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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew 26, our focus this 
morning is on verses 31 to 35. But since we've been out of Matthew 
for a few weeks, I'll begin reading in Matthew 26 at verse 1, just 
to remind us of the context. Beginning in verse 1, now it 
came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings that He said 
to His disciples, you know that after two days is the Passover, 
and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified. Then the 
chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled 
at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and 
they plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they 
said, not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the 
people. And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon 
the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask, a 
very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as 
He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, 
they were indignant, saying, Why this waste? For this fragrant 
oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor. When 
Jesus was aware of it, he said to them, why do you trouble the 
woman? For she has done a good work for me. For you have the 
poor with you always, but me you do not have always. For in 
pouring this fragrant oil on my body, she did it for my burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever 
this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman 
has done will also be told as a memorial to her. Then one of 
the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and 
said, What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you? 
And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that 
time he sought opportunity to betray him. Now on the first 
day of the feast of the unleavened bread, the disciples came to 
Jesus saying to him, where do you want us to prepare for you 
to eat the Passover? And he said, go into the city 
to a certain man and say to him, the teacher says, my time is 
at hand. I will keep the Passover at your 
house with my disciples. So the disciples did as Jesus 
had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. When evening had 
come, he sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, he said, 
Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray me. And they 
were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to 
him, Lord, is it I? He answered and said, he who 
dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. The son 
of man indeed goes just as it is written of him. But woe to 
that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It would have been 
good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, who was 
betraying him, answered and said, Rabbi, is it I? He said to him, 
you have said it. And as they were eating, Jesus 
took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples 
and said, take, eat, this is my body. Then he took the cup 
and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, drink from it all 
of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is 
shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I 
will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until 
the day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. And 
when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 
Then Jesus said to them, all of you will be made to stumble 
because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike 
the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 
But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. 
Peter answered and said to him, even if all are made to stumble 
because of you, I will never be made to stumble. Jesus said 
to him, assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster 
crows, you will deny me three times. Peter said to him, even 
if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And so said all 
the disciples. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank you for your Word. We thank you that it is 
given by inspiration of God. We know it does indeed communicate 
to us the truth concerning your attributes, concerning the offices 
and nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the power and the 
glory of the Holy Spirit. God, we thank you that it sets 
those things forth, and in particular, it sets forth the life and the 
death and the resurrection of our Savior. We give you praise 
and glory for the gospel. We give you praise and glory 
for your grace in our hearts and lives, enabling us to believe 
the gospel. And we trust, God, if you're 
able to save wretches like us, you're able to save others. So 
we pray that today would indeed be the day of salvation, that 
your spirit would be at work here in the hearts of men, women, 
boys, and girls, that you would give the graces of faith and 
repentance, and may it be the case that sinners would close 
with Christ. God, may we as your people learn 
the lessons of this passage. The disciples go from scrutiny 
of their own hearts, is it I, to denying and deserting our 
Lord Jesus Christ. May we confess to you, Lord God, 
not our ability and our strength, but our proneness to wander and 
the proneness to leave the God that we love. May we constantly 
depend upon your grace alone to sustain us. May your power 
keep us, and may you cause us to persevere for your grace, 
for your glory, and for your honor. Do forgive us now for 
our sins and our transgressions. Wash us in the blood of the Lamb. When we look to your word and 
we see your holiness and your majesty, we see our own waywardness 
and we see our own transgression against your holy law. So do 
forgive us and cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and fill each and every one of us with your Holy Spirit, and 
give us ears to hear and hearts to understand your truth. And 
may you indeed grant us the grace to put these things into practice. 
And we ask these things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as we see here just in 
the bare reading of the scripture, when they are told that one of 
them will indeed betray Him, they all say, is it I? And on 
the heels of the supper, that place of most intimate communion 
with the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ tells them that they will desert 
Him and one will even deny Him. In fact, we ought to appreciate 
the truth represented by the supper and its absolute necessity, 
because these disciples had indeed been with Christ, and nevertheless, 
they desert Him in His hour of greatest need, and even one denies 
Him three times. Davies and Allison in their commentary 
helpfully point out that verses 31 to 35 serve as a bit of a 
table of contents for the rest of the passion narrative. Jesus 
foretells that the disciples will desert Him. They do that 
in 26, 56. He says that Peter will deny Him. Peter does do 
that in verses 69 to 75, that Jesus will be struck or And we'll 
see that in chapter 27, verses 32 to 56. Also that He will be 
raised from the dead, chapter 28, verses 1 to 10, and that 
He will regather His disciples. He will meet with them again 
at Galilee, or in Galilee, and in chapter 28, verses 16 to 20, 
that is fleshed out. think that's inaccurate. I think 
that's a good observation. 31 to 35 contain the seeds of 
the rest of the gospel at this particular point. As well, we 
ought to appreciate by way of introduction, we know the blessed 
significance of Matthew 26 and 27. We know the glories associated 
with the death of our Lord Jesus. We know in the language of Paul 
that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we 
might become the righteousness of God in Him. If Christ doesn't 
die, if Christ is not raised, then we perish in our sins. So 
