, “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin” is applicable for all of us for all the time we sin or make mistakes. The Lord’s forgiveness of our sins and not condemnation in Jesus is applicable to all sinners as long as they believe Jesus shed his blood for their sins and was condemned in their place on the cross and rose again from the dead.

Now when Peter remembered Jesus’ words “Before rooster crows today you will disown me three times” he went outside and wept bitterly.

But was the only word the Lord has spoken to Peter? No, there are tones of other words too.

For example, Luke 22:28-34 says,

²⁸ You are those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹ And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

³³ But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Jesus told Simon that he would eat and sit at his table receiving his kingdom. Jesus also told him that Satan has asked to sift him like wheat but he prayed for him that his faith did not fail. Jesus also told him that when he turned back strengthen his brothers.

What was Jesus’ prayer topic for Simon? His faith may not fail. In our spiritual life, our faith is so important. Several days ago several coworkers wanted to know what changed Peter so much from a man who denied Jesus to the man who encouraged early suffering Christians who were under severe persecution in 1 Peter. Our conclusion was ‘his faith.” When he denied Jesus his faith failed. But when he grew up and put his hope in the living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, his faith did not fail. God answered the Lord’s prayer for Simon that Simon returned and strengthened his brothers as we see in the book of 1 Peter.

Jesus not only prayed for Simon Peter’s faith but also Jesus planted vision and hope for Simon Peter when he said, “When you returned back strengthen your brothers.”

So we all know the Lord prayed for Simon Peter because he was his top disciple. Do you believe the Lord prays for you? Do I believe the Lord prays for me? Please raise your hand if you believe the Lord prays for you especially in the time of failure and crisis.

How do you know the Lord prays for you?

Romans 8:26-27

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Sometimes our failure is so painful that we feel a great shame and despair. We groan and we even don’t know what we ought to pray for. But the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with wordless groans. We cannot even say what we ought to pray for but the Spirit prays for us in accordance with the will of God.

It is true that Jesus prays for us. That is Jesus’ help for Simon Peter and that is Jesus’ help for you and me. He prays for us. Let’s all say to ourselves, “Jesus prays for me.” One two three. One more time. Another. “Jesus prays for me.”

Since Jesus prays for us we can even turn back and strengthen our brothers and sisters. How can we strength our brothers and sisters? By praying that their faith may not fail as Jesus did for Simon Peter.

In conclusion, we all fail in big time or small time. But how does the Lord help us? The Lord helps us by helping us to remember what he has spoken in the bible. He is helping us by praying for all even when we groan and do not know what we ought to pray for. Through the Lord’s prayer for us, we can even return and strengthen our brothers and sisters especially for their faith not to fail.

One word: The Lord looked straight at Peter.