John 18:12-27 Take Heed Lest You Fall

During the events of Jesus’ arrest, we witnessed His power, His care for His disciples, and His resolve to drink the cup the Father had given Him. As we move into John 18:12-27, we will once again see these attributes displayed in the questioning of Jesus, but in this section the focus shifts to another interrogation. While Jesus is being questioned inside, Peter is being questioned outside. The contrast between these two interrogations couldn’t be more obvious. Peter fails miserably and denies the Lord he promised to follow even unto death. This Sunday, we won’t be hearing a "don’t be like Peter" sermon. The problem is that we already are like Peter in so many ways. Yet Jesus stood firm for Peter knowing that at that moment Peter was outside denying Him. Instead of simply saying, "Let’s do better than Peter," we will examine why Peter (who clearly loved Jesus) failed so badly. As we diagnose his disease from Scripture, we find insight into our own life of standing for Christ in an ungodly world. We will see not just that we must stand and confess Jesus, but how we are able to do so - and in this we find the source of our Christian walk.