chapters 26 and 27 are most glorious for our consideration, but we 
also have to reflect on the fact that on the other hand, it's 
a very dark chapter in the history of the world. It's a very dark 
chapter when one who is wholly harmless and undefiled is presented, 
not as a king, but under crucifixion. And not least of which we see 
his godless enemies say, away with him, away with him, crucify 
him, but we see his closest friends. We see probably just the 11 at 
this particular point, those that he was most closely associated 
with abandon him in his hour of need. So it is indeed a dark 
time in the life of mankind. We also ought to appreciate that 
this short section in verses 31 to 35 demonstrate the sovereignty 
and the glory and the majesty of Christ. Nothing takes Him 
by surprise. You have to appreciate in these 
chapters, at least up to this point, and we'll see it as we 
move on, Christ is in control. He is not operating willy-nilly, 
and He is not reacting to the various things that are going 
on. So it demonstrates His control of the situation. It does, in 
fact, demonstrate to us the weakness of disciples. I mean, the best 
of men are men at best, and we see that displayed here. But 
I think Matthew wants us also to reflect on something. The 
road to suffering and death for the Lord Jesus is one he must 
walk alone. There is no helper, there is 
no assistant, there is no participant with him in the work of redemption. But rather in the language of 
Matthew 1.21, it is he, and I think the angel would have us to understand 
that is underscored, it is he and he alone that will save his 
people from their sins. There is no help for him. There 
is no assistance for him. There is no sort of aid that 
is given to him by way of men to sustain him in this, his darkest 
hour. Well, in these few verses, Jesus 
makes three predictions. Now, if you're like me, that 
word prediction sort of conjures up images of, you know, ladies 
wearing towels on their heads and rubbing their hands over 
crystal balls. But prediction, with reference 
to Christ, means it's a certainty. It's a prophecy. It is indeed 
going to come true. And he makes three predictions 
here that we ought to observe. In the first place, the prediction 
concerning desertion, verses 31 to 32. Secondly, the prediction 
of denial in verses 33 to 35. And then the prediction of his 
death and resurrection. We'll see that again in verses 
31 to 32. But note in the first place, 
the declaration of Jesus in verse 31. Then Jesus said to them, 
all of you will be made to stumble because of me this night. Now 
this word stumbling has been seen in Matthew's gospel up to 
this point. Literally, it means to be scandalized. The root word is scandal. It 
has the idea of leading one to sin in Matthew 5, 29 and 30, 
and then again in chapter 18. Has the idea of being offended. You see that in Matthew 13, Matthew 
15, and Matthew 17, And it also has the idea of falling away 
from the faith. You'll see that in Matthew 11 
and then again in Matthew 24. So as we try to pinpoint the 
meaning here in the word of Christ, all of you will be made to stumble 
because of me this night. I think France helps us. France 
says here, this word, falls somewhere between merely taking offense 
and ultimate spiritual disaster. The failure which is predicted 
for the disciples is as serious as it could be, short of final 
apostasy. But they will eventually be restored 
to effective discipleship. They will fall to rise again. 
I think that's a good way to understand what's happening here. 
Jesus is not saying, you're going to be eternally lost. You're 
going to be damned to hell. But he does tell them, you're 
going to desert me. And one of you in particular, the one who 
by all accounts is most likely the leader of them, is actually 
going to deny him. But in the language of France, 
they fall to rise again. We see the grace and the kindness 
and the mercy of Jesus Christ, and we ought to appreciate that 
along the exposition this morning. He not only tells of their fall, 
but he promises them of their recovery. He says, I will see 
you again in Galilee. He doesn't say, I don't have 
any regard for you whatsoever anymore. You see His kindness, 
His mercy, His grace, and His goodness even in the midst of 
this warning of His disciples. Now note specifically the reason 
why they will fall or why they will be made to stumble. He says, 
because of me this night. It isn't because of any other 
thing than me, Christ. And this night signals the events 
that are going to transpire, namely His arrest, and then His 
trial, and then His crucifixion. This will be a stumbling block 
to these disciples. It will be an offense to them. 
It will be a scandal to them, as it was to first century Jews 
in 1 Corinthians 1. Paul says, we preach Christ. 
To the Jews, it's a stumbling block, it's a scandal, it's something 
that causes them to stumble. To the Greeks, it's foolishness, 
but to those who are being saved, it is the power of God. But in 
this instance, it will be because of me. It underscores the situation 
as arrest, as trial, as crucifixion would prove to be too much for 
the disciples. One commentator says it this 
way, You might ask the question, well, 
why would they do that? They were his close associates. Have 
you ever asked yourself the question why you don't want to pray in 
public? Why you don't want to witness to somebody that you 
know is a God-hater? For whatever reason, there is 
within our hearts that proneness to wander, that proneness to 
leave the God that we love. There is that hesitancy to side 
with the Lord of glory. There is that sort of, instead 
of just speaking forth the truth of the gospel. So before we get 
on our, you know, sort of moral high ground and say, how could 
these disciples ever do what they did? And I'm not justifying 
it, certainly not legitimizing it, but I am suggesting, brethren, 
there's a little bit of these men in each and every one of 
us when there's this failure, when there's this resistance, 
when there's this hesitancy or this tendency to not confess 
with great joy the Lord whom we love and the Lord whom we 
serve. Now notice Jesus says or highlights that this is in 
accordance with the scripture. Now we've already seen Christ's 
appeal or Matthew's appeal to Zechariah. In fact, if you go to Zechariah, 
say, chapter 9 and read on, it's a prophetic statement concerning 
the passion of our Lord Jesus. Zechariah 9 is when Messiah rides 
on the coal of a donkey. We see that in Matthew chapter 
21. We see in Zechariah chapter 12, 
verse 10, a reference to this Messiah that would be pierced. 
And here specifically in Zechariah 13, 7, it's Yahweh's plan. This is a sort of an Isaiah 53.10 
passage. What does Isaiah 53.10 say? It 
says that the Lord Yahweh was bruised to crush Him, or pleased 
rather to bruise Him or crush Him. The Lord God Most High, 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the one who engaged 
in the plan for the sufferings and the death of the Lord Jesus. 
That's what is suggested here by the prophet Zechariah. I will 
strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 
That doesn't mean literally the Father brings the sword of judgment 
to bear upon the Son, but it's in accordance with the divine 
plan. It's according to His decree. It's according to that blessed 
transaction prior to the foundation of the world where the Father 
gives to the Son a great multitude that no man can number and the 
Son covenants to go and to save them. And the means by which 
he does that is by a perfect life of obedience to the law, 
a sacrificial death at Calvary, and then the resurrection on 
the third day. Now, if you're not a believer in Jesus Christ 
this morning, you ought to listen to the significance of this. 
Why did Jesus come into this world? That's a big question 
that people often ask. It's a big question that we ought 
to get our minds wrapped around. Some of the bad answers are, 
well, he started a new religion. I would suggest that he did do 
that, but that wasn't the primary focus. Jesus taught us how to 
be kind and loving on the Sermon on the Mount. Yeah, he sure did, 
but that wasn't the primary emphasis. The primary emphasis in the life 
and ministry and death and resurrection of Christ is to satisfy divine 
justice, to provide a righteousness to the Father that would then 
be imputed to those whom the Father gave to the Son. In other 
words, we need the cross, we need the death of the Lord Jesus 
so that we can be forgiven of our sins. But we need His life 
of obedience. We need the fact that He always 
did what was pleasing to the Father. We need the fact that 
He said, my meat is to do the will of Him who sent me. We need 
that life of obedience because it's that righteousness that 
God gives us. And He gives it to us, and it's 
received by faith. So the significance in terms 
of the life and ministry of Christ isn't a new religion. It isn't 
the teaching to be loving toward one another. Again, those things 
are present, but the emphasis is on what Paul says. Jews seek 
a sign. Greeks seek wisdom. So what does 
Paul say? So we give them their signs and 
wisdom? No. We preach Christ crucified. The centrality of the redemptive 
message of God's Word is not just be a better you. It's Christ 
died, Christ was risen, Christ is now enthroned at the right 
hand of God. And if you're in your sins, what you need is Him. What you need is to believe on 
Him. You need to look to Him. You 
need to come to Him. You need to accept Him. You need 
to receive Him. And you need to rest upon Him. 
Metaphors for the whole idea of trusting in the Lord Jesus 
Christ alone to save you from your sins. You see, that was 
the plan of God. We've seen Christ already speak 
this way when He announced the betrayer. Notice back in Matthew 
26, verse 24, the Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written 
of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. 
It would have been good for that man if he had not been born. 
So notice, Christ highlights that the betrayal, this whole 
situation, it had been written of Him. In Luke's gospel, in 
the parallel in Luke 22, 22, it says, "...as it was determined 
of him." Again, it points to the decree of the Father recorded 
for us in the prophetic word and fleshed out on the pages 
of the New Testament by the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who is 
shepherd by office. That one who is companion to 
Yahweh by nature, that's the language employed in Zechariah 
13, 7. But Christ validates, confirms, 
or affirms what He says in terms of their desertion with an appeal 
to Scripture. I will strike the shepherd and 
the sheep of the flock will be scattered. Now incidentally, 
it's that striking that will also provide the grounds by which 
they will be regathered. So they will be scattered, but 
Christ will in fact meet them in Galilee in Matthew 28. Now 
note, under the prediction of desertion, we see the declaration 
of Jesus, verse 31. But we also ought to appreciate 
the encouragement of Jesus in verse 32. But after I have been 
raised, I will go before you to Galilee. I think at times 
we are pretty familiar with our Bibles and we read passages or 
statements like these and they become sort of old hat. In fact, 
in our studies in Matthew's Gospel, the three formal times or the 
three formal announcements when Christ has said that He must 
go to Jerusalem and He must suffer And he must die. He's always 
said he must be raised on the third day. He does this in chapter 
16, chapter 17, and again in chapter 20. These disciples heard 
this. These disciples knew this. He 
has spoken of having been struck. The shepherd is being struck. 
The sheep of the flock will be scattered. But he encourages 
them. Isn't this just typical of our 
God? Isn't this just typical of the 
mercy and the kindness and the goodness of God? He tells them, 
you're going to desert me. It is my hour of greatest need. I realize he doesn't elaborate 
it quite like that, but having the chapters, we can reflect 
upon it. It is indeed the hours of greatest 
need. He says, you're gonna desert 
me. You're gonna leave me. You're gonna abandon me. You're 
gonna walk away from me. And yet on the heels of that, 
he brings a word of encouragement. not only answering to the fact 
that he's going to be struck, that he's going to be smitten, 
that he is going to be crucified, but that I will see you again 
in Galilee. It is a word of great encouragement, 
but after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee. It is a statement concerning 
his future and theirs. Their present, Their current 
is not looking good, according to verse 31. In fact, you're 
going to betray me, you're going to have a cause to stumble over 
me, you're going to be scandalized, you're going to be offended, 
seeing me arrested, seeing me tried, seeing me crucified, you're 
not going to stand by with me, but I will see you again. Now 
brethren, I don't think God gives us these current encouragements 
to encourage us to sin. In light of Romans 6, 1, that's 
obvious, right? Paul declares the glory of justification 
by faith in chapters 3 and 4 and to a degree in chapter 5. And 
then he starts off chapter 6 by saying this, what shall we say? 
Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? In other words, 
should we abuse the grace of God? God justifies us freely 
by His grace, so therefore go out and sin because you'll receive 
more grace? Paul says, may it never be. So we ought never to 
interpret the encouragements that come on the heels of warnings 
as an encouragement to actually do the sin we are warned against. You get that, right? Oh, well, 
you know, if you're going to see us again, it doesn't matter 
if we betray you and deny you. That's not the reason for the 
encouragement. The reason for the encouragement 
is because that's who God is. That's what He's about. That's 
sort of Godhood for him. You see it in the prophets. You 
see it, say, for instance, in Ezekiel 16. God rehearsing the 
history of Israel. He says, when I came upon you, 
you were in your blood. And I said, live, live. and I 
picked you up and I cleansed you and then I decked you as 
a beautiful bride. I put rings in your nose, I put 
makeup on you, I adorned you, I made you glorious and wonderful. But what did you do? You went 
a whoring from me. You engaged in lawlessness. You are worse than prostitutes, 
because in the normal transaction of things, a prostitute is paid 
for her services. But God says to Israel, you paid 
them to service you. It's a terrible depiction and 
a picture of Israel's history. You know how chapter 16 ends? 
With, nevertheless, a promise of God's dealing graciously and 
mercifully with them. Again, not to encourage incorrigibility, 
not to encourage them on a path of destruction, but to just demonstrate 
His goodness. And I think that's where we ought 
to understand Christ. Yes, it's factual, and yes, it's 
table of contents-ish with reference to the rest of the passion narrative, 
but it's vintage Christ, isn't it? Not only after I have been 
raised, but I will go before you to Galilee." Davies and Allison 
again make this observation, not in Jerusalem, it's not where 
he's going to meet them, but in Galilee of the Gentiles where 
he first gathered his community. Will Jesus reconstitute the flock 
that had been scattered and then inaugurate the world mission? 
That's sort of a, you know, historical redemptive flow quote. But I 
think Matthew Henry gets at the nub, gets at the practicality 
of it. He says, though, he's just sort 
of personifying or taking a bit of liberty in terms of telling 
us what this statement in verse 32 means. He says, though you 
will forsake me, I will not forsake you. You see, brethren, we need 
to appreciate that this is our God. if you surveyed the hymn 
choices this morning. Psalm 96, praise to God on a 
Lord's Day Sabbath. Hymn 484 ought to be our marching 
orders. Fight the good fight of faith. We have to man up, be courageous, 
be godly, and be disciplined and consistent and faithful in 
our lives. And we sang 400 for a little bit of a dose of reality. Robert Robinson writes, prone 
to wander, prone to leave the God I love. If you can't admit 
that or confess that from time to time, you're going to fall 
prey to the sorts of things that did Peter in. Not completely, 
thankfully. But Matthew Henry says, though 
you will forsake me, I will not forsake you. Though you fall, 
I will take care. You shall not fall finally. Believers fall, but they don't 
fall in. Believers stumble, but they get 
back up by the grace of God. He says, we shall have a meeting 
again in Galilee. So that's his prediction of their 
desertion. Notice secondly, the prediction 
of denial in verses 33 to 35. Peter's response. Verse 33, Peter 
answered and said to him, even if all are made to stumble because 
of you, I will never be made to stumble. This is a tough passage to preach 
because I think I see us all in this passage, or at least 
one of us. Look at what Peter says here. 
It's easy to admit the faults of everyone else, isn't it? Though 
everyone else may stumble, though everyone else may be scandalized, 
Though they have that remaining corruption, though Robert Robinson 
and those who follow in his train were prone to wander and prone 
to leave the God they love, yet I will never be made to stumble." 
It's a pretty brash declaration. It's bravado. He acknowledges 
the weakness of the other disciples and he asserts his own fidelity. The particular word enlarges 
this idea of never, enlarges Peter's confidence. He will never 
do what all others will do. You see, you have to appreciate 
as we move through the narrative, this is a dangerous place to 
set yourself. I think there's a place in the 
Christian life for a holy resolve. I think you see that in Psalm 
119, for instance. But that holy resolve should 
never be a denigration of the graces of others with an assertion 
of our absolute fidelity, because that is what he is claiming here. 
Again, I'm not picking on Peter. I'm not saying, wow, Peter, how 
could you do such a thing? I think Peter is a good specimen 
sample for, you know, what lurks in all of our hearts. A brother 
and I recently commented, and my brother pointed out, I think, 
very accurately. You know, we often qualify the 
doctrine of total depravity. Well, it doesn't mean we're as 
bad as we could be. Total depravity means we're bad 
in terms of our mind, and our affections, and our heart, and 
our hands, and our limbs. But it doesn't mean we're as 
bad as we could possibly be. Just give us time. Just put us in the proper or 
improper circumstances. It's probably in all of us to 
out-Hitler Hitler. It's probably in all of us to 
out-deny Peter. It's probably in all of us, brethren, 
and we need to appreciate that, not in terms of, wow, I'm glad 
I've got the seeds of apostasy brewing. No, appreciate it so 
that we can stand in dependence upon God. Now, there's obviously 
some problems with what Peter says here in verse 33. I think 
a cursory reading would have to assure us of that, but let 
me just pull some things out. In the first place, it's a rejection 
of the Word of Christ. As a general rule, if Jesus tells 
you you're going to do something, don't argue. Don't contradict. Don't suggest that it could be 
otherwise. Spurgeon says, this was a very 
presumptuous speech, not only because of the self-confidence 
it betrayed, but also because it was a flat contradiction of 
the master's declaration. Jesus says, you're going to betray 
me. And Peter has the gall to say, even if all are made to 
stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble. That 
is a flat contradiction of the word of Jesus Christ. But secondly, 
it is a contradiction of the written word of God. See, Jesus 
doesn't just throw this out willy-nilly. Remember what Jesus did as a 
man, what Jesus did according to his humanity? He read the 
Old Testament scriptures. He understood the prophet Zechariah 
and its application in his own life and ministry. And so Jesus 
makes this assertion concerning their desertion, and then invokes 
the prophet Zechariah to confirm that word, validate that word, 
authenticate that word, or affirm that word. And so when Peter 
says, I will never be made to stumble, he not only contradicts 
the word of Christ, he contradicts the prophecy of Zechariah. We're 
not supposed to do that. You see something akin in John 
20. Remember when Thomas says, unless 
I see, unless I touch, I will certainly not believe. He's not 
just an innocent doubter there, he is asserting with a particular 
convention, I will certainly not believe. Something similar 
Peter does in verse 35 here. What's Thomas doing there? Thomas 
is saying that the Old Testament got it wrong. that the Messiah 
would undergo decay. As well, he's saying that Jesus 
got it wrong, because Thomas heard the announcement not only 
of Christ's death, but of His resurrection. And he's saying 
that the apostles got it wrong, because they just wandered into 
His presence and said, we have seen the Lord. Well, Peter is 
doing that very sort of thing here. He rejects the word of 
Christ, and he rejects the word of the prophet Zechariah. But 
as well, it's a pretty terrible attitude toward the other disciples, 
isn't it? Here's where, again, I think 
we see a little bit of us in Peter. Don't we think the worst 
of people around? Oh yeah, they're gonna fall. 
Their posture at the announcement of the betrayal is much better. 
Is it I? Is it I, Lord? I know what Robert Robinson's 
gonna write, and I can side with him. I know there's this proneness 
to wander and proneness to leave the God I love, but here, yeah, 
everybody else may stumble. I get that, Lord. I can track 
with you there, because I've been hanging out with these guys, 
and they're not the brightest bunch in Galilee at this particular 
time or in Jerusalem. They're not as manly as perhaps 
I am. They may fall, but I never will. 
It's a real bad sort of attitude that he conveys with reference 
to his fellows. But obviously, the paramount 
thing is it's a confidence in himself. Christostom says, where 
he should have prayed and have said, help us that we be not 
cut off, he is confident in himself. See, when Jesus says you're gonna 
stumble, you're gonna have cause to stumble because of me this 
night, what should have been their response? Lord, Help us. Lord, keep us. Lord, shadow us 
under your gracious wing." Not, well, you know, those other slobs 
are going to leave you, but I never will. Here's Matthew Henry again. It argues a great degree of self-conceit 
and self-confidence to think, if it be possible, that others 
may be offended. Oh, I'm sorry. I skipped a line. It argues a great degree of self-conceit 
and self-confidence to think ourselves either safe from the 
temptations or free from the corruptions that are common to 
men. We should rather say, if it be possible that others may 
be offended, there is danger that I may be so. Do you follow 
that? We shouldn't just say, oh, those 
guys, but not me. Well, if it is the case that 
this is gonna be symptomatic or tendency in the lives of your 
people, then Lord, keep me. And what's the painful irony 
here? What really kind of hurts? Peter does it worse. Doesn't 
he? He does it worse. The one that's the most brash, 
the one that's the most zealous, the one that's got the most machismo, 
spiritually speaking, is the one that falls deeper and severer 
than the others, except Judas, of course. Judas fell away. Judas was an apostasy. His betrayal 
was a final action, not what Peter does here. Now, notice 
Christ's response to this statement of Peter. He highlights two things 
in verse 34. He highlights the nearness of 
Peter's actions and the severity of Peter's actions. And he underscores 
it with this amen statement. Calvin says, it functions like 
an oath. He underscores with an oath this 
reality. Assuredly, I say to you that 
this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three 
times. So what has Peter said? Peter has said, I will never 
deny you. I will never be caused to stumble 
on account of you. If I can survey the road ahead, 
it's never gonna be the case that I'm gonna be a problem to 
you, Lord Jesus. Jesus says it's gonna happen 
before the night's over. Now, some make a big to-do over 
Mark has the rooster crowing twice and Matthew has the rooster 
crowing once. Wow! Contradiction in the Bible. 
Well, this time frame between midnight and 3 a.m. was called 
the cock crow. The point of the passage is simply 
this. You're going to do this, Peter, 
and you're going to do it before the night is over. Matthew and 
Mark don't want you to sit in the back and have a Bible study 
on whether there was one cock crow or two. They want you to 
see the severity involved with Peter's admission, or Peter's 
rather confession, that I will never, and Christ says it's gonna 
happen tonight. And it does. We don't even need 
to have had some previous experience with the passage. If your Bible 
is open and it's one of those nifty Cambridge-wide margins, 
you see where Peter denies the Lord Jesus Christ. So the nearness 
of Peter's actions, but note the severity of Peter's actions. I say to you that this night, 
before the rooster crows, you will deny me. See, it's gone 
from this idea of being made to stumble because of me to you 
will deny me. The others would, in fact, desert 
Christ, 2656, but Peter among them would be one who denies 
Christ, and that is found in verses 69 to 75. But the severity is also seen 
in the repetition. I don't think it's an accident 
that he says, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three 
times. Certainly, that's what happens 
in the historical narrative. The girl says, aren't you one 
of them? No, not me. Aren't you one of them? No, no, 
no, not me. Aren't you one of them? No, no, no, not me. Yeah, 
he actually does that, but the stress lie on the fact that he 
does it three times. This is not good, Peter, for 
you to stand among your fellows, acknowledge their deficiencies, 
and acknowledge their shortcomings, and assert yourself as the model 
disciple who will never succumb to such a temptation to betray 
the Savior, or to deny or desert the Savior. And the Lord Himself 
says, assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster 
crows, you will deny me three times. I think that what we find 
here in verse 35 is why we both love Peter and kind of shake 
our heads about Peter. He should have stopped, shouldn't 
he? You ever get that where your 
husband is engaged in some things that he might not be saying to, 
you know, to accompany people? I'm not saying foul things, bad 
things, just maybe he needs to shut up. And you wives are kind 
of willing it to be the case. Maybe you don't ever do that, 
or husbands, it might be the case. You're willing that. If 
I had the powers, you know, thought control, they would be quiet. 
That's kind of how we should approach, or I think we do approach, 
verse 35. Peter, stop. What does the Bible do here? 
The Bible shows us what's in us. Peter said to him, even if 
I have to die with you, I will not deny you. And so said all 
the disciples. The parallel in Mark 14, 31 says, 
but he spoke more vehemently. That means he got more fired 
up. He got more animated. He probably increased the volume 
of his voice. He turned up the dial. And he 
says, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. Now 
remember the first formal prediction concerning the death of our Lord 
in Matthew 16. Christ says, I must go to Jerusalem. I must be tried. I must be crucified. I don't think he uses crucified 
there. I must be put to death and be raised the third day. 
What does Peter say? Peter says, forbid it, Lord. There is no way I'm going to 
let you go to Jerusalem and engage in that kind of activity. And 
so Jesus says, get behind me, Satan. I'm not laughing because 
of what Jesus said, I'm laughing because of Peter. A few verses 
earlier, blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood 
did not reveal this to you, but my Father is in heaven. And then 
he says, get behind me, Satan. Boy, he goes from the mountaintops 
to the valleys pretty quick. Again, I think that's why we 
love Peter, we identify with him. He's just this guy that, 
you know, just does. He's a ready, fire, aim sort 
of a person. If you ever shoot guns, don't 
be that way. Don't ready, fire, and then aim. 
You're supposed to aim and then fire. But there are some people, 
like Peter and others, you know, they're ready, fire, aim sorts 
of people. And some of us that may imitate 
that sort of disposition kind of find affinity with Peter. 
So on the one hand, we shake our heads at what he's saying 
here, but on the other hand, we think, wow, Jesus even loved 
him. That's very encouraging. But 
Peter says, no. And then what does Jesus say 
in 1624? He asserts what true discipleship looks like. If you're 
going to follow after me, you have to be willing to die for 
me. You have to be willing to take 
up your cross and die for me. So perhaps Peter now has imbibed 
that mentality. Even if I have to die with you, 
I will not deny you. And here's what's really scary 
about this man, Peter. He is a faithful guy. He is a 
bold, brash, believing man. Who is it in 2651 that takes 
out his sword and lops off an ear? We're not dealing with milquetoast 
here. We're not dealing with some passive 
guy here. We're not dealing with the couch 
dweller here. So we ought to surmise from that 
that Peter was indeed a strong brother, was a faithful man. He's ready to go into combat 
in the service of his Lord. And yet this man nevertheless 
deserted and denied. But brethren, it's doubtful at 
this particular time that Peter's willingness to die was under 
the understanding of Christ's willingness to die. In other 
words, when Peter takes out that sword and he lops off the ear, 
it doesn't tell us in Matthew, John tells us in John 18 that 
it was Peter. When Peter does that, perhaps 
he is indeed willing to die as a hero. He's willing to die as 
a defender of the weak. He's willing to die in some sort 
of military combat. But as we survey the situation, 
it is hard to appreciate or hard to understand that these men 
actually embrace the concept of Jesus' self-sacrifice in a 
redemptive sense. And notice, what Peter does here 
is that he doubles down. Even if I have to die with you, 
I will not deny you. And there's that really affirmative, 
I will never, I will not do it. The statement here by Peter indicates 
that he is doubling down in his self-confidence. Listen to John 
Kelvin. He says, hence to we see more 
clearly how stupid is the intoxication of human presumption. And I suspect 
at times, and I think this is good, parents, we tell our children, 
don't use that word. And so we hear that word and 
it's a bit shocking, but brethren, there's some things that a child 
shouldn't say that John Calvin should say in light of human 
nature. We need to teach our children 
the right way to use that particular word. Some words, kids, you're 
never supposed to say. Other words you're supposed to 
say when you actually know what it means and you use it in the 
proper context and you're dealing with theological opponents. Just 
kidding. But Calvin says, hence, too, 
we see more clearly how stupid is the intoxication of human 
presumption that when he is again reminded of his weakness by the 
Son of God, and that with the solemnity of an oath, he is so 
far from yielding or even from making any abatement of his foolish 
confidence that he goes on to show those lofty pretensions 
with more fierceness than ever. You see, he's told this is gonna 
happen. He says it's never gonna happen. 
Jesus says it's gonna happen this night before the rooster 
crows, and you're gonna do it three times. But you're not gonna 
just desert me, Peter. You're gonna actually deny me. 
Peter should have listened. Matthew, Henry again, briefer 
than Calvin makes this observation. Please internalize this. Please 
listen to this because I think it gets at the heart of the situation. 
Those often fall soonest and foulest that are the most confident 
of themselves. Your biggest problem in your 
Christian life is you. I realize that may not encourage 
you on Father's Day, men, and send you home happy. Jim said 
I was a great dad. No, I'm saying you're your biggest 
problem. Wojtyla, you know that threefold 
enemy, the world, the flesh, and the devil. We're crossing 
that River Jordan into the New Jerusalem. The world's given 
up on us. Maybe there's some vestiges. 
The devil isn't omnipotent and omnipresent and omniscient. There 
are times and seasons where the devil isn't messing with us. 
But who do we always have in our bosom? We always have us. 
It's one of the most depressing realities in the Christian life, 
apart from the grace of God. Well, listen to Matthew and Henry. 
Those often fall soonest and foulest that are most confident 
of themselves. Those are least safe that are 
most secure. That's the lesson of the passage. 
It's that 1 Corinthians 10, 12 emphasis. Therefore, let him 
who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall. Now notice, verse 
35, and so said all the disciples. I mostly picked on Peter in the 
course of the sermon this morning. The rest of the disciples say 
the same thing. We're not going to deny you. We're not going 
to desert you. We will be there for you, Lord. I mean, we already 
see hints of it in Gethsemane. They couldn't even stay awake 
with him while he's praying. And of course, at the arrest, 
what happens after the arrest? Verse 56, then all the disciples 
forsook him and fled. So they all join in this. Now, 
note conspicuously, Jesus doesn't here again respond. He's not 
gonna go tit for tat for them and say, well, you know, I'm 
gonna try and convince you. The events will evidence the validity 
of his words. We the reader don't need to hear 
of Jesus again saying, oh no, you really are gonna desert me, 
and you really are gonna deny me. He does that once, specifically 
with reference to Peter, before the night is over, you are gonna 
deny me three times. He doesn't answer the disciples, 
and he doesn't answer Peter here in the sense, or in the context, 
I think, it's because the rest of the chapter is going to manifest 
it to us. Well, brethren, there's the prediction 
of his desertion, of his denial. Just quickly, because it has 
been said many times up to this point, the prediction of death 
and resurrection. We need to appreciate, in verse 
31, the divine initiative in the death of the Son of God. 
The divine initiative in the death of the Son of God. If man 
is to be saved, God is to save him. It's the divine initiative. It's God, Yahweh of Israel, who 
strikes the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. 
As I said earlier, this is how you're supposed to understand 
Isaiah 53.10. This man of sorrows, this one 
acquainted with grief, this one who walked about in Israel, and 
men hid their eyes from him. He didn't have any comeliness. 
He didn't have a majestic appearance. There was nothing in him that 
would draw men to him. The divine orchestration is seen 
in 5310. It pleased Yahweh to bruise him, 
to crush him. And the same emphasis here is 
in Zechariah 13.7, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of 
the flock will be scattered. The shepherd, the man who is 
the companion of Yahweh will be struck in accordance with 
the father's plan. This is Zechariah 13.7. John 
Gill makes this observation, he says, being in order of Jehovah 
the Father's to justice, to awake its sword and sheath it in his 
Son, his equal by nature and his shepherd by office. This 
underscores to us that Christ is not caught unawares, he is 
not bouncing through this situation in his life by surprise, but 
he is going as it has been determined and as it is written of him. 
As well, the divine initiative in the resurrection of Christ, 
verse 32, after I have been raised. The specific referent is that 
the Father would indeed raise Him, I will go before you to 
Galilee. Now, what do we find when He 
goes to them and He sees them and He meets with them in Galilee? 
He gives them the Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28. And then 
what do we see with reference to those disciples? Now, there's 
exceptions and there's probably issues and there's problems and 
whatnot, but you see an attitude opposite, don't you? You see 
Peter on the day of Pentecost stand up in Jerusalem and declare 
the glory of Jesus Christ. Chrysostom said, and he teaches 
us to know what the disciples were before the crucifixion and 
after the crucifixion. For indeed they who when he was 
crucified were not able so much as to stand their ground, these 
after his death were mighty and stronger than adamant. It's a 
good observation with reference to these disciples. We ought 
not to have a negative opinion of them in terms of them. We 
certainly ought to appreciate the reality that what they did 
was a nasty, terrible, horrible thing. But as I said earlier, 
given the right circumstances or wrong circumstances, who knows 
what's in our heart with reference to deserting and denying the 
Savior. Well, in conclusion, a few thoughts and then we'll 
close. First, the blessed truthfulness of the Word of God. This is kind 
of a 2 Samuel 11 and 12 passage, isn't it? Remember when we went 
through 2 Samuel, we got to chapters 11 and 12, I mentioned that this 
is one of the proofs of divine inspiration of scripture, because 
David was the king of Israel. David was the hero. In David's 
day, kids didn't collect baseball cards, they collect king cards, 
and David was the one to have. That's not literal, but you get 
the gist. David was the hero of Israel. 
And yet, what does the author do in 2 Samuel 11 and 12? He 
tells us that this David committed adultery. This David committed 
murder. Why? Because for the author, 
the truth of God trumps the reputation of David. Isn't that what's happening 
here? Isn't that what's going on here? 
Origen saw it this way. He says, if she, the church, 
had not been truth-loving, she would never have written down 
that Peter denied and that the disciples fell. Oh, the Bible's 
full of lies. No, it's not. The Bible's full 
of contradictions. These statements made by people 
who wouldn't know any biblical text if it fell on the tops of 
their heads. They know it's wrong. Brethren, 
this is just an indirect proof of the inspiration of Holy Scripture. 
Men conspiring to present things in its best possible light don't 
tell us that their leader is going to deny their Savior three 
times. As well with reference to the 
blessed truthfulness of the Word, we ought to appreciate its consistency. 
You may be troubled by what we find here if you think back to 
chapter 10, verse 33. Now, I realize in our exposition 
we were there a long time ago, but if you look at chapter 10, 
verse 33, you'll see something intriguing. Jesus there specifically 
says, but whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before 
my father who is in heaven. Why is it the case that Peter 
gets off lightly here? Well, the Matthew 10, 33 denial 
is a settled opposition to Christ. The Matthew 26 denial is a temporary 
lapse under pressure. Not saying it's okay, not saying 
it's all right. It's saying the God of Psalm 
103 lives in Matthew 26. He knows our frame and he pities 
us. He knows that we are but dust. In fact, I think that's the background, 
or at least could be, in Jesus' kind dealings with his disciples 
in Gethsemane. If you were in your hour of greatest 
despair and you saw your friends sleeping, how would you respond? You'd probably give them a kick 
to get them up on their feet. Jesus chides them to be sure, 
but he nevertheless deals graciously with them. I think a second observation, 
we need to appreciate in terms of the situation here, 31 to 
35 is a redemptive historical situation where Christ announces 
what's gonna happen in terms of the disciples, in terms of 
Peter specifically, with reference to his crucifixion and his resurrection. 
But I don't think it's moralizing to see ourselves in the text 
and ask the question, What should we learn here from Peter? I would suggest there is in the 
first place the tendency toward pride instead of the cultivation 
of humility in us. 1 Peter 5. What does Peter do in 
1 Peter 5? He tells us God opposes the proud 
and He gives grace to the humble. Peter learned his lesson, didn't 
he? It took a while. Peter was that kind of guy. You 
know that vision he has in Acts 10? This happened three times. 
Why, Peter? God only needs to say things 
once. But brethren, there is a tendency in us toward pride 
instead of the cultivation of humility. And as I've said before, 
don't cultivate humility, kill pride. Because somebody's going 
to ask you, how are you doing today? Well, I'm cultivating 
humility. And you sound everything but humble. kill pride in what 
lay in its wake? Humility. It's a beautiful thing. 
I'm really working on being humble. Just stop being proud. That's 
the issue. Secondly, the tendency toward 
self-confidence instead of dependence upon the Spirit of God. It's 
obvious in the passage, isn't it? Everybody else may, but I 
never will. Thirdly, the tendency toward 
a lofty self-assessment instead of embracing God's accurate assessment 
in His Word. We should believe God that we've 
got problems. We should believe God that we've 
got issues. We should believe God that the Galatians 5, 17 
is a reality. The flesh lusts against the spirit, 
the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary to one another 
so that you don't do the things that you want to do. We ought 
to believe God with reference to Romans chapter 7. The good 
that I want to do, I don't do, and the wickedness that I don't 
want to do, I find myself gravitating toward. We need to believe God's 
assessment, and we need to embrace it, accept it, and run with it. Because when we assess ourselves, 
it typically runs afoul. When we assess ourselves, what 
happens? We are higher, loftier, more 
prestigious than our fellows. That lofty assessment hardens 
us to the very warnings of Scripture. You see that, I hope. Jesus says 
this is gonna happen. It's not gonna happen with me. 
Jesus says it's gonna happen tonight. It's not gonna happen 
with me. As well, that lofty assessment is ultimately an affront 
to God and man. But I think one more thing we 
ought to appreciate before we leave this particular point of 
conclusion. Not conclusion, this point of conclusion. The tendency 
in us toward an uncharitable and an unforgiving spirit, instead 
of forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave us. 
Do you hold grudges? Do you not forgive? Do you not 
pursue reconciliation? Are you okay with disharmony? 
Are you okay with a lack of peace? Are you okay with avoiding a 
brother for whom Jesus died? Well, they sinned against me. These guys sinned against Jesus. He knew they were going to do 
it. They actually did it. And nevertheless, he forgives 
them and meets with them in Galilee and sends them upon a mission. 
Brethren, this is the rub for us. Are we gonna be those who 
constantly demand our rights, constantly demand that everybody 
sort of bow in our presence? Are we gonna forgive even as 
God in Christ forgave us? I wanna be like Jesus. You know, 
those bracelets, WWJD. He'd forgive that person and 
love them. He'd forgive them and hug them. 
He would pursue harmony. He would pursue reconciliation. 
He would get rid of the grudge. And yet for the people of God, 
more often than not, boy, we just hold onto these things, 
don't we? A third observation, the continuing 
scandal of the cross. The disciples were scandalized 
during the arrest trial and crucifixion. First century Jews were scandalized 
during the early proclamation of the gospel. That's Paul's 
point in 1 Corinthians 1, 18 and following. But as well, the 
opponents of Christianity remain scandalized today, don't they? 
Well, I don't know, just look around you. They're killing believers 
in Muslim nations. They're persecuting believers 
in first world nations. Again, not by killing them or 
necessarily dispossessing them from homes or businesses, but 
there is an increasing secularization. The scandal of the cross remains. 
But the scandal of the cross may remain in God's own people 
today. Have you ever wondered why weather 
vanes are roosters? Have you? If you haven't, think 
about it. What does a rooster have to do 
with weather? I would think a weather vane would be a cloud. I would 
think a weather vane might be the sun. Well, I don't know, 
the moon at least. As far as I know scientifically, 
moon has something to do with weather. Sun probably does too, 
sorry. But you would think a more weather 
appropriate thing would be the weather vane. The significance 
of the rooster weather vane is Matthew 26. Now, I'm not condoning popery, 
but there were popes who put roosters as weather vanes on 
church buildings. Pope Nicholas in the ninth century 
ordered that all church buildings have a weather vane that was 
a rooster. The Reformed tradition didn't 
throw that off. Reformed churches add them and 
probably still has them. What's the point? When you drive 
away today and you look at that weather vane, remember Peter. Remember this crowing rooster 
so that you don't deny the Lord. That's the significance of the 
rooster in the weather vein. It is to preach to you. It is 
to call you to faithfulness, not desertion of the Savior, 
not denial of the Savior, but faithfulness to the Savior. Brethren, may God, most high, 
in His glory, in His power, in His excellence, keep us by His 
grace. And while there is a proneness 
to wander and a proneness to leave the God we love, there 
is that overarching proneness of God to keep us, to hold us, 
to secure us, and to stabilize us. And if you're not a believer 
here this morning, the gospel is in this passage. Jesus dies. Jesus is raised. The effects 
of that event is the forgiveness of sins. You say, I'm a great 
sinner. He's a great Savior. I've done 
some horrific things in my past. Peter was a saved man and did 
this. So you can never argue, if you're 
unbelieving today, that I'm too sinful for the Lord to save me. 
That's the whole business that God is in. It's because you're 
so sinful that the gospel was put into place. It's because 
you're so sinful that the Son of God took on our nature. with 
all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, 
yet without sin. He did this in order to live 
and to die and to be raised the third day, to save great sinners. Newton was right, and you need 
to remember this. I am a great sinner, but Christ 
is a great Savior. If you have not come, Come, believe 
on Him, see Him in this passage as a Savior that would die, that 
would be raised, and that exercises forgiveness. Because ultimately, 
that's what all of us stand in need of. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for Your Word. And I pray that we would 
take hold of these things in our own hearts and lives, that 
you would grant us grace to see their application to us, grant 
us grace to be obedient to you, to be a faithful people, not 
deserting and not denying our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to 
remember this rooster. Help us to remember this account, 
and may it indeed serve to keep us on the straight and narrow 
path. And for any and all who are unbelieving today, all those 
who are outside of Christ, we pray that you would have mercy 
upon them. Show them the life, the death, the resurrection of 
the Savior, and show them that there is forgiveness with you 
that you may be feared. Go with us now, we pray, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.